<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2014-03-07</periodOfReport>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000060977</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>LYDALL INC /DE/</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>LDL</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001600040</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Abbruzzi Joseph A.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O LYDALL, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>ONE COLONIAL ROAD</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>MANCHESTER</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CT</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>06042</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>Pres., Industrial Filtration</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2014-03-07</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>15000</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>30194</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Represents an award of Performance Shares granted under the Lydall 2012 Stock Incentive Plan, which award is subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture and vests, if at all, to the extent determined upon certification by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company that the Company has achieved certain specified financial performance criteria during the three-year period ending December 31, 2016.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Chad A. McDaniel, Attorney-in-fact for Joseph A. Abbruzzi</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2014-03-11</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
