The efficiency of a sound-absorbing material can be effected by its distribution and location within a given room. For example, 24 panels (2'x2' each) of sound-absorbing materials will be more efficient and absorb more sound when spaced in a checkerboard pattern across a given space than a uniform placement of the same material across the same given space. This increase in efficiency is called the area effect due to its diffraction of sound energy around the perimeters of the spaced (checkerboard pattern) sound absorbing materials and to the additional absorption provided by the exposed panel edges.

The efficiency of sound-absorbing panels increases as the ratio of perimeter to surface area increases.The 24 spaced sound absorbers (checkerboard pattern) have a ratio of perimeter tosurface area 5 times higher than the ratio for the 24 sound absorbing materials that have a uniform placement. Sound energy reflected from the hard sufaces adjacent to the sound-absorbing edges in the checkerboard placement tends to spill over onto the sound-absorbing panels themselves. Therefore, the spaced (checkerboard) sound-absorbing materials absorbs more sound energy than would be accounted for by its area.

This kind of surface treatment also can be used to achieve a diffused sound field, which is desired in music practice rooms, studios and more. Note that the total absorption contributed by spaced (checkerboard) sound-absorbing materials in this example will only be slightly less than the absorption provided by coverage of the entire wall.

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