IAQ7: Low- or no-VOC content paints, stains, or sealants

(Choose one of bullets below)

• Interior paints 
• Stains and finishes 
• Sealants and adhesives 
• Carpet, carpet pad and carpet adhesive

Purpose

Interior paints and finishes may contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can be harmful to humans, such as urea formaldehyde (UF), benzene, toluene, and other chemicals. VOCs from interior finish materials are released into the indoor air, creating unpleasant and sometimes toxic odors, with both short- and long-term health effects for workers and occupants. To protect indoor air quality for both occupants and contractor staff, the best approach is to limit use of VOC-containing materials by specifying and purchasing low- or no-VOC products. Paints, sealants, coatings and adhesives are building products that traditionally contain VOCs.

Criteria

Use only interior paints and finishes that are certified as low- or no-VOC by at least one of the following: 

• CA Section 01350 (CDPH Standard Method V1.1-2010) 
• Green Seal Standard GS-11 
• Green Wise or Green Wise Gold
• GREENGUARD or GREENGUARD Gold Certification for Paints and Coatings 
• Master Painters Institute (MPI) Green Performance Standards X-Green, GPS-1 or GPS-2 
• Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) Standard EC-10.2-2007 or Indoor Advantage Gold

Use only sealants and adhesives that are certified as low- or no-VOC by at least one of the following: 

• CA Section 01350 (CDPH Standard Method V1-1-2010) 
• Green Seal GS-36
• GREENGUARD or GREENGUARD Gold adhesives and sealants

Use only carpet, carpet pad and carpet adhesives that are certified as low- or no-VOC by the Carpet and Rug Institute, Inc (CRI): 

• CRI Green Label Plus for carpet and carpet adhesives 
• CRI Green Label for carpet pad Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) - 98 -

In order to qualify, ≥90% of the interior surface covered by site-applied paints, coatings, sealants or carpet shall use low- or no-VOC products certified by one or more of the third-party standards listed above.

Additional Resources 

• CA Section 01350: http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/greenbuilding/specs/section01350/ 
• Carpet and Rug Institute, Inc: http://www.carpet-rug.org/ 
• Green Seal: http://www.greenseal.org/ 
• Green Wise Paint: http://greenwisepaint.com/ 
• GREENGUARD: http://greenguard.org/en/index.aspx 
• Master Painters Institute: http://www.paintinfo.com/index.asp 
• Scientific Certification Systems (SCS): https://www.scsglobalservices.com/

Confirmation 

• The builder must present documentation demonstrating compliance of criteria to the EarthCraft Technical Advisor prior to submitting project for certification. 
• The EarthCraft Technical Advisor will review documentation provided by the builder for compliance of criteria.