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Basotect® is a trademark - we use it to produce acoustic foams
Foam made of Basotect is a very special type of foam that has many advantages over other acoustic foams.It is an absolutely high-tech sound absorber.Below we would like to briefly explain the properties and also give you practical tips on when you should choose this acoustic foam, and where a "normal" absorber is sufficient.You will also find tips for installation and processing.You can also buy foam made of Basotect from us at a reasonable price.
What is Basotect foam suitable for?
Foam made of Basotect is used in the acoustic sector. It is an open-pore foam with which you can effectively reduce annoying reverberation and noise in the room. It is not specifically recommended for external sound insulation as it is too light, at a weight of only 9kg/m³ (cubic metres).
It is often used as sound insulation in machines, but there are better products here, such as our composite foam (you will find this in the category "sound insulation"), which has a particularly high weight - for good insulation you need solid foams. In any case, we also explain the distinction in our guide, which explains the difference between sound absorption and sound insulation.Nevertheless, foam made of Basotect is often used for insulation as it is flame resistant according to Din4102 B1 and the application possibilities are virtually unlimited.
In Germany and the EU, for example, there are strict laws governing fire protection requirements for foams. Especially in public areas such as kindergartens, schools, restaurants, call centres, fitness studios or generally in public areas open to customers (or the workplace), you may only use certain materials - and foam made of Basotect is pretty much the only acoustic foam.
This material is a so-called "porous absorber". It has open pores, so that sound waves that hit the foam penetrate into it and are converted into heat there. With each additional sound absorber, the reverberation is reduced and so is the noise level. Conclusion: This foam made of Basotect is therefore particularly suitable for reducing reverberation in rooms and can be used virtually anywhere.
Advantages of Basotect acoustic foam
In the acoustic sector, PU foam or Basotect foam is usually used to reduce reverberation. This has some advantages, which can also be expected with the higher price. Normal foams are usually flammable or flame retardant (usually according to MVSS322). They burn, but only very slowly. This is not the case with Basotect foam. As already mentioned above, it is flame resistant according to Din4102 B1. Temperatures up to 220°C are no problem. PU foam can withstand temperatures of up to 120°C to 150°C. Of course, we have appropriate certificates, which you can request with the purchase and which can be presented as proof for insurance, fire brigade, local authorities, fire protection office, etc.
The material is extremely light - only slightly heavier than polystyrene. This makes it very easy to assemble or glue together. It is also self-supporting - i.e. stiffer than PU foam. Basotect foam is flexible and soft, but not quite as soft as PU foam. Another major advantage is that acoustic foam made of Basotect does not yellow. It remains white or light grey (these are the standard colours). The foam does not react with oxygen from the air or UV rays (natural light). PU foams usually turn yellow within a few days and quickly become unsightly and that's exactly what you don't want - in addition to the acoustic benefits, the appearance should also be suitable, as sound insulation is often visibly installed.
On the Internet, you will find many offers with white foam (convoluted foam, pyramid foam, etc.) but what is not highlighted is that it turns yellow. On the photos it looks nice and even once you receive the foam it is still nice at first...the problems occur a few days later...it becomes unsightly and yellow. This is not the case with Basotect foam. It remains white or light grey, leaving rooms bright and welcoming.
In addition to all these positive properties, it also has the best absorption values - there is hardly any other foam that can absorb sound waves better. The values are in the absolute top range. In our product descriptions you will usually also find absorption values and can thus draw a direct comparison. Foam made of Basotect should be used when you:
- Require flame retardant foam (Din4102 B1)
- Have particularly high demands for sound absorption
- Want light-coloured foams that do not yellow or change colour
- Plan a long-term application or an application in the professional sector
- Want to install visually appealing sound absorbers
All these advantages predestine these Basotect absorbers for acoustics or for optimising room acoustics. Not only in public areas, where the choice is limited due to fire protection, but also privately in your home. More and more customers are opting for this high-quality product, which perfectly meets all the requirements that can only be met in the acoustic sector for reverberation reduction and noise level reduction. What thickness and shape of foam should be chosen?
We offer many different shapes and panel thicknesses which are more or less suitable depending on the application. In addition to the visual aspect, there are of course also technical conditions that determine the usefulness of a certain shape or foam thickness. For example, there are different frequency ranges that should be damped and, depending on the frequency range, the thickness of the foam panel should be chosen, for example.
