Rating System

LEED BD+C: New Construction, LEED BD+C: New Construction

Rating System Version

v2 - LEED 2.2, v3 - LEED 2009

Inquiry

The following Innovation & Design CIR is being submitted to assess whether the following criteria could qualify for a ID credit if all standards are met and documentation recieved. ID Credit Title: Low Emitting Materials: Building Insulation Narrative Statement of Credit 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. Demonstrate that for all insulations used in the project that none of the insulations contain urea formaldehyde resins. Submit manufacturer / MSDS information, and material invoices indicating the purchase and delivery for all insulation materials Narrative Statement Describing Credit Requirements: Building insulation products used in the building shall contain no added urea formaldehyde resins. Building insulation products include: thermal batt insulations, sound attenuation batt insulations, rigid insulations, blown-in insulations, and foamed-in-place insulations. Narrative Describing Project\'s Approach to the Credit: Formaldehyde is a well-known carcinogen and is highly toxic, having been linked to respiratory ailments and throat cancer. Further eliminate the use of urea formaldehyde from the building by eliminating the use of insulation containing urea formaldehyde. The project will be specifying a batt insulation (both thermal and sound attenuating) that is formaldehyde-free. Batt type (blanket) insulation is used extensively throughout this project. Also, the project will be using a foamed-in-place insulation injected into the cores of the masonry block after masonry work has been completed. Many foamed in place insulations used in masonry applications use a urea formaldehyde resin as one of their components. These are classified as urea formaldehyde foam insulations (UFFIs). UFFIs were banned in 1982, but later that ban was over turned in 1983. Since then, UFFIs have been banned in several states. The state that this project is located in does not have a ban on this material. The foamed-in-place insulation used for this project will not contain urea formaldehyde. Other rigid insulations such as polyisocyanurate and extruded / expanded polystyrene do not contain urea formaldehyde in their manufacturer. This project is specified to use extruded / expanded polystyrene for rigid insulations.