Pacific Northwest Baseline Specification Review

Cabinetry & Millwork

All the projects had requirements for cabinets limiting formaldehyde based binders or formaldehyde emissions.
About 20% of the projects specified CA 93120/CARB Phase II compliant.
About 65% of projects specified composite wood products that contain no urea formaldehyde.
A majority of projects specified cabinet manufacturers, but did not include specific product lines.
Nearly all projects specified cabinets with a factory finish.
About 20% of projects specified a laminate (HPL or melamine) or thermofoil finish for exterior faces, with an additional 35% specifying laminate only for interior surfaces.
All projects specified wood trim/base in at least some part of the units.
Most projects specified rubber wall base somewhere. None specified vinyl wall base.
About 45% of projects specified MDF for some trim or as an alternative to wood in at least some places.
60% of projects that allowed or specified MDF required that it be free of urea-formaldehyde or formaldehyde-free.

About 90% of projects specified doors with a composite core, and about 25% specified hollow core doors with a composite face.
About 60% of projects that included wood doors with composite core or facing specified no urea formaldehyde - one project further specified that all components be formaldehyde-free.
Only 2 projects specified a particular product or series; the others provided general information about which materials should be used and often included approved manufacturers.
Over 80% of projects specified factory finished wood doors with an additional 10% specifying a combination of factory finished and site finished.

Plastic laminate dominates in the Pacific Northwest affordable housing projects reviewed - it was specified in about 90% of kitchens and about 70% of bathrooms.
One project avoided plastic laminate all together, specifying solid surface countertops in both kitchen and bath.
25% specified quartz or solid surface as an alternate countertop to laminate.
Almost 65% of projects specified substrates with no urea formaldehyde, and about 10% specified formaldehyde-free materials.

One project had a specific recycled content requirement that called for either 10% post-consumer or 95% pre-consumer content - the latter of which would mean synthetic gypsum was definitely used. The Pacific Northwest is currently unique in their local access to gypsum boards with post-consumer content in the core.
No projects specified natural gypsum as a requirement.
Almost three quarters of projects specified wall and/or ceiling texture.

All projects specified vinyl flooring somewhere in the building, with the majority specifying it somewhere in the unit.
Over 90% of projects specified carpeting. About 80% of these required Green Label or Green Label Plus certification. (This industry-backed certification only covers some VOC emissions; some hazardous VOC and all non-VOC chemicals are excluded.) One project specified Cradle to Cradle Bronze.
Other flooring products specified include ceramic tile, laminate, and linoleum. Polyolefin sheet flooring was listed as an alternate to vinyl sheet in one project.
Over 80% of projects set VOC content limits on flooring adhesives consistent with SCAQMD 1168 requirements.
A wide variety of carpet pad was specified: 40% of projects specified fiber carpet pad. Other types specified include rubber, prime polyurethane, and rebond.

All projects specified use of fiberglass batt insulation.
About 35% of projects specified that fiberglass batts be formaldehyde-free and about 20% specified they have no urea-formaldehyde. As of October 2015, all residential fiberglass batt insulation made in the U.S. is formaldehyde-free.
Over 60% of projects specified blown fiberglass insulation for exterior walls.
Over 60% of projects list polyurethane spray foam (either 1- or 2-part) for sealing gaps or miscellaneous voids. One project specified a 2-part latex-based spray foam product for air sealing.

All projects reviewed specified a VOC content requirement.
All projects that specified flat paint, specified that it have <50 g/L VOCs. Most of these also specified a VOC limit of 100 g/L, including colorant added at the point of sale.
Over 60% of projects specified non-flat paint limited to <50 g/L VOCs. Most of these also specified a VOC limit of 100 g/L, including colorant added at the point of sale.
No specific VOC requirements for tints were indicated except as noted above regarding VOC limits including colorant at point of sale.
About 20% of the projects specified paint that meets an older, less strict version of the Green Seal-11 standard.