Low frequencies are better attenuated by thicker foams, while thin panels are already sufficient for particularly high frequencies. For example, bass hums or bass drums can be damped particularly well with foam panels made of Basotect of 7cm or thicker. We supply these at up to 24cm thickness (broadband absorbers), which then also attenuate very well in the low frequency range. For human voices, fax or telephone noises, etc., thicknesses from 3cm to 5cm are sufficient. And for very high frequencies above 1500Hz, 1cm to 3cm panels can do a good job.
Besides the panel thickness, there are also different shapes. Examples are flat absorbers or decorative cuts but also convoluted foam or pyramid foam made of Basotect. In general, flat foams absorb more broadly than profiled foams. If you want to reduce the overall noise level in the room over as wide a frequency range as possible, you should choose flat panels.
If, on the other hand, you want to specifically attenuate certain frequencies (this is often the case in the hi-fi area or in the recording studio), then you should use more profiled foam such as pyramid foam or damping, e.g. to attenuate high frequencies. It is a misconception that reverb can only be reduced with pyramid foam or convoluted foam because the sound "gets caught between the pyramids or bubbles". The most important thing is that the foams are open-pored - the sound waves penetrate a flat foam as well as a pyramid foam, but the flat foam simply absorbs more (more broadband).
This is desirable in offices, schools, kindergartens or in rooms with a lot of reverberation; however, in some areas as mentioned above, in the recording studio, for example, you often only want to attenuate very specific frequencies, and here pyramid foams are often used. We assume that most people know pyramid foam from television and therefore always think that only these panels are suitable for good sound reduction - but this is not the case.
In addition to these panels, we naturally have many other variants such as circles, octagons, ovals made of Basotect etc., so that you have more choice here, depending on your optical requirements. And for particularly high rooms, we also have cylinders or baffles and cubes made of Basotect that can be suspended from the ceiling. Especially with ceiling heights from 3m or 10m in industrial halls, it makes sense to reduce the ceiling height slightly and to hang absorbers. And to round off the foam range, we also offer refined variants such as ceiling canopies or acoustic pictures, partition walls, table partitions and much more, which can be used as design elements and reduce sound and noise in the room in a particularly aesthetic way. On request, we can also print your motifs, pictures or colour the surfaces in an RAL colour.
How many Basotect panels do I need?
We are often asked that. In advance:In our online advice you will find many of our customers' standard problems.Many problems and solutions are explained, and suitable foams are offered directly.
But now to the question of how much you need. Of course, this depends above all on the area of application. In a restaurant you must pay special attention to the appearance and probably don't need as much as in a rehearsal room. Due to our extensive experience, however, we can say that in rooms with high reverberation, about 50% to 70% of the ceiling surface should be lined. If the room is 100m², for example, you can assume that about 50 - 70m² of acoustic foam would have to be accommodated here. No matter whether you use it as an acoustic picture, as a pure panel absorber or as a circle - the surface is decisive.
The Basotect absorbers can of course be glued to the wall as well as to the ceiling. It should installed uniformly - in strips, in small groups, etc.. If you have areas in the room where a lot of noise is generated, you can of course increase the density of the installed foams there slightly. In rehearsal rooms, for example, this may be the corner where the drums are placed or in restaurants in the area where the large table for 20 guests stands, and in conference rooms directly above the conference table, and so on.
Quick tip on how many sound absorbers are required
- The larger the room volume, the more foam is required
- The higher the room, the more foam is needed
- The more sound-reflecting surfaces (wood, glass, concrete), the more sound absorbers you need
- The higher the output reverb, the more absorbers you need
- In case of strong reverberation, about 50% - 70% of the ceiling surface should be covered evenly.
If the rooms are particularly high, the number of sound absorbers you need increases as a rule. For rooms higher than 5m we recommend hanging columns or at least mixing them with the panel absorbers. The number of cylinders or baffles in halls, for example, should be such that one column is planned for about every 1.5m². In kindergartens, schools or universities, our cubes are preferred. The same applies to the cubes.
If you think the number of absorbers required is high - no problem: You can also gradually work on what is optimal for your personal application, and start off with a relatively small amount. The impression of reverberation always has a subjective component. Of course, you can also work with curtains or fabric furniture, in which foam is also processed, and place them in the room. However, foam made of Basotect is undoubtedly the most effective.
