Rating System

LEED BD+C: New Construction, LEED ID+C: Commercial Interiors, LEED BD+C: Core and Shell, LEED BD+C: Retail, LEED ID+C: Retail, LEED BD+C: Healthcare

Rating System Version

v3 - LEED 2009, v2 - LEED 2.2, v2 - LEED 2.0

Inquiry

To comply with CARB, some composite wood manufacturers are switching from urea formaldehyde resins to:a. Melamine urea formaldehyde with urea formaldehyde added as a "scavenger" to bond with residual un-bonded formaldehyde molecules attempting to reduce formaldehyde off-gassing. b. Melamine formaldehyde with urea added as a scavenger. These resins are being marketed as "melamine formaldehyde" and compliant with LEED\'s no added urea formaldehyde IEQ4.4 credit requirements. While resulting composite wood products made with these resin technologies may be CARB compliant, the question arises as to the use of these resins being compliant with LEED IEQc4.4. Phenol formaldehyde and MDI have long been proven to be the best resin options to urea formaldehyde to prevent formaldehyde off-gassing, so utilizing resins with urea that formulate urea-formaldehyde either prior to going in the end product, or within the end product, seems counter to the intent of this LEED credit. Are melamine urea formaldehyde with added urea formaldehyde acting as a scavenger, and melamine formaldehyde with urea added as a scavenger to bond with loose formaldehyde within a product, acceptable resin technologies considered compliant with LEED EQc4.4?