Footfall sound is the sound which is caused by people or machines moving over a base such as the floor. The resulting noises are perceived by our senses. Architectural acoustics differentiate between footfall sound and walking noise. You can find out how hot melt adhesives support the acoustics in various rooms in our article.

Footfall insulation

Walking noise is, for example, the noise made by heels tapping on hard floors. Reduction of the noise is achieved by the selection of a sound-absorbing floorcovering. Walking noise is only perceived in one room. Laying carpets in the room aids reduction of the noises.

Footfall sound has to be taken into account during building shell construction. Perception of footfall sound takes place in rooms which are next to, underneath or above the sound source. For example, in older buildings one can hear the washing machine spinning or could even plot a movement log for the neighbour's kids.

The panels are laid with impact sound insulation on the screed flooring underneath underfloor heating before the actual heating pipes are installed.

Verlegung der Trittschalldämmung


The fact that hot melt adhesive can play an important role in the production of insulation materials is hardly known. Hot melt adhesive is also used for the production of impact sound insulation in which nonwoven fabrics are bonded to damping fibre or foamed panels. Here adhesives play a crucial role in laminating the individual layers.

Lamination, in which several layers of the same or different materials are bonded together, is an application without which this process is nowadays inconceivable. Hot melt adhesives are a suitable material for bonding.

Hot melt adhesives, for example, our D62779, are applied across large surface areas of the insulation panels using spray application heads. A film is then bonded to the EPS / XPS foam layer (the brand-name polystyrene is often used in this case). This film is often printed with patterns which can be used as a laying aid for the heating pipes amongst other uses.



Tankanlage HB 6350
HB 6350-6



The hot melt adhesive is processed using a HB6350-6 tank installation, for example. This is fitted with 6 hot melt hoses and 6 connected spray application heads including air pre-heaters.