# LEED Certification



## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

I noticed that DMax Consulting, one of our members/contributors, has a link in his signature which says "Atlanta LEED Certified Painters". 

Is it possible for a paint company to be LEED Certified, or would such a claim mean that a company uses LEED Certified coatings?


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## johnthepainter (Apr 1, 2008)

leed accredited professional exam.

leed is a joke. absolute smoke and mirrors.

(usgbci is a joke also,,what a shame)


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## ProWallGuy (Apr 7, 2007)

Scott, click here for info.
And here.
And here.


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

Thanks for the info. Learn something new everyday.


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## George Z (Apr 15, 2007)

It doesn't say anywhere in their site that they are,
it implies it, but doesn't say it.
Maybe they could explain






*"Going “Green” is more than a trend.*

GreenWave Solutions is dedicated to providing Atlanta with environmentally friendly coating solutions, while maintaining superior quality and value. With over 10 years of industry experience as successful Sherwin-Williams representatives, we are a team of paints experts – possessing both practical, as well as, scientific knowledge of paints and coatings.
*”We’ll LEED the Way!”*

GreenWave Solutions specializes in using coatings that comply with The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System and The Master Painters Institute’s (MPI) Green Performance Standard.







In order for a coating to qualify as LEED Certified, it must contain low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Volatile organic compounds are measures in g/L and are responsible for the dangerous vapors released by curing paint. The acceptable VOC levels to be LEED Certified vary according to the application of the coating. Most LEED Certified coatings contain between 0-100 g/L of VOC. In contrast, a comparable non-LEED Certified coating may contain over 400g/L of VOC.
As the general population becomes more educated about pollution and the environment, more and more individuals want to do their part in helping to preserve our Earth. California has led the way by creating the California Air Resources Board or CARB. The Ozone Transport Commission, or OTC, is a multi-state organization created under the Clean Air Act. The OTC is responsible for developing and implementing solutions to ground level ozone problems from the Mid-Atlantic regions to the Northeast. These groups have made great strides in improving air quality in their respective regions. Unfortunately, the “green” trend has not been readily embraced by the southeast’s painting community."


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

I searched this: LEED Accredited Professional Directory

And came up with this: No accredited professionals matched your search criteria

I must not have been using the correct search criteria.


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## Dmax Consulting (Jul 22, 2008)

Merry Christmas!

I just saw this post today. I hope to clear any confusion that you all have concerning my company.

My green company is GreenWave Solutions - www.greenwaveforever.com

Here is why I say I am LEED Certified.

1) I am a LEED AP. I took and passed the USGBC's LEED - NC v2.2 on 12/13/08. You can find me if you go to: http://www.gbci.org/LEED/AP/ViewAll.aspx?CMSPageID=59
Search using my name: Daniel Macris or my affiliation: GreenWave Solutions.
I am also the president of the company. That makes me a LEED certified paint contractor. I guess a LEED Accredited paint contractor would be more accurate, but certified is more commonly used.

2) We only use coatings and sealants that carry the GS-03, GS-11, and GS-36 certification. This earns projects seeking LEED certification EQ credits 4.1 and 4.2. Whenever possible, I use products that are made using pre and post consumer recycled waste. This helps earn credit MR 4.

3) We minimize and recycle our waste. My crews use reusable drops as much as possible. When we use plastic or builder paper, everything is recycled after we are finished.

4) We do more than painting. We do eco-friendly concrete restoration and LEED Consulting. I am looking into solar roofing and rainwater harvesting system installation. I started in paint because is where I have all of my post-college corporate experience.

I welcome the naysayers and the haters that say LEED is a sham or is "smoke and mirrors." -- It is less competition for me.

Happy Holidays!


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

DM

Congratulations on passing the exam. Its an excellent point of differentiation to distinguish you from the opportunist all of a sudden green paint companies. LEED may not be an ideal system yet, but it is one that alot of builders and architects attempt to follow. 

Happy Holidays


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## Dmax Consulting (Jul 22, 2008)

Thanks Scott,

I appreciate your response. I would also like to accept your apology for your inquisitiveness and offer an apology for being too defensive.

I have a tendency of being defensive and sometimes cocky when I have my "greenness" questioned. You know how it is being around painters and other contractors. You often encounter ******* narrow mindedness. 

