LEED Rating for Commercial Exterior Doors

In today's environmentally conscious world, LEED ratings have taken front and center stage in commercial exterior doors. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and it is used to rate commercial exterior doors for their energy efficiency as well as environmental design aspects. It's a national standard developed by the U.S. Green Building Council to recognize and promote environmentally responsible, sustainable construction.

While being environmentally aware is just one aspect of LEED in commercial exterior doors, another aspect is the credits that are offered through this program. LEED credits result in LEED certification for the building, which makes it easier to lease or sell, more energy efficient and less impact on the environment. It's considered good business sense to find commercial exterior doors that conform to LEED guidelines.

While there are not specifications directly relating to commercial exterior doors, the more general recommendations do give guidance with regard to:

• Recycled content in building materials;
• Optimized energy performance;
• Materials that are processed regionally;
• The adhesives and sealants and the odors and gasses that they emit; and
• Natural lighting.

It goes to follow that taking LEED credits into account does not only make sense for the environment, but it makes sense for businesses as well, as reduced energy costs and greater salability fall into place when keeping with these construction guidelines for commercial exterior doors.

While your construction project may not be extensive enough to pursue LEED credits and certification, being aware of the guidelines and their advantages makes sound business sense not only for commercial exterior doors, but for any building project.