OKITE & LEED CertificationOKITE & LEED Certification

Background

About Seieffe CorporationSeieffe Corporation is Master Distributor in North America of OKITE®, the natural quartz surface specifically designed for high demanding Professionals and Consumers. Seieffe Corporation is an affiliated company of Seieffe Group, a multinational industrial group with operations and distribution in more than 30 countries worldwide. Seieffe Group also includes Seieffe Srl, the manufacturer of OKITE® Quartz Surfacing. Within its 50 years of history, Seieffe Group has developed a reputation as an innovative company, for its products and for the environmental procedures committed to respect and protect the environment.

About OKITE® Quartz Surfacing and its applicationsOKITE® is a natural quartz surfacing material. Highly stain and scratch resistant, this beautiful and durable non-porous material is easy to clean and never needs sealing or polishing – a distinctive advantage over granite, marble, limestone or soapstone, which all require routine maintenance. Available in an array of colors, OKITE® is the product of choice for nearly all environments, including residential, commercial, hospitality and healthcare projects. Additionally, OKITE® is certified by “NSF” since it does not support the growth of bacteria on its surface. “NSF” and GreenGuard Indoor Air Quality Certification make OKITE® the product of choice of high demanding Professionals and Consumers. Applications of OKITE® are all the indoor surfacing application for condominiums, hotels, healthcare and commercial projects such as: kitchen countertops, bathroom vanity tops, desks, reception counters, interior wall cladding, night stands, shower surrounds, bath tubs, shower floors and many other endless possibilities. More info: www.okite.com

About USGBC & LEED Green Building Rating SystemThe U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non profit organization dedicated to expanding green building practices and education, and its LEED® (Leadership in Energy and environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System is a voluntary, consensus-based national rating system for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. LEED addresses all building types and emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies in five areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials and resources selection, and indoor environmental quality. More info: www.usgbc.org

About GREENGUARD Environmental InstituteThe GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) is an industry-independent, non-profit organization that oversees the GREENGUARD Certification Program. GEI’s mission is to improve public health and quality of life through programs that improve indoor air. A GEI Advisory Board consisting of independent volunteers, who are renowned experts in the areas of indoor air quality, public and environmental health, building design and construction, and public policy, provides guidance and leadership to GEI. More info: www.greenguard.org

About NSFNSF International, The Public Health and Safety Company™, a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization, is the world leader in standards development, product certification, education, and risk-management for public health and safety. For 60 years, NSF has been committed to public health, safety, and protection of the environment. More info: www.nsf.org

About EMASEMAS (Eco Management and Audit Scheme) as “eco-friendly”. The EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a management tool for companies and other organizations to evaluate report and improve their environmental performance. To receive EMAS registration an organization must conduct an environmental review considering all environmental aspects of the organization’s activities, products and services, methods to assess these, its legal and regulatory framework and existing environmental management practices and procedures. More info: www.ec.europa.eu/environment/emas.

OKITE & LEED PointsLEED Rating System

USING “OKITE QUARTZ SURFACING” CAN CONTRIBUTE TO OBTAIN UP TO 14 LEED POINTS

Note: LEED Reference Guides are published by the USCBC. Please consult these guidelines regarding the credits within the LEED Rating System.

LEED for New ConstructionAnd Major Renovations

Certified: 40-49 points

Silver: 50-59 points

Gold: 60-79 points

Platinum: 80 points and above

LEED for Existing Buildings:

Certified: 40-49 points

Silver: 50-59 points

Gold: 60-79 points

Platinum: 80 points and above

LEED for Commercial Interiors:

Certified: 40-49 points

Silver: 50-59 points

Gold: 60-79 points

Platinum: 80 points and above

OKITE & LEED PointsMR CREDITS 2: Construction Waste Management

Intent To divert construction and demolition debris from disposal in landfills and incineration facilities. Redirect recyclable recovered resources back to the manufacturing process and reusable materials to appropriate sites.

Requirements Recycle and/or salvage nonhazardous construction and demolition debris. Develop and implement a construction waste management plan that, at a minimum, identifies the materials to be diverted from disposal and whether the materials will be sorted on-site or comingled. Excavated soil and land-clearing debris do not contribute to this credit. Calculations can be done by weight or volume, but must be consistent throughout. The minimum percentage debris to be recycled or salvaged for each point threshold is as follows:

Total Points available with OKITE: 2SupportAt the end of its lifecycle, OKITE stoneworks can be disposed through construction haulers and/or recyclers. OKITE stoneworks can be donated to charitable organizations, crushed or recycled to obtain concrete or roadfill.

MR CREDIT 3: Materials Reuse

IntentTo reuse building materials and products to reduce demand for virgin materials and reduce waste, thereby lessening impacts associated with the extraction and processing of virgin resources.

