Does painting a ceiling tile reduce its sound absorption?
Ceiling tiles absorb sound because they are porous to the movement of air associated with sound. Painting a ceiling tile could completely seal the surface and drastically reduce its effectiveness as a sound absorber. It may be possible to add one very thin coat of non-bridging latex paint without severe degradation of the absorption of the tiles. Tiles that have rough textured surfaces will be less severely degraded by such a coat of paint, as the surface is less likely to be sealed. The method of application is also of some importance. Spray applications will drive the paint into the pores of the tiles and vigorous brushing could have the same effect. Light application with a roller should give the best results. • Auditorium acoustics seems to be more an art, or perhaps a black art, than a science. Are there newer, more scientific, approaches to assessing the acoustical problems of auditoria? The question of auditorium acoustics is a little beyond the scope of these seminars, but ther
