One of our LEED certification credits involves indoor air quality. We’re currently conducting an air quality flush-out, which means we suck all the air out the the building and replace it with outside air. This flush out takes place after construction, but before occupancy.

Our space is about 4000 square feet, and our engineers have calculated we need to flush 52 million cubic feet of air. So how long does that take? Six days, IF Mother Nature cooperates. We need to stay within certain temperature and humidity ranges.

We’ve been flushing since Saturday morning, so we’re just completing day four. It can’t always happen in one fell swoop, but we’re working to get the best start we can on it. I already feel a difference in the air after about two days. It’s hard to have another project that adds time to our schedule, but it will make a big difference to all the lungs, young and old that spend time in the Kitchen.