Intent: Reduce occupants’ and construction workers’ exposure to indoor airb orne contaminants through source control and removal.
This is a great credit, because (a) it is important for a healthy home, and (b) it gives concrete reasons that people should remove their shoes when they come into your home (addressed in the next post, EQ 8.2). There are three distinct sections and no prerequisite; this posting will tackle just the first sub-section.
EQ 8.1 Indoor Contaminant Control during Construction requires that the builders seal all permanent ducts and vents right after installation to minimize contamination of ductwork. If it is not sealed, think about all the sawdust, paint, debris, and other residue that can float into the ductwork — and stay there. All that junk can not only affect indoor air quality, but can also damage the ducts and fans themselves. Being someone that visited our construction site every day, I made sure they sealed the open air supplies and returns after they were installed. (This would not have occurred to me had I not perused the LEED for Homes Reference Manual first). I am sure we did not incur any additional costs, either, as our builder just got some clear plastic-wrap-type material and covered the openings until move-in time. (The LEED Reference Manual does recommend the builder get reusable shields!) This is worth one point.