by Lauren Richardson
Sustainability Associate at Green Badger
GBCI Pro Reviewer
LEED v4 Compliant Paint Products and Manufacturers
Most of the big paint manufacturers have LEED v4 compliant paint products. You’ll find multiple paint product lines that not only meet the Low Emitting Materials requirements but also offer a slew of EPDS, HPDs, Cradle to Cradle certificates, and Product Lens Certifications.
And the best part is, each sheen of paint counts as a stand-alone product for both credits, because they each serve a unique purpose. If use Sherwin Williams ProMar 200 Zero VOC Primer and Flat on the walls, Eggshell in the break rooms, Semi-Gloss on the doors, and Gloss on the trim, you’d end up with 5 EPDs and 5 Product Lens Certificates. That leaves you a quarter of the way to earning the EPD or MIR credits (or even closer for LEED v4.1). Throw in your direct to metal lines, block fillers, and some other specialty paints, and you’re kicking back with a cold one at Ruby Tuesday with your points knocked out!
In a previous paint blog, we learned that the Rolling Stones were crooning about the wonders of LEED-compliant paints. Few know that the Stones’ lyrics to Oh Baby (We Got A Good Thing Goin’) were inspired by their acknowledgment that LEED is making a difference in the Design-Build industry.
1. Best Practices for Specs
Put all the allowable VOC levels for your paints and paint accessory products into your specs at the beginning of the process, AND demand that subs ONLY spec products that also have a CDPH Compliance Certificate. Flat and non-flat paints both have an allowable VOC content of 50 g/l. Specialty products, such as Industrial maintenance safety coatings have an allowable VOC content of 480 g/l.
2. Certificates that Comply
To be LEED compliant for the Low Emitting Paint Category, the product must be under the allowable VOC for its category AND have a CDPH (California Department of Public Health) Certificate.
This certificate can take several forms, such as a UL Green Guard Gold certificate (which have expiration dates), a Berkely Analytical certificate, or a Clear Chem (By Berkely Analytical) certificate. Testing certificates never expire, so you won’t see a date.
This ensures saving everyone time and frustration, having to reject submittals and respecify products.
3. Each Formula Counts as One Product
Keep in mind, as a LEED project team member, that each formula counts as one product. So, if you are using Horizon Interior Zero VOC Gloss Level 2 Satin Finish in red, blue, and green colors, you still only have one product. However, if you are using Rodda Paint Horizon Interior Semigloss Enamel AND
Rodda Paint Horizon Interior Satin, you have two products, because each sheen counts and a different formula.
4. Sustainable Materials Credits and Low Emitting Material Credits
LEED Reviewers want to see each paint product recorded in both Sustainable Materials Credits and Low Emitting Material Credits. So, in addition to the VOC content (found in the Technical Data Sheet or Safety Data Sheet), a CDPH Certificate, you will ideally find an Environmental Product Declaration or Material Health Certificate on the product as well. Sadly, Benjamin Moore is no longer issuing Cradle to Cradle Certificates, making their products candidates for Material Optimization. (If this is all gibberish to you, check out Green Badger Academy).
More companies are opting for self-declared Health Product Declarations.
For easy got a good thing goin’ LEED project management and compliance, set up a Green Badger account and kiss the headaches goodbye.
Here’s a sample of LEED v4 Compliant Paint Products we’ve seen from some of the paint manufacturers:
Manufacturer: Benjamin Moore
Benjamin Moore
Product: UltraSpec-500-Interior
Compliance: currently EPD and C2C, but will reissue with HPDs and ClearChems
Benjamin Moore
Product: Ultra Spec HP DTM Acrylic Enamels
Compliance: currently EPD and C2C, but will reissue with HPDs and ClearChems
Benjamin Moore
Product: Ultra Spec EXT
Compliance: EPD
Benjamin Moore
Product: Natura
Compliance: EPD and C2C
Manufacturer: Dulux – Interior Paint
Product: Dulux Diamond Distinction
The easy-to-clean, long-lasting, perfect-in-any-room washable wall paint.
Product: Dulux Diamond
A superior advanced paint formula with superior stain resistance.
Product: Dulux Lifemaster
A premium quality, 100% acrylic Zero-VOC paint.
Product: Dulux X-pert
Great coverage, high-hide and excellent adhesion for any project.
Manufacturer: Glidden
Product: Glidden Ultra
Offering a full range of finishes, providing consistently great results.
Product: Glidden Pro
Offering a full range of finishes that can be tinted to pastel and off-white colors.
Product: Glidden Speedwall
Offers excellent dry time, helping to get the job done faster.
Product: Dulux Ultra Zero VOC
Compliance: Clear Chem Declaration
Manufacturer: Rodda Paint Company
(Rodda HPDs expired 12/20 and 1/21 – Your Friendly Green Badgers will keep you posted)
Product: Rodda Paint Prime Solution
Compliance: <40 g/l Clear Chem Declaration
Product: Rodda Paint Horizon Interior Satin
Compliance: <0 g/l, Clear Chem Declaration
Product: Rodda Paint Master Painter Ultra Low VOC Interior Primer Sealer Flat
Compliance: <1.0 g/l, Clear Chem Declaration
Product: Cloverdale (by Rodda Paint) Ecologic Ultra Low VOC 100% Acrylic Semi-Gloss
Manufacturer: McCormick
Product: McCormick Paints 1st Step Zero VOC Vinyl Primer Sealer 06431
Product: McCormick Paints Dry Fall Interior Waterborne Acrylic White 01219
Product: McCormick Paints Interior/Exterior Latex Block Filler 01015
Product: uniX Multi-Purpose Stain Blocking Interior/Exterior Primer 06460 Primers
Manufacturer: Diamond Vogel
Product: Diamond Vogel Assure Interior Latex Eggshell
Product: Diamond Vogel Eas-E-Poxy Pre-Catalyzed Epoxy Semi-Gloss MS-1570 series
Product: Diamond Vogel PosiPrime Interior Primer DU
Product: Diamond Vogel Vantage Plus Interior Eggshell DE-1640 series
Using a LEED submittal cover sheet:
There are some pretty easy best practices that can really facilitate the documentation for materials and even low-emitting products.
Here’s one that you think would be commonplace, but at least in this Badger’s neck of the woods (literally), we don’t see all that frequent – using a required LEED Submittal Cover Sheet for all subcontractors. By having a coversheet, where you require the subcontractor to provide cost and any relevant LEED data (recycled content percentages, distance from extraction and manufacture, VOC content, etc), you get all this information upfront. Or reject the submittal and send it back. Pretty straightforward! Download your free LEED v4.1 product submittal coversheet bellow.