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Resources for Design Teams
We have created a Low Emitting Materials worksheet to help teams with compliance and submission for review. Each category tab can be used a reference guide to identify qualifying low emitting materials. The tabs contain a summary of requirements and standards and a list of known certifications, labels, and other sources of compliance. Contact us at info@chps.net to obtain a copy.
From our US Criteria (CA Criteria may be different)
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Paints & Coatings - Sealers, stains, finishes, primers, paints and more
Flooring Systems - Resilient flooring and carpet systems
Composite Wood - Cupboards, countertops, agrifiber products, and more. Includes wall panels made of composite wood.
Adhesives & Sealants - Flooring adhesives, wall adhesives, duct sealants, and more, excluding structural adhesives
Furniture & Furnishings - Desks, workstations, chairs, etc.
Paints & Coatings
Covers sealers, stains, clear wood finishes, floor sealers and coatings, waterproofing sealers, primers, flat paints and coatings, non-flat paints and coatings, and rust preventative coatings:
Minimum Standard: Must meet the applicable VOC content requirements of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) 2007 Suggested Control Measure (SCM) for Architectural Coatings or the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule 1113, amended February 5, 2016.
Enhanced Standard: Must be tested for emissions of VOCs of concern with respect to chronic inhalation exposures following the specifications of the CDPH Standard Method V1.2, January 2017. The test results shall be compliant with the Standard Method when modeled to the school classroom scenario using applicable product coverage areas.
Flooring Systems
Covers resilient flooring and carpet systems, including carpet with or without an integral cushion, carpet with an integral adhesive system, and separate cushion; resilient flooring; wood flooring; ceramic tile flooring; other mineral-based flooring (either natural or manmade) without any organic component; and concrete flooring. Excludes ceramic tile, organic-free mineral-based flooring, and concrete flooring:
Minimum Standard: Must be tested for emissions of VOCs of concern with respect to chronic inhalation exposures following the specifications of the CDPH Standard Method V1.2, dated January 2017, and shall be compliant with the Standard Method when modeled to the school classroom scenario.
Composite Wood
Covers finished building products (cupboards, countertops, etc.) defined as composite wood by CARB, including composite core and veneer core hardwood plywood (HWPW, particleboard (PB), medium density fiberboard (MDF), and thin MDF. The Enhanced Standard also covers agrifiber products:
Minimum Standard: Must meet the applicable ATCM Phase 2 formaldehyde emission standards.
Enhanced Standard: Must either 1) be manufactured with no-added formaldehyde (NAF) based resins, or 2) be manufactured with ultra-low emitting formaldehyde (ULEF) resins and meet the appropriate emission requirements in the ATCM for NAF and ULEF products. All agrifiber products must be manufactured with NAF based resins.
Adhesives & Sealants
Covers carpet, resilient and wood flooring adhesives; base cove adhesives; ceramic tile adhesives; drywall and panel adhesives; aerosol adhesives; adhesive primers; acoustical sealants; fire stop sealants; HVAC duct sealants, sealant primers; and caulks. Excludes structural adhesives. Sealers including concrete floor sealers and other waterproofing sealers are treated under Paints & Coatings:
Enhanced Standard: Meet the VOC content requirements in the applicable category of South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule 1168, Adhesive and Sealant applications, amended January 2005. And must be tested for emissions of VOCs of concern with respect to chronic inhalation exposures following the specifications of the CDPH/EHLB Standard Method V1.2, 2017. The test results shall be compliant with the Standard Method when modeled to the school classroom scenario.
Furniture & Furnishings
Covers individual stations (defined as a chair and associated work surface, i.e., either a desk or a desk/chair combination) that are new and/or newly remanufactured/refurbished:
Enhanced Standard: All furniture shall meet the VOC emissions guidelines defined in ANSI/BIFMA X7.1-2011 (reaffirmed 2016), FES Test Method, and ANSI/BIFMA e3-2014, Furniture Sustainability Standard, as specified in Table EQ6-1.
