Intent:
- Reduce the quantity of indoor air contaminants that are odorous, irritating, and or harmful to the comfort and well-being of installers and occupants.
Implementation:
- All CARPET and CARPET CUSHIONS installed in building interior shall meet testing and product requirement of the Carpet and Rug Institute’s Green Label Plus Program.
- All carpet adhesives shall meet EQ4.1.
Code:
- Carpet and Rug Institute Green Label Plus Testing Program.
Submittal Phase:
- construction
Indoor Environmental Air Quality
- EQ P1 – Minimum IAQ Performance (prerequisite)
- EQ P2 – Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control (prerequisite)
- EQ 1 – Outdoor Air Delivery Monitoring
- EQ 2 – Increased Ventilation
- EQ 3.1 – Construction IAQ Management Plan, During Construction
- EQ 3.2 – Construction IAQ Management Plan, Before Occupancy
- EQ 4.1 – Low-Emitting Materials, Adhesives & Sealants
- EQ 4.2 – Low-Emitting Materials, Paint & Coatings
- EQ 4.3 – Low-Emitting Materials, Carpet Systems
- EQ 4.4 – Low-Emitting Materials, Composite Wood & Agrifiber Products
- EQ 5 – Indoor Chemical & Pollutant Source Control
- EQ 6.1 – Controllability of Systems, Lighting
- EQ 6.2 – Controllability of Systems, Thermal Comfort
- EQ 7.1 – Thermal Comfort, Design
- EQ 7.2 – Thermal Comfort, Verification
- EQ 8.1 -Daylight & Views, Daylight 75% of Spaces
- EQ 8.2 – Daylight & Views, Views for 90% of Spaces
18 Comments On This Post
Pat,
So you obviously cannot be awarded this credit if you have no carpet materials in the project, correct? For example, if only Marmoleoum is installed as flooring and the adhesives meet the VOC requirements for EQ 4.1, you wouldn’t get a point for this credit just because you have an absence of carpet?
Yes, I believe you are correct in this assumption, Dylan.
I’ll double check with a few people, and if I hear otherwise, I’ll let you know. Thanks!
Sounds like you should go out of your way to make an entrance mat or something so that your little square of carpet gets you a free point 😉 Could be one of the easiest credits in that case. I’m guessing that there must be some minimum or bar against a loop-hole like that.
don’t think there is a loop-hole here. unless, of course, you “install” your little square of carpet!
this credit is purely for installed carpet systems.
The BuildingGreen.com sample exam says carpets can comply with FloorScore or Green Label Plus. Was FloorScore taken out in NC2.2 3rd edition? I haven’t seen the program mentioned in any of my study materials.
I think you’re right about this. There is no mention of FloorScore in LEED NC v2.2 October 2007. The only reference standards given are CRI Green Label (carpet cushion) and the Green Label Plus (carpet).
Franco – you are correct: there is no mention of FloorScore in V2.2 (third edition), which is the reference guide still to be used until the end of this year and exams until the end of this year will be based on this.
HOWEVER, going forward in 2009, LEED 2009 references FloorScore for hard flooring under this credit (this is just going to ballot).
in LEED 2009 the title of EQ 4.3 has been changed from Carpet to Flooring Systems and specifically, this states:
All of the hard surface flooring must be certified as compliant with the FloorScore standard (current as of the date of this Rating System, or more stringent version) by an independent third- party. Flooring products covered by FloorScore include vinyl, linoleum, laminate flooring, wood flooring, ceramic flooring, rubber flooring, wall base, and associated sundries.
N.B.: this credit has been substantially expanded in LEED 2009!
I believe (Per the first edition) that the carpet cushion only has to meet the carpet and rug institute green label (not plus).
Carpet must meet the plus certification.
I had a question about Dan’s comment as well. In the reference book it says that the carpet should meet the Green label PLUS program, carpet cushion should meet Green label (no plus) program. I have the same in the study spreadsheet I found on this site and the requirements above are stating the same.
I think I looked at all errata I could find and I don not see this change anywhere.
Could someone advise if and when it happened, and if it is important to know that one is green label plus and the other one is green label program?
Thanks in advance.
I think that the BuildingGreen .com answer should have included A) Green Seal. Version 2.2 3rd edition EQ 4.3 says “All carpet adhesive shall meet the requirements of EQ Credit 4.1: VOC limit of 50 g/L. This allows one to reference EQ 4.1 (page 340 in the guide) under Aerosol Adhesives: Green Seal Standard for Commercial Adhesives GS 36…
How about that?
Is there a min. % of total area needed for a ‘installed carpet system’ to qualify for EQ 4.3?
In the practice tests at greenexamprep.com, one of the questions does make this differentiation between the requirement for the pad and that for the carpet (Plus vs. non-Plus), and I got it wrong based on the LEED AP Walkthrough I purchased (which has been great though!)that says both pad and cushion need to me the Plus part. Any confirmation that this is actually the case in the real exam?
Taking it next Monday, wish me luck!
Good luck, Bryce.
Have another look at NC 2.2 reference guide, page 348, second column under submittal documentation. The bullet points do make a subtle distinction.
“Provide a listing of each carpet product installed in the building interior. Confirm that the product complies with the CRI Green Label Plus testing program.”
And then it goes on to the next point…
“Provide a listing of each carpet cushion product installed in the building interior. Confirm that the product complies with the CRI Green Label testing program.”
It’s a very subtle distinction that is easy to miss.
I dont know if this has been mentioned, but to remember the difference in Green Label and Green Label Plus ~ I remember that carpet can be “plush” – so the Plus goes with the carpet. Maybe it will help someone else.
What the heck is the “FloorScore” Program ? The BuildingGreen.com exam has it as correct answer for programs that help comply EQ Credit 4.3. I can’t find it anywhere. SOS! I have my test tomorrow.
I got this question on a practice exam and I am a little confused with the referenced standards, could someone clear this up for me:
As part of EQ Credit 4.3 Low-Emitting Materials: Carpet Systems, all carpet cushions must meet the requirements of:
A Green Label
B VOC limit of 50ppm
C Green Seal
D Green Label Plus
E Green-e
Notes:
Carpet cushion must not exceed the limits of the Green Label standard.
Carpet must not exceed the limits of the Green Label Plus standard.
I thought that the Green Label Plus standard covered both carpet systems and cushions.
…the test said that A is the answer.
Angie,
I just read your post! haha Maybe I should read before I post! It helped a LOT! thanks
~Amy