Tile (C-54) · Lesson 6 of 7

CALGreen VOC Limits: Tile Adhesives and Sealants

"CALGreen VOC Limits: Tile Adhesives and Sealants" is lesson 6 of 7 in the Tile (C-54) Learning Hub. It opens with "Why a Tile Setter Reads CALGreen" and works through 5 short steps, then a worked example you can check yourself against.

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Steps in this lesson

  1. Why a Tile Setter Reads CALGreen
  2. The Tile Adhesive Limit: 65 g/L
  3. The Sealant Limits
  4. Toxic Compounds and Small Containers
  5. Proving It on the Job

The worked example in the course applies this lesson to a realistic job in 5 steps, from "Find the category and the limit" through "Keep proof".

What you'll be able to do

  • Explain the main idea of "CALGreen VOC Limits: Tile Adhesives and Sealants" in plain language you can use on the exam.
  • Apply this step with confidence: "The Sealant Limits".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Toxic Compounds and Small Containers".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Proving It on the Job".
  • Test yourself on the worked example and the quick-check quiz inside the classroom.
CALGreen VOC Limits for Tile ProductsCERAMIC TILE ADHESIVESTable 4.504.1 limit: 65 g/LAdhesive A: 80 g/LAdhesive B: 48 g/L65A: 80 over 65, FAILB: PASSARCHITECTURAL SEALANTSTable 4.504.2 limit: 250 g/LCaulk A: 270 g/LCaulk B: 190 g/L250A: 270 over 250, FAILB: PASSLimits are grams per liter, less water and less exempt compoundsAdhesive A is 80 - 65 = 15 g/L over (about 23 percent). Caulk A is 270 - 250 = 20 g/L over.Products must also pass the SCAQMD Rule 1168 toxic-compound prohibition (4.504.2.1).Keep the product data sheet or container label: the inspector may ask (4.504.2.4)2025 CALGreen 4.504.2.1, Tables 4.504.1 and 4.504.2, 4.504.2.4 (nonresidential: 5.504.4.1, Tables 5.504.4.1 and 5.504.4.2)Example label values (hypothetical) for the job; limits are the printed 2025 values.CC
The diagram for this lesson, exactly as it appears in the Learning Hub.

The first steps of this lesson

Step 1: Why a Tile Setter Reads CALGreen

The 2025 California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) limits the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the adhesives, sealants and caulks used on a project. Section 4.504.2.1 (residential) and Section 5.504.4.1 (nonresidential) say adhesives, adhesive bonding primers, adhesive primers, sealants, sealant primers and caulks shall comply with local or regional air district rules where applicable, or SCAQMD Rule 1168 VOC limits, as shown in the tables. Tile adhesives and the caulk at corners and changes of plane are on that list.

Step 2: The Tile Adhesive Limit: 65 g/L

Table 4.504.1 (Adhesive VOC Limit, less water and less exempt compounds, in grams per liter) lists ceramic tile adhesives at 65 g/L. Nearby lines show how much tighter other categories are: drywall and panel adhesives 50, subfloor adhesives 50, VCT and asphalt tile adhesives 50, multipurpose construction adhesives 70, and other adhesives not specifically listed 50. Nonresidential Table 5.504.4.1 prints the same 65 for ceramic tile adhesives. Footnote 1 says that if an adhesive bonds dissimilar substrates together, the adhesive with the highest VOC content is allowed.

The remaining 3 steps, the worked example and the quiz are in the course. This is a preview. The full lesson, with the step-by-step explanations, a worked example and a quick-check quiz, is inside the classroom.

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