The whole "green bandwagon" thing was a major impetus for me pursuing the LEED AP credential. I already see a lot of guys in Atlanta saying "we are green," and they haven't changed a thing about themselves. I'm pretty sure I'm the only contractor with the LEED AP in Atlanta.

If you are interested in getting the LEED AP cert, I would do it soon. The USGBC is switching every over to LEED 2009 in early summer. LEED 2009 is going to be broken down into 3 accreditations, all of which will be more difficult to obtain than the current LEED stuff. Current LEED APs can be legacied into LEEP AP+ with a $50 registration and 20-30 hours of continuing education before 2011.
If you want to know more, feel free to email me [email protected]

Sincerely,

Daniel


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## johnthepainter (Apr 1, 2008)

Dmax Consulting said:


> Thanks Scott,
> 
> I appreciate your response. I would also like to accept your apology for your inquisitiveness and offer an apology for being too defensive.
> 
> ...


 
its not so much ******* narrow mindedness, but open mindedness

leed is far from green,,,,a complete joke.


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## George Z (Apr 15, 2007)

high fibre said:


> its not so much ******* narrow mindedness, but open mindedness
> 
> leed is far from green,,,,a complete joke.


I agree, mostly.

Of the almost 1,600 LEED-certified buildings in the U.S., 86 are platinum and 465 are gold. More than 1,000 are either silver or certified, LEED’s two lowest honors.

People in the environmental movement would argue that only the platinum and maybe some of the gold should qualify. 
That means the great majority of LEED certified buildings could be a collective purchase of conscience credits.
I know of a condo building here that should never have been allowed to go up. 
It is Leed certified, but it's entire existence in that inersection
is causing traffic nightmares of gigantic proportions and all the smog that goes with it.
Would it be allowed to be there without the LEED ammunition it's lawyers were using?
Likely not. This is a very important and historic intersection in the city.
That is just one example


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## Wolfgang (Nov 16, 2008)

Me thinks DMax may be on to something. Always seems easy to ridicule the first person in line, especially in such a "change resistant" mindset alot of the people in the trades have. Democrat Pres/Sen/Cong...oh I dont know...I just see a lot more "tree hugging" regulations in our futures. I think alot of people may see DMax and his company as being enviromentally and socially responsible. 

We can argue the merits of LEED and being green all day long, but in the end it boils down to what the customer perceives and believes. Remember, alot of these people voted for a President who promised change...without ever knowing or being told what the change was.

Lessons: 1. Never play poker with a Democrat politician.
2. Never try to tell a Democrat they're wrong.


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## ProWallGuy (Apr 7, 2007)

Wolfgang said:


> Lessons: 1. Never play poker with a Democrat politician.
> 2. Never try to tell a Democrat they're wrong.


Those hold true for ANY politician, REGARDLESS of party affiliation. :yes:


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## George Z (Apr 15, 2007)

Wolfgang said:


> Me thinks DMax may be on to something. Always seems easy to ridicule the first person in line, especially in such a "change resistant" mindset alot of the people in the trades have. Democrat Pres/Sen/Cong...oh I dont know...I just see a lot more "tree hugging" regulations in our futures. I think alot of people may see DMax and his company as being enviromentally and socially responsible.
> 
> We can argue the merits of LEED and being green all day long, but in the end it boils down to what the customer perceives and believes. Remember, alot of these people voted for a President who promised change...without ever knowing or being told what the change was.
> 
> ...


 
Let me clarify.
I think what DMax is doing is great.
My comments are from the other side of you:

Not Green Enough.

I hug a tree every day. It helps with my sensitive side.


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## johnthepainter (Apr 1, 2008)

yes, what dmax is doing is great

the leed platinum buildings are very impressive

i particularly like the insulated panels/framing/sheathing

i dont just look at the building though,,,,,look at what went into the construction of the components and what it takes to operate some of these huge strucures. 

is leed a good idea? definetly,,,,just misguided, this is why i say its a joke


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## Dmax Consulting (Jul 22, 2008)

Hi everyone,

I haven't been on in a while and was reading all the LEED opinions. All of you who have alluded that the intent of the LEED program is good, but execution is bad, are mostly right.

As I was studying for the LEED AP exam, I noticed some things that were absolutely retarded. For instance, installing bike racks for 15% of the FTE earned you the same amount of credit as developing a brownfield.

Let's quantify this. How much do 25 bike rack cost? $2000.00 maybe?

