The Definition of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) or Green Building is building or remodeling structures with the least current or ongoing impact possible on the environment. American Concrete is a contractor dedicated to this philosophy.

LEED Credits Polished Contributes To:

Some of the reasons that our polished concrete process is green are:

• A concrete floor reduces the environmental impact that new construction or demolition would generate. That makes it friendly to the environment.

• The thermal mass of your polished concrete floor tends to reduce heating and cooling loads by retaining the temperature in the building. That translates into significant energy savings.

• The polishing process, mechanically and chemically, minimizes exposure to hazardous components-and environmental pollution both during construction and in the future.

• The exceptional durability of your floor means no demolition or disposal issues that come with maintenance or replacement of VCT, Tile or Terrazzo.

• Polished Concrete is a low-maintenance floor, with a maintenance plan that uses no dangerous chemicals and doesn’t release any VOCs. (Volatile Organic Compounds)

• Polished concrete floors are 100% fire resistant.

• Increased reflectivity from your Polished Concrete floor often allows owners to reduce lighting or lower wattage and save energy.

Given these qualities found in the Polished Concrete process and resulting floor, you may find your project more easily qualifies for certification with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Green Building Rating System™. The LEED Rating System provides the building industry with consistent, credible standards for what constitutes a "green" (environmentally friendly) building.

ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE
One of the many advantages of using Polished Concrete is the fact that it is environmentally safe. Our polishing system uses no solvents or volatile organic compounds. If an existing coating is removed in preparation for polishing the concrete, we recommend using a wet grinding process, which bypasses the need for stripping with acids and other strong chemicals. In every step an environmentally safe approach is taken. American Concrete has worked on multiple LEED Silver, Gold and Platinum projects. To learn more about the LEED program, visit www.usgbc.org.

By refurbishing the existing concrete, we are recycling, and saving energy as well as landfill space. This is a philosophy that we as a company want to pursue for our children, our future and because we feel that this is the responsible thing to do.