There are several different names for laid scrim. You may also hear and see this referred to as an open scrim, open mesh or a laid mesh, and they all indicate the same type of material.
An open scrim is a specially designed reinforcing product. It is commonly found as the strengthening and reinforcing component of packing papers, cardboard, asphalt shingles, insulation backing and in other types of fabrics, textiles and materials where there is a need for strength as well as flexibility. Materials can be placed over the scrim, such as nonwovens or other types of fabrics.
The Basics
There are two basic types of scrim. One is a woven product that is made by interlocking or the up and under pattern to hold the individual yarns in place in the mesh. This is a slower production method and there are limits to the compact mesh that can be produced.
The laid scrim doesn’t have this interlocking or over and under pattern. Instead, the individual yarns are placed length and widthwise in a grid in a continual and regular pattern or density per square inch.
A chemical is used to fuse or bond the yarns to each other, creating a flat surface on either side. There is no over and under pattern, so the lines on the mesh on the open scrim are very straight and uniform.
Additionally, the chemical bonding at the intersection of each horizontal and vertical yarn makes the entire mesh very stable and strong. Any pressure or tension on the mesh is uniformly supported by all those areas of chemical bonding, limiting the stretch or elongation that will occur in the mesh.
On the other hand, the mesh itself is very flexible. It can be used on round and flat surfaces, and the density or the number of yarns in each direction will determine how much support the scrim provides.
The greater the number of yarns per square inch, which is considered in both directions, the more structure the mesh will provide. More open mesh arrangements are strong and durable, but they are also less dense and allow for the maximum amount of flex in the scrim.
Resist Tearing
For any type of product where tearing and shredding is a concern, laid scrim offers the answer for strength and durability without giving up flexibility or adding weight. This material is ideal as a backing as it is perfectly straight and even on both the upper and lower surfaces, allowing for a very uniform smoothness to the overlying material.