Now, how much does it cost to redevelop a brownfield, as defined by the EPA, to standards upon which you can build. A brownfield is defined as any land that has been contaminated by bio, chemical, radioactive wastes.

Each of these options earn you 1 LEED credit. Bike racks may cost a $3000, while remediating wasteland may cost over $500,000. 

These kinds of discrepencies are why the USGBC and LEED take some harsh criticisms. For this, the entire LEED program is being revamped for 2009. The new LEED 2009 is supposed to award credits based more on cost/value/effectiveness and also has new LEED focus(leed for home, leed for Schools, etc.)

It is supposed to be out late spring/early summer. If anyone is considering getting the AP credential, do it before the changeover because it is supposed to get a lot more difficult to pass the test.

I hope everyone is doing well in this awesome reccession. 

Cheers!

Daniel


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## premierpainter (Apr 17, 2007)

Here is what Fine Paints of Europe points out about low VOC, "green" paints
http://www.finepaintsofeurope.com/fog-surrounding-green.aspx
Interesting article. Are we really saving the planet, when it causes more problems making the product?


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## MAK-Deco (Apr 17, 2007)

premierpainter said:


> Here is what Fine Paints of Europe points out about low VOC, "green" paints
> http://www.finepaintsofeurope.com/fog-surrounding-green.aspx
> Interesting article. Are we really saving the planet, when it causes more problems making the product?



Nice article thanks for passing it along...


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## JNLP (Dec 13, 2007)

premierpainter said:


> Here is what Fine Paints of Europe points out about low VOC, "green" paints
> http://www.finepaintsofeurope.com/fog-surrounding-green.aspx
> Interesting article. Are we really saving the planet, when it causes more problems making the product?


A while back I read something somewhere on the effects of our green cars. Broke everything down into what harm it does making each, driving each, and recycling each. Those green cars aren't so green. Nice read though as I never thought about the green paints or even other green products.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

I consider myself to be exceptionally conscientious about human impact on this earth. I believe there are too many who are making a negative impact, but I do shake my head at this new catch-phrase "green". 

The only "green" I see are the dollars being sought for by sleazy snake oil salesmen.

How can a diesel powered car be considered "green" unless it's left in the garage!

Oh we need to be conscientious, but let's not fall for Madison avenue hype.


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## johnthepainter (Apr 1, 2008)

yes, look at what goes into making green products,,,lol.

speaking of the environment>>>>there is a huge mass of plastic bottles and debris (2x the size of texas) swirling around in the north pacific/horse latitudes.

north pacific gyre.

trash vortex.


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## sammytech2001 (Dec 9, 2008)

*Ceo*

I live in Nigeria how can i do the exam


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## TooledUp (May 17, 2008)

erm...


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## johnthepainter (Apr 1, 2008)

erm, it would be similar to taking this exam in scotland


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## nEighter (Nov 14, 2008)

Go to ContractorTalk and look up NaptownCR. He is in the solar business. He can tell you/teach you anything you may want to know. Seriously. And depending on where you live he could sell you the paneling. PM me if you want, I can try to put you in contact with him. Good guy.


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## journeymanPainter (Feb 26, 2014)

Holy necro thread about to occur batman. You guys can thank google for this one.

I'm looking into a bid service that will send me new construction projects coming up in my area. Every project says LEED Certified. Anyone know if this means that I have to be LEED Certified? Is that even possible for a small company, or Painters in general?

My only experience with LEED painting has been low/zero voc paints and products. No spraying, etc. Nothing to do with estimating.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

journeymanPainter said:


> Holy necro thread about to occur batman. You guys can thank google for this one.
> 
> I'm looking into a bid service that will send me new construction projects coming up in my area. Every project says LEED Certified. Anyone know if this means that I have to be LEED Certified? Is that even possible for a small company, or Painters in general?
> 
> My only experience with LEED painting has been low/zero voc paints and products. No spraying, etc. Nothing to do with estimating.


I think it's the project that is LEED certified, not the contractors.

Here's some more information:
http://www.usgbc.org/certification


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## journeymanPainter (Feb 26, 2014)

Gough said:


> I think it's the project that is LEED certified, not the contractors.
> 
> Here's some more information:
> http://www.usgbc.org/certification


Thanks Gough, that's what I thought, just wanted to make sure.