RequirementsUse salvaged, refurbished or reused materials, the sum of which constitutes at least 5% or 10%, based on cost, of the total value of materials on the project. The minimum percentage materials reused for each point threshold is as follows:

Mechanical, electrical and plumbing components and specialty items such as elevators and equipment cannot be included in this calculation. Include only materials permanently installed in the project. Furniture may be included if it is included consistently in MR Credit 3: Materials Reuse through MR Credit 7: Certified Wood.

Total points available with OKITE: 2

SupportAt the end of its lifecycle, because OKITE will retain its original finish and properties, OKITE can be reused to obtain flooring, vanity tops, backsplashes and mosaics.

Recycled or Salvaged

50%

75%

Points

1

2

Reused Materials

5%

10%

Points

1

2

OKITE & LEED PointsMR CREDIT 4: Recycled Content

Intent To increase demand for building products that incorporate recycled content materials, thereby reducing impacts resulting from extraction and processing of virgin materials.

Requirements Use materials with recycled content such that the sum of postconsumer recycled content plus 1/2 of the preconsumer content constitutes at least 10% or 20%, based on cost, of the total value of the materials in the project. The minimum percentage materials recycled for each point threshold is as follows:

The recycled content value of a material assembly is determined by weight. The recycled fraction of the assembly is then multiplied by the cost of assembly to determine the recycled content value. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing components and specialty items such as elevators cannot be included in this calculation. Include only materials permanently installed in the project. Furniture may be included if it is included consistently in MR Credit 3: Materials Reuse through MR Credit 7: Certified Wood.

Total Points available with OKITE: 2SupportSeveral colors of OKITE Quartz Surfacing are manufactured with a minimum of 20% recycled content. Please check our website and with our Customer Consultant to find out more as we introduce more colors manufactured with recycled content.

MR CREDIT 5: Regional Materials

IntentTo increase demand for building materials and products that are extracted and manufactured within the region, thereby supporting the use of indigenous resources and reducing the environmental impacts resulting from transportation.

RequirementsUse building 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% or 20%, based on cost, of the total materials value. If only a fraction of a product or material is extracted, harvested, or recovered and manufactured locally, then only that percentage (by weight) can contribute to the regional value. The minimum percentage regional materials for each point threshold is as follows:

Mechanical, electrical and plumbing components and specialty items such as elevators and equipment cannot be included in this calculation. Include only materials permanently installed in the project. Furniture may be included if it is included consistently in MR Credit 3: Materials Reuse through MR Credit 7: Certified Wood.

Total points available with OKITE: 2

Recycled Content

10%

20%

Points

1

2

Recycled Content

10%

20%

Points

1

2

OKITE & LEED PointsSupportEven though the OKITE slabs are manufactured or shipped outside the 500 miles radius, this Section defines “manufacturing” as the final “place of assembly” of components. Therefore any stone fabricator facility located within 500 miles radius from the project, is considered the final “place of assembly”.

IEQ Credit 4.1 Low-Emitting Materials - Adhesives & Sealants

IntentReduce the quantity of indoor air contaminants that are odorous, irritating and/or harmful to the comfort and well being of installers and occupants.

RequirementsAll adhesives and sealants used on the interior of the building (i.e., inside of the weatherproofing system and applied on-site) must comply with the following requirements as applicable to the project scope:

• Adhesives, Sealants and Sealant Primers must comply with South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule #1168. Volatile organic compound (VOC) limits listed in the table below correspond to an effective date of July 1, 2005 and rule amendment date of January 7, 2005.

• Aerosol Adhesives must comply with Green Seal Standard for Commercial Adhesives GS-36 requirements in effect on October 19, 2000.

SupportOKITE Quartz Surfacing can be installed by using DAP® Caulk. In order to fall within the limits of South Coast Air Quality Management District Regulation 8 - Rule 51, make certain to request the use of such DAP® Caulk products. In addition to that during its whole lifecycle OKITE Quartz Surfacing does not require the use of any sealants, a distinctive advantage over granite, marble, limestone, soapstone and concrete.

Total points available with OKITE: 1

IEQ Credit 4.4 Low-Emitting Materials – Composite Wood and Agrifiber Products

IntentTo reduce the quantity of indoor air contaminants that are odorous, irritating and/or harmful to the comfort and well-being of installers and occupants.

RequirementsComposite wood and agrifiber products used on the interior of the building (i.e., inside the weatherproofing system) must contain no added urea-formaldehyde resins. Laminating adhesives used to fabricate on-site and shop-applied composite wood and agrifiber assemblies must not contain added urea-formaldehyde resins. Composite wood and agrifiber products are defined as particleboard, medium density fiberboard (MDF), plywood, wheatboard, strawboard, panel substrates and door cores. Materials considered fixtures, furniture and equipment (FF&E) are not considered base building elements and are not included.

Total points available with OKITE: 1

SupportDue to its high structural strength, OKITE does not require any substrate of Plywood, MDF or composite wood that is necessary when installing weaker surfacing products such as granite, marble, limestone, soapstone, solid surfacing or recycled concrete. Composite wood usually contains urea-formaldehyde resins that are potentially harmful to building occupants.

