Video tiles and coffee ice cubes
Working from home challenges during a New England summer
At no time in my life did I think tiles would appear across any video I appeared in alone and wearing clothes. Yet those appeared during a Zoom call with a colleague recently. We had a laugh about it, finished our call and then I got to troubleshooting the issue.
Naturally, the first thought was the three-year old computer had a failing webcam and I’d get to hear the IT guy say:
“For the price of fixing it, you’re better off getting a new one.”
Man, I’m tired of hearing that one.
So, I start pricing new computers until one friend says:
“Why don’t you just buy a portable web cam?”
With a webinar coming up the following week, I thought that might be a possibility. That’s when I started sifting through papers on my desk. I couldn’t help but notice papers were not wet but had a dampish quality.
Could that be it?
Many work-from-home professionals operate from a basement office. During the summer, it can be cooler down there. During heat waves, the humidity can increase. And if you don’t have some temperature control system, the dew point level goes up. When that happens, papers get damp and, who knows, maybe electronics are impacted.
During summers, my office is typically cool enough to get by with just a fan. I love the coolness of air conditioners, but the noise just kills me. But putting in an AC would also mean re-organizing the entire room. Not to mention the wall board on two walls in the in the room (great for hanging stuff, not so much for keeping in the cooled air).
So, we would have to look elsewhere for a remedy.
The first was obvious: a dehumidifier.
Fortunately, I had one. Again, there was an issue of working and trying to write with one of these on—noise and heat. So, I ran it overnight and then did a test zoom call with myself.
Voila!
Problem solved!
No more tiles!
For now.
Yet the lesson was definitely learned that controlling the humidity in the room would require the humidifier to be run every night and more, if needed.
If you work in a traditional office, this typically is not an issue you face. Usually what you face is a battle of the thermostat and how cold each person in the shared space wants the office.
You probably also have an IT staff at your disposal. Many home offices do not, though they quite easily could and should. There are a number of IT companies that provide support for home offices. Whiz Kid Support is one of them.
The team at Whiz Kid Support can remedy many problems remotely. And they offer support on an as-needed basis or you can be on a monthly program. I know the owner and that was going to be my next call if the dehumidifier did not work. It still might be.
Many people think the work-from-home experience is Shangri la. It’s got many, many perks. Yet there are a number of things people don’t consider; the proverbial grass is always greener. Climate control and it’s impact on your work life can be one of them.
The good news is the fix is fairly inexpensive, less than $100 for a dehumidifier on Amazon or your local big box hardware store. You wouldn’t even have to leave the house to get it.
As for coffee ice cubes, I’m winded and hot from going on about tiles on my video. That will have to wait until next time.
If you’re looking for an IT support service for your home office, please consider Whiz Kid Support. Many, if not most problems, can be resolved remotely.
For assistance on web cams or other gadgets for your home office, you can also check out the Family CTO podcast by Scott Tharler, a gadget reviewer for Newsweek.