Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) refers to all environmental factors that affect the health and wellbeing of building occupants. IEQ focuses largely on indoor air quality, with comfort, humidity, air exchange, acoustics, and lighting quality being contributing factors.
To help building professionals create healthy, pleasant spaces, USG offers:
Ceilings With Zero or Low Formaldehyde Emissions
USG offers the widest selection of standard ceilings that satisfy stringent guidelines related to VOC and formaldehyde emissions, as tested per California Special Environmental Requirements, Specifications Section 01350.
- Zero-emitting ceilings: USG cast ceilings
Concentration levels do not exceed 2 μg/m3 (1.6 ppb), the background level specified for this test protocol. - Low-emitting ceilings: Most USG mineral-fiber ceilings
Concentration levels do not exceed the 13.5 ppb limit required by this test protocol and the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS). - Ceilings that meet minimum standards: All USG ceilings
Concentration levels do not exceed the 50 ppb limit established by the State of Washington in 1989, the first widely recognized standard for indoor air quality.
Antimicrobial Treatments to Counter Mold
The presence of mold, mildew and other microbes, which can cause problems ranging from allergic reactions to illness, is a symptom of a larger construction or maintenance problem allowing unwanted moisture to develop. A sound mold strategy begins with good building design, careful detailing and proper maintenance.
As a backup, architects and specifiers may choose materials offering enhanced mold resistance for a degree of short-term protection in the event of a system failure. To meet this need, USG offers mineral-fiber ceiling panels with two levels of antimicrobial protection:
- CLIMAPLUS™ Superior Performance. A patented antimicrobial treatment for broad-spectrum control of fungi, mold, mildew, bacteria, yeast and algae. These ceilings deliver performance scores of ‘8’ to ‘10’ when tested per ASTM D3273 and are the only standard ceiling panels on the market with a limited lifetime (30-year) warranty against mold and mildew growth.
- CLIMAPLUS™ AntiMicrobial Treatment. Face and back coatings and/or formulations that inhibit or retard growth of mold, mildew and odor/stain-causing bacteria on treated panel surfaces.
With good design and careful material selection, building professionals can create structures that function as beautifully as they look.
