How to Calculate the Thickness of Plastic Sheeting
- 1). Understand that all plastic sheeting is rated in thickness by the term of the mil. A mil is a measurement that equals one-thousandth of an inch, or 0.001 inch.
- 2). Consider the thickness of a human hair. One-thousandth of inch, or 0.001 inch, is almost the diameter of the human hair that resides on most of our heads. So a 1-mil-thick piece of plastic sheeting will be approximately the thickness of a human hair.
- 3). Note that the most common size in the thickness rating for plastic sheeting is 6 mil. This is 6-thousandths of an inch, or 0.006 inch.
- 4). Associate costs for plastic with the thickness of the plastic, since the sheets are composed of oil products. The thicker the plastic, generally the more expensive the cost.
- 5). Know that the thickness of the plastic sheeting, such as a 10-mil piece (0.010 inch), is not always be the best value for what the end application may be. Not all plastics are treated to withstand the sunlight and may quickly deteriorate under full exposure to the sun.
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