OKITE & LEED PointsIEQ Credit 5: Indoor Chemical and Pollutant Source Control

IntentTo minimize building occupant exposure to potentially hazardous particulates and chemical pollutants.

RequirementsDesign to minimize and control the entry of pollutants into buildings and later cross-contamination of regularly occupied areas through the following strategies:

• Employ permanent entryway systems at least 10 feet long in the primary direction of travel to capture dirt and particulates entering the building at regularly used exterior entrances. Acceptable entryway systems include permanently installed grates, grill s and slotted systems that allow for cleaning underneath. Roll-out mats are acceptable only when maintained on a weekly basis by a contracted service organization.

• Sufficiently exhaust each space where hazardous gases or chemicals may be present or used (e.g., garages, housekeeping and laundry areas, copying and printing rooms) to create negative pressure with respect to adjacent spaces when the doors to the room are closed. For each of these spaces, provide self-closing doors and deck-to-deck partitions or a hard-lid ceiling. The exhaust rate must be at least 0.50 cubic feet per minute (cfm) per square foot with no air recirculation. The pressure differential with the surrounding spaces must be at least 5 Pascals (Pa) (0.02 inches of water gauge) on average and 1 Pa (0.004 inches of water) at a minimum when the doors to the rooms are closed.

• In mechanically ventilated buildings, install new air filtration media in regularly occupied areas prior to occupancy; these filters must provide a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) of 13 or higher. Filtration should be applied to process both return and outside air that is delivered as supply air.

• Provide containment (i.e. a closed container for storage for off-site disposal in a regulatory compliant storage area, preferably outside the building) for appropriate disposal of hazardous liquid wastes in places where water and chemical concentrate mixing occurs (e.g., housekeeping, janitorial and science laboratories).

Total points available with OKITE: 1SupportOKITE Quartz Surfacing is designed to minimize the building occupants exposure to potentially hazardous particulates and chemical pollutants such as dangerous gases found in some natural stones. OKITE instead has been certified by GreenGuard for its Indoor Air Quality properties.

OKITE & LEED PointsID Credit 1: Innovation in Design

IntentTo provide design teams and projects the opportunity to achieve exceptional performance above the requirements set by the LEED Green Building Rating System and/or innovative performance in Green Building categories not specifically addressed by the LEED Green Building Rating System.

RequirementsCredit can be achieved through any combination of the Innovation in Design and Exemplary Performance paths as described below:

PAT H 2. Exemplary Performance (3 points)Achieve exemplary performance in an existing LEED 2009 for New Construction and Major Renovations prerequisite or credit that allows exemplary performance as specified in the LEED Reference Guide for Green Building Design & Construction, 2009 Edition. An exemplary performance point may be earned for achieving double the credit requirements and/or achieving the next incremental percentage threshold of an existing credit in LEED.

One point is awarded for each exemplary performance achieved. No more than 3 points under IDc1 may be earned through PATH 2— Exemplary Performance.

Total points available with OKITE: up to 3 Support1 additional point is gained because twice the highest % amount specified in MR CREDIT 3, can be re-used.

1 additional point is gained because several colors of OKITE Quartz Surfacing are manufactured with a minimum of 30% recycled content. Please check our website and with our Customer Consultant to find out more as we introduce more colors manufactured with recycled content (MR Credit 4)

1 additional point is gained because over 50% of the costs for stonework made with OKITE Quartz Surfacing, is generated locally within 500 miles from the project site (MR CREDIT 5).

* With some OKITE colors it is possible to obtain a maximum of 11 LEED Points. Please check the technical OKITE catalogue or with a Consumer Consultant.**Retail price for countertop application. Prices may vary depending on color, thickness, edge option, material waste, installation, etc.

LEED CREDIT

MR Credit 2

MR Credit 3

MR Credit 4

MR Credit 5

IEQ Credit 4.1

IEQ Credit 4.4

IEQ Credit 5

ID Credit 1, Path 2

TOTAL* (up to)

Installed Price sq/ft**

OKITE

2

2

2

2

1

1

1

3

14

$60-$100

Marble/Granite

2

0

0

2

0

0

0

0

4

$60-$200

Solid Surface

0

0

0

2

2

0

0

0

4

$45-$75

Concrete & Recycled Glass

0

0

2

2

0

0

0

1

5

$70-$140

OKITE & LEED Points

For any question or to receive samples please contact:

Seieffe Corporation12227 FM 529 Ste. KHouston, TX 77041Toll Free: 1 866 654 8397Email: info@okite.uswww.okite.com

OKITE & LEED Certification – Version # 2/2009;Source: LEEDTM Rating System 2009

OKITE® is a registered trademark of SEIEFFE. NSF, GREENGUARD, LEED and EMAS are registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Please respect the environment: think before you print.

Take the LEED with OKITE.