So often people want to get an idea of how thick a certain thickness of plastic sheeting is. We hope this article will help you understand.
Plastic sheeting's thickness is measured in mils. The bigger the number of mils, the thicker the plastic sheeting. Here are some approximations with common items to help you understand.
Four (4) mil plastic sheeting is about as thick as a piece of paper.
Six (6) mil plastic sheeting is what your trashbags are made from in your kitchen.
Ten (10) mil plastic sheeting is what your business card is often made from.
Fifty (50) mil is the thickness of a dime.
Sixty (60) mil plastic sheeting is the thickness of a penny.
Seventy Five (75) mil plastic sheeting is the thickness of a nickel. For simplicity here is a chart below.
Thickness of Plastic Sheeting Common item for Comparison
75 mil Nickel
60 mil Penny
50 mil Dime
10 mil Business card
6 mil white trash bag used in kitchens
4 mil standard piece of paper
Not all plastic sheeting has the same tensile strength if it is the same thickness. Take skrim reinforced (string reinforced) plastic sheeting. The layer of string or cord that is manufactured into the plastic give the plastic a great deal more strength and durability. Depending on the application, one can select the most appropriate type of plastic sheeting to do the job.
Additives added to the plastic sheeting also affect how long the plastic will last. Plastic sheeting that has a U.V. additive added will hold up in the sunshine a lot longer than a piece of plastic that is the same mil thickness without the U.V. additive. Another common additive is the fire retardant additive. In a fire, two sheets of plastic of the same mil thickness will withstand the flame differently. The fire retardant plastic sheeting will not burn. The flame will extinguish. The non-treated plastic sheeting will go up in flame, right quick and in a hurry!!
When you are deciding on how thick you want the plastic sheeting to be, also consider the additives that will give it added benefits. Still can't decide? Give a qucik call, 866.697.9298, and we will give you your options to best suite your needs.
