Credit ID 2.3, prerequisite, Quality management plan

Prior to construction, the builder will have a quality management program in place to address durability issues.

This quality management program will address any issues we find with the durability evaluation. I have added this quality management program into the architectural specs. I'll repost once the program is actually completed.

Credit ID 2.2, prerequisite, Indoor moisture control

Incorporate the following for indoor moisture control for all wet rooms.

Indoor moisture control specifications for this credit have been integrated into the construction plans through the following language:

• Use non-paper faced backer board on walls of shower, bathtub, and spa areas
• Use water resistant flooring in all bathrooms, kitchens, and spa areas, and within 3 feet of exterior doors; no carpet in these areas.
• For any water heater installed, install a drain and a drain pan. Tankless water heaters exempt.
• For any washer installed, install a drain and a drain pan or an accessible, single-throw supply valve.

Because of the open floor plan, hardwood floors usually continue from the living/dining area into the kitchen. I confirmed with our LEED Provider that treated hardwood fulfills this "water resistant" criteria. This credit is mainly to keep carpet out of these moisture-prone places.

Credit ID 2.1, prerequisite, Durability planning-Preconstruction.

Complete durability evaluation to identify moderate to high risk durability issues, determine strategies to these challenges, incorporate these strategies into project documentation and implementation.

I've included this as part of the pre-construction requirements in the architectural specs.

Credit ID 1.1, prerequisite, Preliminary rating

Prior to construction, have a preliminary design meeting to discuss LEED ratings.

This meeting is important, and mandatory. It has been included into the project specifications as a requirement prior to construction, as follows:

A meeting will be conducted comprised of the entire design team, including LEED provider, energy rater, and LEED rater. Due to distance some may attend via phone.* The meeting will discuss what LEED rating the project is attempting to achieve (Silver, as of now), which credits will be achieved, and who is responsible for documentation of each credit. This meeting will also cover the rating system overview (pages 18-20 of LEED-H guidelines), builder participation roadmap (page 11), LEED-H project checklist, project specifications, and the home size adjuster (pages 22-24).

We are planning this meeting for sometime very shortly!

*(This is a pilot and a great deal of flexibility has been given. This is not business as usual and will be not be the norm when the program launches completely in a couple of months. LEED expects to add more people to cover a larger portion of the country sometime in the future.)

Credit SS 2.1, prerequisite, Invasive plants

No invasive plant species shall be integrated into the landscape.

An invasive plant is a non-native species that was introduced into a habitat, usually by humans, and causes ecological or economic problems. Not all exotic or non-native species are harmful; some can even be beneficial, but it is important to not place something into an area that might potentially harm it later. Personally, I prefer local species anyway because they last longer in their own habitat and require less maintenance.

If you are a landscape architect, you might already have a list of local invasive species on-hand. But, I’m trying to do this like an everyday person, so as part of this LEED credit, I need to create my own invasive species list to add to the construction specifications.

LEED recommends contacting the Agricultural Cooperative Extension Service to find a list of invasive species. While this might work well for other regions, I came up with very little helpful information for Minnesota by using this suggestion. For Minnesota, this deals with specifically agricultural invasive species only and does not address the multilayer natural habitat of our lakes and rivers, forests, and prairies. Thankfully, we do have other great resources elsewhere.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources publishes great anotated information on invasive species, for both terrestrial and aquatic species, and they have a huge comprehensive invasive species list that covers agriculture, woodlands, and water. They even have an invasive species program, which not only deals with plants, but also wildlife and insect invasive species. I was surprised to find Queen Anne's Lace on the invasive species list; I see it grow in the wild so often I had assumed it was local. Now I understand why there are so many.

Did you know that it is against the law to introduce certain plants into the wild? For Minnesota, the following plants are prohibited:

African oxygen weed (Lagarosiphon major)
aquarium watermoss or giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta)
Australian stone crop (Crassula helmsii)
curly-leaf pondweed (Potamogeton crispus)
Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum)
European frog-bit (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae)
flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus)
hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata)
Indian swampweed (Hygrophila polysperma)
purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria, Lythrum virgatum, or any variety, hybrid, or cultivar thereof)
water aloe or water soldiers (Stratiotes aloides)
water chestnut (Trapa natans)

The following are legal and regulated; they can be purchased, carried, and transported, but not introduced into any habitat in Minnesota:

Carolina fanwort or fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana)
nonnative waterlilies (Nymphaea spp.)
parrot's feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum)
yellow iris or yellow flag (Iris pseudacoris)

The Greenbush project specifications for landscaping have not yet been completely written out but the invasive species list has now been written, assuring that our project is taking another step in the right direction toward having a small impact on the site. When choosing our landscaping, we will refer to this list.

Credit SS 1.1, prerequisite, Erosion control

Identify possible erosion or water problems before construction and develop a plan. During construction, follow the plan to minimize site impact.

I don't have a landscape architect on hand (and I wouldn't expect any regular Joe to have one either), so using the LEED-H guidelines, I came up with a very basic plan for controlling erosion during construction.

I looked into getting a site survey done, but again, would a normal person be able to do this? The estimate for a survey was almost $1,000. From talking to local people I discovered that the site is not in the flood plain (I obtained records from the city to confirm) but that it does have a very high water table, and clay-like soil. It is one of the higher elevations in the city, so water will run away from it.

This is what the erosion control plan looks like so far:

Erosion Control Plan

• Stockpile and protect disturbed topsoil from erosion (for reuse)
• Stabilize soils that have been or may be disturbed
• Control the path and velocity of runoff with silt fencing or comparable measures
• Provide swales to divert surface water from hillsides
• Protect on-site storm sewer inlets with straw bales, silt fencing, silt sacks, or rock filters
• On steep slopes, use erosion control blankets where necessary

I will be meeting with the contractors and discussing their thoughts and ideas on this aspect of the construction process. I think I am also going to call a landscape architect friend of mine and see if this plan, which just followed LEED guidelines, is good enough.