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

the most useless part of this whole "green" marketing crap, is that until the rest of the world complies (which they will never do), It does nothing long term. All it is doing is holding up the American economy while China and everyone else gets ahead. For every electric car sold in the use, some poor guy in China is poisoning himself to death in some cadmium mine somewhere with no EPA or CARB or SCAQMD or OSHA or LEED or ANY OTHER OVERSITE WHATSOEVER! It still is polluting the planet, and killing people.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

journeymanPainter said:


> Holy necro thread about to occur batman. You guys can thank google for this one.
> 
> I'm looking into a bid service that will send me new construction projects coming up in my area. Every project says LEED Certified. Anyone know if this means that I have to be LEED Certified? Is that even possible for a small company, or Painters in general?
> 
> My only experience with LEED painting has been low/zero voc paints and products. No spraying, etc. Nothing to do with estimating.


While LEED has garnered a reputation as a system that's way too easy to game, there are some pretty amazing LEED-certified buildings.

In your copious free time, you should check out the CIRS building on the UBC campus (Center for Interactive Research on Sustainability). It's amazing: all wood construction; natural lighting throughout most of the building; a bio-processing system for all wastewater produced in the building, etc. The wastewater that leaves the building is cleaner than the rain that falls on the roof.


http://cirs.ubc.ca/building


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## journeymanPainter (Feb 26, 2014)

Gough said:


> While LEED has garnered a reputation as a system that's way too easy to game, there are some pretty amazing LEED-certified buildings.
> 
> In your copious free time, you should check out the CIRS building on the UBC campus (Center for Interactive Research on Sustainability). It's amazing: all wood construction; natural lighting throughout most of the building; a bio-processing system for all wastewater produced in the building, etc. The wastewater that leaves the building is cleaner than the rain that falls on the roof.
> 
> ...


HAHA, I know I love in the Vancouver area, but that's at least a 4 hour drive both ways. I've lived here for over 8 years and have never been to ubc our the false creek area.


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

journeymanPainter said:


> HAHA, I know I love in the Vancouver area, but that's at least a 4 hour drive both ways. I've lived here for over 8 years and have never been to ubc our the false creek area.


I'm the absolute worst for exploring local interesting things. I lived in Vancouver for something like 16yrs and never made it to Whistler once or Vancouver Island.

That being said, you really should check out and explore the UBC Endowment lands for a walk on the trails at some point. They're absolutely stunning. Friend of mine and I used to walk our dogs there all the time. I can assure you 100% you won't regret it.

Not sure if you've been to Stanley Park or walked the seawall. Again, stunning. If you're in Stanley Park, bring a paper bag full of peanuts. When you find a point where you think there's no wildlife around and it's really quiet, rustle the bag of peanuts.... Then run! You're about to get attacked by more squirrels and racoons than you've ever seen in your life! They're practically domesticated from exposure to humans and they have no fear whatsoever. The squirrels will literally climb up your leg to get at the peanuts!

False Creek is a really nice walk during the summer as well, but not as nice as the above mentioned for nature type stuff. The 'other' scenery is quite pleasant though.


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## journeymanPainter (Feb 26, 2014)

Proalliance coatings said:


> the most useless part of this whole "green" marketing crap, is that until the rest of the world complies (which they will never do), It does nothing long term. All it is doing is holding up the American economy while China and everyone else gets ahead. For every electric car sold in the use, some poor guy in China is poisoning himself to death in some cadmium mine somewhere with no EPA or CARB or SCAQMD or OSHA or LEED or ANY OTHER OVERSITE WHATSOEVER! It still is polluting the planet, and killing people.


I totally understand what your saying, and where your coming from. But weren't we in similar situations 30+years ago? Asbestos in drywall compound, lead paint, zero ppe these are just the things I can think of off the top of my head. 

It is possible to get China into a similar situation, but then everything we get from them will most likely skyrocket in prices, abd I don't they'll even want to do that.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

journeymanPainter said:


> HAHA, I know I love in the Vancouver area, but that's at least a 4 hour drive both ways. I've lived here for over 8 years and have never been to ubc our the false creek area.


It's 9-10 hours each way for us and lately we've been going there at least once a year.

You gotta get out more.


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## journeymanPainter (Feb 26, 2014)

Gough said:


> It's 9-10 hours each way for us and lately we've been going there at least once a year.
> 
> You gotta get out more.


Work to much, and would like some quality father daughters time


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