What is LEED?
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System* is a third-party certification program and is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.
The LEED rating system uses points for things like Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, and Indoor Environmental Quality, among many others. By following the LEED standards, you can get more and more points for your building, resulting in a higher LEED certification. The certification levels are Leed Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.
Our finishes fit into the EQ Credit 4.2: Low-Emitting Materials: Paints & Coatings category. Click here to view the standards on page 67 of their pdf. Our finishes fall into the Clear wood finishes varnish category, which allow for 350 g/L VOC content.
* If you need a certificate of testing for our "LEED Finish" for compliance on a LEED project, let us know and we can send you our latest certificate and documentation. Email us at info@heritagenaturalfinishes.com
The VOC levels of our finishes are listed below:
BeesBlock Oil, Pure Tung Oil, & Pure Linseed Oil -- Zero VOC
Concentrated Finishing Oil -- 198.8 g/L
Liquid Wax End Sealer-- 212.5 g/L
Original & Exterior Finish -- 405.45 g/L
Our "LEED Finish" falls just below the 350 g/L mark. It has more solvent than our Concentrated Oil for easier oil penetration but less than our Original or Exterior Finishes to make it below the required VOC level. We can custom blend this for you in sizes from one gallon up to the 55 gallon drum size.
As a note, not all VOC's are created equal (see more in a cool techy article below). The intent behind the indoor air quality question is to protect ourselves from breathing too many harmful compounds. Many VOC's used in a variety of products out there, even 'Green' products, are indeed quite harmful. Others, such as the Citrus Solvent we use, are not (unless with excessive exposure). While it is a powerful compound, and needs to be respected as such, there are none of the complications normally associated with more traditional solvents such as Benzene or Formaldehyde.
Using Heritage Natural Finishes can be one piece of the puzzle for helping you achieve a higher rating in the LEED system. We are not LEED experts, but if we can help answer any questions, please don't hesitate to call us at 541-844-8748.
*Visit the USGBC's home page for more information on LEED.
We are also a happy member of ILFI - The International Living Future Institute.
100% Bio-based. Food Safe once dry. Dries to a matte sheen.
Composition
We disclose ALL ingredients that we use. Heritage Natural Finishes contain NO petroleum products, or metallic drying agents whatsoever! We use only the highest quality ingredients from the most sustainable sources possible. What you see here is what you get. If you have any questions, you can always call us!
Tung Oil
100% pure with no additives. This is the highest quality tung oil available; drying harder and forming a more durable finish than linseed oil alone. Both oils are dryer-free and slightly heat-treated (polymerized).
Special Aged Linseed Oil
Obtained from flax grown in the Red River Valley of the U.S. and Canada. It is purified and refined by natural oxidation and blowing, and dries as clear or clearer than tung oil, with none of the characteristic discoloration that is typical of hardware store varieties. No other finishing oil penetrates as deeply into wood.
Beeswax
Only filtered, chemical and bleach-free white beeswax wax is used. Beeswax adds visual depth of grain, smoothness, and elastic durability. Beeswax forms a skim coat that keeps the finish on the wood, slowing the evaporation of the solvent, which gives the oils more time for absorption.
Pure Citrus Solvent
This is the purest form of citrus turpenes (solvent), extracted from cold-pressed orange peel oil. This is the only solvent used in our finishes, and is also sold separately for thinning product or cleaning up. Pure Citrus Solvent is a safer alternative to mineral spirits, and other harsh solvents and can be used the same way.
Pine Rosin
Gum rosin extracted from pine sap and separated from the turpentine. This is the gum rosin found in heart pine, giving the wood its hardness and durability. We use only top grade, crystal-free, water-white rosin. No synthetic resins are used.