prerequisites - GreenHome Institute

Here are a few simple steps that need to be accomplished on any project looking to achieve LEED for Homes certification.

1. Durability evaluation form and checklist.

2. Erosion control. Most of this is a code requirement, but if it isn’t where you are, make sure to do it.

3. No invasive plants. Get the list from your extension service and make sure none get planted on your site.

4. Energy Star. Unless you use the prescriptive path, the house must meet the requirements for the Energy Star Homes program, although it doesn’t actually have to be labeled as such. Until the new LEED for Homes version is released next year, you don’t need to move to Energy Star Version 2.5 or 3, but that will likely be required in late 2012.

5. Framing waste order factor. This calculation has to be done for each project.

6. FSC letter to vendors. Write it and send it out to everyone who sells you wood for the job.

7. Waste management planning and documentation. Check into recycling opportunities and either save all your dump manifests or get monthly reports from you haulers and recyclers.

8. Combustion venting. Doors on all fireplaces and wood stoves, no ventless heaters or fireplaces, and no open-combustion appliances or heaters connected to the living space. This helps to keep you from killing your clients.

9. Basic ventilation. Hire an HVAC contractor who knows his stuff or buy the ASHRAE 62.2 standard, read it and follow it. It’s not that difficult.

10. Manual D duct design. Although this is often a code requirement, it gets neglected. Use the same knowledgeable HVAC contractor, or better yet, hire an independent consultant to design and size the system and then put it out for pricing. Then make sure they do what it says.

11. Radon vents in zone 1. If your building is in a radon hazard area, you have to put the vent system in under the slab or in the crawl space. If you forget, you are in for an expensive surprise at the end of the job.

12. No HVAC in the Garage. Keep the furnace and ducts out of the garage; avoid killing your clients.

13. Operations training. You have to either spend an hour with your client or have an outline for an hour of training and have a written owner’s manual. That’s a good business policy, and the hour you spend with them will probably save you lots of phone calls in the future.

Brought to you by; Carl Seville, GBA Advisor

For more complete details on all LEED for Homes Perquisites, view and download this PDF

Those familiar with the LEED for Homes rating system know there are many prerequisites that all projects must meet prior to Certification. These are spread across the credit areas, so there are prerequisites in Indoor Environmental Quality, Energy, Materials and Resources, and more.

One area that is a bit confusing is the Innovation and Design prerequisite for Durability Planning and Management (ID prereq 2). This is a two-step process to help ensure homes are durable and built to last by mitigating any local climate variables on the home. The first step is to identify risks, and the second is to identify strategies to address those risks. For example, if the home is being built in an area with high air infiltration, heat loss, and water infiltration, what design and construction strategies are being used to mitigate these issues?

Often times, these durability strategies are common to local building practices and are already being planned by the project team (e.g. attention to window flashing details, moisture management, etc), but in a LEED home, the project team is taking these strategies and mapping them to specific risks. With this kind of attention and the third-party verification most LEED homes pursue (ID 2.3), you can see why home insurance companies are willing to give premium discounts for LEED-certified homes.

There are also design and construction practices that affect the durability of the home and potential health of the homeowners inside the home, particularly related to moisture management. As such, the LEED for Homes checklist has several durability strategies that are pre-filled for the project team. These are basically hidden prerequisites in the rating system within ID 2.1. Some examples include:

Carpet is not allowed within 3-feet of an egress door.
HVAC distribution system must be fully ducted (no wall or floor cavities can be used as ducts).
Paperless drywall required around tubs/showers (not “green board” drywall).
Washers in or above finished spaces must be on drain basins or have a “single-throw” laundry valve accessible to the occupant.

Many of these items are common sense practices that quality builders have been doing for years. Nevertheless, all LEED homes must meet these specifications. They can be found on the “Durability Inspection” tab of the LEED for Homes checklist.

While talking generally about Prerequisites in LEED for Homes, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention some of the common ones that may be easy for project teams to miss:

Carbon monoxide detectors required in each unit on every level. (IEQ 2.1)
In split-system air conditioners the refrigerant charge must be weighed in the field. (EA 11.1)
Kitchen range hoods must be ducted to the outdoors. (IEQ 5.1)
Bathroom exhaust fans must be Energy Star rated and ducted to the outdoors. (IEQ 5.1)
Manual J & D calculations (or equivalent) must be done room x room for duct sizing. (IEQ 6.1)
Any fireplaces and woodstoves must have doors (IEQ 2.1)
Site erosion controls must be in place during construction (SS 1.1)

The list above is just a partial list – there are more prerequisites in the LEED for Homes rating system. This is just a sample of some that we have seen project teams question or miss.

As you can see, the project team needs to put a lot of thought into the design of the homes to help ensure every LEED-certified home is durable and built to last for many, many years.

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