Indoor Air Quality: Pura-fect!

What's really nice about good indoor air is that we don't even know it's there.

Bad indoor air quality--we can't see it but we sure do feel it. Itchy eyes, runny nose, scratchy throat, and headaches are some of the more immediate affects of poor indoor air. Long-term exposure can result in chronic conditions that inhibit productivity, learning, comfort, and quality of life.

Volatile organic compounds are often the culprits and there as many as a thousand different VOCs--decane, butoxyethanol, isopentane, limonene, styrene, xylenes, perchloroethylene, methylene chloride, toluene, and vinyl chloride, to name a few--that may be in the indoor environment where people can easily inhale them.

These nasty sounding pollutants get into buildings in various ways. Poorly designed and maintained ventilation systems are often the cause; however, many times we, our contractors and clients introduce the high-emitting materials and furnishings that contribute to poor IAQ. VOCs are ubiquitous, found in hundreds of products from building materials to furnishings.

As designers we struggle with a myriad of decisions in order to provide safe environments for the occupants of the spaces we design. It's so nice when a product comes along that makes our work easier, such as Kimball Office's Pura, a water-based UV finish that is now available on nearly all the manufacturer's wood product lines at no additional charge.

Virtually VOC-free, Pura contributes to improved indoor air quality in workplaces and to achieving LEED points. It's exceptionally clear and durable, scratch resistant and cures quickly. In addition, Pura's composition is also helping Kimball reduce its carbon footprint. "The practices implemented drastically reduce waste," according to Steven Brewster, Sustainability Director for Kimball Office. "Because Pura is water-based and robotically applied, material overspray can be recovered and reformulated with pure water, to circulate back into the system with new finish."

Seems to me it's just about Pura-fect.