Voice Over Blog

Combating Air Problems

This is the time of the year that we spend a lot of time inside.  You can’t open a window (if you have a window in your voice over studio) to let in some fresh air, because the air quality outside is not a whole lot better.  So what’s a voice to do?  Is indoor air quality an issue in your vo studio?  The NBC affliate here in town did an investigative report and here’s what we learned:

From KXAN TV.

When you go to work, do your allergies all of sudden appear? Do you start sneezing and coughing? If so, you may have a dirty workplace.

If you see dust on the vents, that’s a sign the air flow system in your building may not be working properly, and that’s just one thing.
 
Alex O’Neal relies on his voice to everyday behind the microphone.

“The minute I hit the door, my sinuses will all of a sudden clog up,” O’Neal said.

So is O’Neal allergic to talking into the mic or the building?

“What really made me think that the building is dirty is that it doesn’t happen to me on the days that I don’t come in,” O’Neal said.

To answer our question, we brought in building scientist Doug Garrett.

“I apply a series of tests to the air quality, the air conditioning and heating, filtration, moisture to find out what is wrong with the building as a system,” Garrett said.

The first stop is the vents.

“This is all just dirt. This is dust that’s built up on the grill here,” Garrett said.

It’s dirt that’s being blown into the air. Down the hall, Garrett notices an old water leak on some ceiling tiles.

“This pattern is mold, rolling around here, and I’ll bet it’s even worse on the other side of it if we flip that tile over,” Garrett said. “It’s quite amazing how well-tuned the human nose is to detecting mold in homes. If you smell a musty odor, it is not to be ignored. It is real, and it is a sign that somewhere, you have a moisture issue.”

It’s a problem that needs to be addressed. In another room, a ceiling tile has a water mark.

“That’s where water has been running down from the roof of the building, dripping off of the tile right there,” Garrett said.

On the roof, Garrett finds the air conditioning units are too big for the building.

“Vastly oversized air conditioners lead directly to poor indoor air quality, high utility bills and poor comfort,” Garrett said.

It’s a problem that can be fixed.

“Generally, these things can be addressed while you continue to use the home of the building,” Garrett said.

The majority of the problems in that building were caused by the air conditioning unit not cooling the building properly, leading to condensation which caused wet ceiling tiles and mold, likely leading to everyone sneezing and coughing.

So what can you do at home to combat potential air problems?

Try putting in a new air filter. Garrett suggests a 3m.
 
Control the humidity. Try buying a $15 gauge to see what the level is in your home an adjust your A/C to control it.

Also, get rid of any water leaks. Those lead to mold.