The word “scrim” has several applications in the industrial world. When it comes to cloth, scrim cloth can refer to a lightweight theatrical fabric or to a heavier, material that acts as a reinforcement in many industrial and construction products. Scrim cloth in the following article refers to that product of advanced technology prized by many who rely upon it to provide strength and flexibility to their products and projects.
Characteristics
Scrim fabric is comparable in appearance to a web or grid. This material is not crimped. The fibers that comprise it are chemically bonded. The properties that make scrim popular are:
- Strength
- Flexibility
- Fire retardant
- High performance
- Weather resistant
- Flatness – This makes it easy to place between layers
As a result, manufacturers utilize scrims to reinforce many different materials and products.
Original Use
Scrim began its life as a packaging material. It was placed between layers of paper. Its purpose was to help protect the items being shipped or moved. Since then, the singular purpose has grown to embrace a variety of purposes, although all focus on reinforcing the original material.
Roofing and Scrim Cloth
Scrims are readily applicable for roofing. In particular, they help to create the basis for a waterproof membrane. This is not only a functional idea but an economical and environmentally practical one. The thinness of the product using scrims reduces the amount of material required in production. This reduces the overall cost while cutting down on potential environmental issues.
Sailing
Once sails were made from spinnaker cloth. The switch over the past few decades has been to laminate. On its own, laminate sails would be unable to withstand the storms and other elements of sailing. The addition of scrim between the layers of laminate ensures the sail, now reinforced, can endure what the weather throws at them.
Flooring
Flooring in various public places undergoes a lot of mechanical stress on a daily basis. Every day, people, vehicles and other forms of traffic March, drag, and race across this surface. To prevent loss of quality and ensure durability, scrims are used to reinforce laminate flooring materials. They also are included in carpets, reinforcing the weave and making them more durable and stable by acting as a bottom layer.
Scrim Cloth: Practical, Functional, and Inexpensive
The market for scrim is high. The material finds its way around the globe and in a variety of structures. Public and private sector structures utilize scrim to help reinforce flooring and roofing. They are part of applications in many industries ranging from the automotive to the medical markets. With increased technological innovations turning to this reinforcing product for “support,” scrim cloth shows signs of remaining popular and essential around the globe.
