Paints and LEED certification, a challenge

By Vanesa Restrepo

There is a perception that the construction of Green Buildings is much more expensive than conventional construction, and in fact this statement is real, however the long-term cost is significantly lower. Studies prove that the amount of construction of green buildings is substantially less (2%) than expected and the increase in prices is related to the architectural and engineering costs that this type of construction requires. According to The United States Green Building Council, the sooner this type of sustainable building practice is adapted, the lower the cost increase.

Green buildings are a growing global trend, because they have a positive impact on the environment and on the pockets of users. Its cost is estimated to be 15% higher than that of a traditional building, but this pays for itself within three years of use, and is ideal for investors because maintenance is more economical.

But there are different degrees of green buildings: some are built with materials and techniques that reduce energy consumption during use and maintenance; others are also concerned with using only those materials that during the manufacturing and transfer stage consume little energy and do not pollute the environment, even when they are discarded, once their useful life is over. And in some cases, the water used from washing for irrigation and toilet tanks is also recycled.

It is important to understand that it is not a new architectural style, but to apply a series of criteria, such as the correct orientation of the environments, the choice of materials, the size of the openings and their protection from the sun. It can be said that the news has nothing new, the Helios system developed by the architect Wladimiro Acosta at the end of 1920 was already concerned with the control of sunlight, but today it is known that construction is the most polluting industry, and that also in industrialized countries consumes 30% of the total energy produced.

However, despite short-term cost increases, green buildings provide benefits that conventional ones do not offer in the long term, for example: lower utility costs in electricity and water, environmentally effective use of building materials, enhancement in health and productivity, long-term economic return, reduction of environmental impact, among others.

The role of paintings
In view of the growth probabilities of the sustainable building construction sector, the US Green Building Council created LEED certification, a set of standards based on indoor environmental quality, energy efficiency, water efficiency, sustainable site development and material selection that establishes a points program for each action with a reduced environmental impact. According to the number of points obtained by the whole building, one of the four available categories is awarded: certificate, silver, gold and platinum.

In the list of credits for LEED certification, item number four includes recommendations based on low-emission materials. According to the regulation, its intention is to "reduce the amount of indoor air pollutants that can generate odors, be potentially irritating or harmful to the comfort and well-being of installers and occupants.

That being the case, this is the point that directly concerns the paints and coatings industry. The regulation provides for a category for adhesives and sealants (EQC 4.1), in which it refers to "the VOC content in adhesives, sealants and first sealants used must be lower than the limits established by the State of California's South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), in its Rule No. 1168 of October 2003".

EQC 4.2 talks particularly about paints and coatings. It specifies that VOC emissions in paints must not exceed the limits of the Green Seal GS-11 standard, established in January 1997. Additionally, the VOC content of the anti-corrosion coatings used must be below the limits of the Green Seal GS-03 of May 1993. For interior paints and coatings that are not yet covered by GS-11 and GS-03 standards, the VOC content in all used wood primers, coatings, sealants and finishes must be below the limits of South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) rule No. 1113 in force since November 1996.

The standard then suggests that the adhesives and sealants used in the construction of the interior of the building must comply with the thresholds established in different international regulations. It specifies that adhesives and sealants applied to doors or other prefabricated or manufactured interior elements outside the construction assembly are not subject to VOC requirements, but states that they cannot contain urea-formaldehyde.

Projects applying paints and coatings that meet the requirements of the green seal could apply for an innovative design credit that would allow them to climb the LEED points scale.

How to act?
Keep in mind that all materials that emit toxic pollutants and have the potential to enter indoor air are considered as threats to indoor air quality. These would be inferior pollutants, but they also affect the rating. Examples of materials that have little or no potential for communication with indoor air are roofing and cladding materials found on the outer side of the waterproofing layer.

In the case of applicators and contractors, the recommendation is to request VOC emission test data from manufacturers, and track pollutant emission levels in the building during application and after occupancy. If an adequate selection of adhesives, paints, sealants and finishes is made, the indoor air quality can be better and, consequently, the building will be better qualified.

If we talk about formulators, the recommendation is to give a revision to the standards referenced here, whose content is available on the Internet, in order to establish if the products manufactured meet those standards. If so, it could be applied to a "green seal" type recognition that guarantees quality. Given the case that the regulations are not complied with, it is recommended to make an adjustment in the formulation, because it is no secret to anyone that the lines with ecological characteristics are those that dominate the market.