Ceilings can and must augment the value of the building in which they are installed. Last week, we discussed some essentials of what makes a ceiling a functional gear for any structure, and thereby their inhabitants too. Here are some more that value-add for buildings ... These are the days of constructing seismic-coded buildings (given the devastations earthquakes routinely cause) and the role of a ceiling in that function is as important as any structural component. A seismic sealing by the ceiling prevents rumblings in the roof and safeguards evacuees from falling debris thereby acting as a practical protective gear for the space. It’s not enough for a ceiling if it just seals off the noise and vibration from the top floor to the occupants below. It needs to seal the sounds that emanate from the space below to the upper floor as well. A two-way sound sealing by the ceiling whose aesthetics are blended with acoustics ensures aural comfort as well as acoustical privacy to the end-users.   A ceiling also needs to provide moisture control and be a humidity sealing to be able to breathe and regulate the environment.         Anutone loops edesign every Tuesday except in the months of March, July and November. Missed previous issues? Visit www.anutone.com/infobin/edesign.html