Rating System

LEED BD+C: New Construction

Rating System Version

v2 - LEED 2.0

Inquiry

A CIR ruling on 12/3/2003 established an alternative compliance protocol for the ETS prerequisite in residential buildings. That protocol requires, among other things, "all doors in the residential units leading to common hallways shall be weather-stripped to minimize air leakage into the hallway." This requirement contradicts a standard building practice which is consistent with the intent of the prerequisite: using undercuts on doorways from units to corridors, coupled with pressurized corridors, to maintain positive pressure in common areas relative to residential units. This practice is used to prevent kitchen odors from entering common areas, but would also keep ETS from common areas, the intent of the prerequisite. We propose that the weather stripping requirement be waived if (1) all of the other requirements of the residential compliance pathway are performed, and (2) a project can demonstrate through engineering documentation and narrative that the corridor will maintain positive pressure relative to the residential units at all times.