Fixing Hall Echo Without Scaffolding

A community hall's reverberation cut from 1.3s to 0.85s using nothing but curtains, a carpet runner and seat pads -- fittable by volunteers from a stepladder. An illustrative worked example: a 16 x 10 x 6.5m single-storey community hall (1,040m3) -- brick walls, parquet floor, exposed roof trusses -- at 1.3 seconds reverberation against a brief-set target of 0.8-0.9s. No budget for scaffolding or a contractor lift meant every fix had to be installable by volunteers from a stepladder, ruling out wall panels. Treated with 18m2 of curtains at the tall side windows, a 24m2 carpet runner down the central aisle, and seat pads on 60 stacking chairs. Result: 0.85 seconds.