LEED is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability measured in five key areas of human and environmental health.

On this page, we attempt to explain in plain English how wood-related LEED Credits work. We do not cover Green Point Rated credit requirements here, but by and large they are similar to LEED requirements.

There are several commercial rating systems, two of which have the most impact on our industry: LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC), and LEED for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI), which share the requirements for floor coverings and associated products. The credit structure for the residential rating system—LEED for Homes—is completely different than that of the commercial rating systems.

MR 2 (Environmentally Preferable Products)
The intent of MR 2 is to increase demand for environmentally preferable materials (EPPs) and products or building components that are extracted, processed and manufactured within the region.

The credit has a mandatory prerequisite that requires that all tropical woods used in a LEED for Homes project be FSC certified. Reclaimed wood is exempt from this requirement. MR 2 awards half a point each for a number of different building systems/components (e.g. framing, flooring, siding, roofing etc.) up to a maximum of 8 points for the use of environmentally preferable products and/or products that are extracted, processed and manufactured within 500 miles of the home.

MR 4 (Recycled Content Building Materials)
LEED classifies most of what Woodbank calls reclaimed wood as post-consumer recycled content. Most of the products that Woodbank calls salvage do not currently qualify under this or other LEED credits.

To achieve a point under MR 4.1, the LEED project must use materials with recycled content such that the sum of post-consumer recycled content plus one-half of the pre-consumer content constitutes at least 10% (based on cost) of the total value of materials in the project. To achieve an additional point under MR 4.2, the sum of post-consumer recycled content plus one-half of the pre-consumer content must constitute at least 20% of total materials costs.

Thus, if project contractors purchase $10,000 worth of a wood product with 100% pre-consumer recycled content, and the total value of project materials is $1 million, then project managers can add one-half of the value of that product ($5,000) to other recycled-content materials, and the total must equal or exceed $100,000 to gain a point under MR 4.1. However, in the same scenario, if the product had 100% post-consumer content, then all of its value ($10,000) would apply toward achieving the $100,000 threshold. To gain the two points offered by MR 4.2 in this example, the total value of recycled-content materials (with pre-consumer recycled-content materials counted at 50% value and post-consumer at full value) must be $200,000.

EQ 4.4 (Low Emitting Materials: Composite Wood and Agrifiber Products)
To achieve a point under EQ 4.4, "[c]omposite wood and agrifiber products used on the interior of the building (defined as inside of the weatherproofing system) shall contain no added urea-formaldehyde resins..." Under EQ 4.4, composite wood and agrifiber products are defined as particleboard, medium density fiberboard (MDF), plywood, wheatboard, strawboard, panel substrates and door cores. Engineered wood flooring is also considered a composite wood product.

MR 5 (Regional Materials)
To achieve a point under MR 5.1, the LEED project must use materials or products that have been extracted, harvested or recovered, as well as manufactured within 500 miles of the project site for a minimum of 10% (based on cost) of the total materials value. To achieve an additional point under MR 5.2, the value of regional materials must be at least 20% of the total materials value.

To qualify for this credit, FSC products need to have been harvested as well as manufactured within 500 miles of the project. The deconstruction source for reclaimed wood products as well as the remanufacturing likewise needs to be within 500 miles of the credit, and the same applies of the salvage source and milling of salvage wood.

MR 7 (Certified Wood)
To achieve a point under MR 7, the LEED project must use a minimum of 50% of wood-based materials and products, which are certified in accordance with the Forest Stewardship Council's (FSC) Principles and Criteria, for wood building components. These components include, but are not limited to, structural framing and general dimensional framing, flooring, sub-flooring, wood doors, and finishes.

Product that are invoiced to project contractors and subcontractors as "FSC Pure" and "FSC Mixed Credit" contribute 100% of their value toward achievement of the credit. However, products that are invoiced as "FSC Mixed XX%" contribute XX% of their value toward the credit. Products that are invoiced as "FSC Recycled" contribute to MR 4, not MR 7.

Thus, if project contractors purchase $10,000 worth of a wood product that is invoiced as "FSC Pure," and the total value of wood building components is $100,000, then project managers will need to source another $40,000 of FSC-certified wood products to achieve MR 7. However, if the same product were invoiced as "FSC Mixed 70%," then only $7000 would apply toward the achieving the point.