Milford chronicle., 1928-07-13
PAINT PERFECTS
ACOUSTICS
By Marie Hulser

Is your Office too noisy-every
time you speak does your own
voice leap back, or become lost in
the tumult of typewriters and
echoes? 1t may be that such a con-
dltion is due to the defective pro-
portions of building, or to spaces
above the ceiling, below the floors,
and beyond the walls. But quite
likely it is merely because the walls
are hard and solid, causing definite
reflection of sound.
In such an atmosphere of con-
fusion, whether it is in a factory, or
an office, with it's peculiar mechan-
1cal equipment, fatigue of the nerves
is inevitable, and the efficiency of
the workers ish greatly lessened.
This doubtless means loss of pro-
duction just as surely as does poor
lighting, or working in gloomy, I'M
painted rooms.
such a noisy condition can be
greatly decreased, by making the
rejecting wall a good absorber. so
that the sound is swallowed I'D and
little or none thrown back. Paint
ing the wall can accomplish this. If
is less expensive than other treat
ments, paint is easily applied and
at the same time, lends itself to
decorative treatment
The paint, however, toll have the
greatest sound absorbing factors
should be the porous and flexible
type, which means that thickness is
an important requisite. High plas-
tlclty IS desirable for many finishes.
Paints having high volatile con-
tent, which causes the formation of
minute pores in the film, would be
excellent for this purpose. This
suggests a fiat wall paint, whereas
in many cases, such as in factories
i may be desirable to use a floss
or egg shell finish. In such cases.
undercoats may be built up with fiat
finish.
Where there is an excessive
amount of unnecessary noise, a fin
lsh of ground cork against a "tacky''
printing coat of paint, with a finish
ing coat of any desirable color. is
advisable. A sand finish, which is
merely sand sprayed upon a "tacky"
printing coat of paint, with a finish
ing coat in any desired color. is
equally effective in absorbing sound.
que TO the pOrOusness of the surface
thus created. The reduction of vi
brations and noise will depend as
stated before on the thickness of
paint, the roughness of surface and
its pOrOsity.
The successful effect of paint in
perfecting acoustics has been point
ed out in an instance of a large
country club, having a high arched
ceiling. A confused babble of voic-
es prevented Ineligible conversa-
ton during the dinner hours. It
was decided to give the ceiling and
walls two additional coats of paint, /
which were then stippled. The i'm
noted was marked.
Also III a certain auditorium where !
he reverberatiOn was excessive the
smooth plaster walls were changed -,
% rough plaster surface created by .
he circular motion of barbed ;
rowel, and then painted and stip-
)Ied. In this case the reverbera-
ions were materially reduced.
Paint bears a similar relation to
ound as to light. 1t is common
that when light waves
trike against surfaces coated with
light cOlored paints they are re-
lected many times, whereas light
oming upon. dark colOred surfaces ]
re absorbed. The analogy here. ,
owever, is that a ray of light when s
triking a polished white tile sur
ace is very little dimmed, and the !
anne is true with a sound. And /
,hen light falls upon the walls of
very rough painted surface. less f
thrown back, as with sound {
'aves, which are absorbed by such i
finish.
Where noise is loud enough to be
an economical plan is
} call in the painters. The saving
energy, and consequent speeding !
p of work, will more than cover 7
lie cost for this effective remedy. :