What is Burlap Fabric
In Europe, Burlap is commonly called Hessian and used for Hessian Bags. It’s a great material that is woven from the skins of plants that contain strong fibres. Once woven, the materials can be used to make fabric rolls, rugs, ropes, and bags.
The most common materials made from burlap are sacks, which are often used to store coffee, rice, and potatoes.
The use of burlap has come a long way. Today, you can find burlap material in various finishes and types. One of the reasons it’s becoming popular is that it’s a natural fibre that meets the latest international standards for food safety.
Properties of Burlap
- Strength – What stands out most about burlap is its sheer tensile strength and tear resistance. It has excellent construction that not only allows the strands to withstand immense stress but time as well.
- Weather resistance – Burlap can withstand repeated wetting and drying without losing strength. It’s an excellent option when you’re considering a material that can stand up to weather elements.
- Versatility – Burlap comes in different sizes, lengths, weights, and construction. It can be used to make different products to meet various requirements.
- Low cost – Despite its incredible strength and other incredible features, burlap is low-cost to make and eco-friendly.
Types and Applications of Burlap
There are numerous uses for burlap. It’s revered for its ability to make environmentally friendly and reusable bags. But it can do a lot more depending on the type of burlap fabric and finish.
Laminated, coloured hessian fabric
These classic, rough weave burlap fabric come with a laminated surface often used as a supporting fabric to other materials.
The laminate on the burlap is used to prevent liquids from getting into the fabric or surrounding materials.
Extra-wide fire retardant hessian
The extra-wide burlap is often used to cover market stalls and tables for events. It’s great for public use because it is treated with a fire retardant coating according to public events’ health and safety standards.
On a larger scale, this type of hessian fabric can be used for industrial use particularly for sacking to protect structures for building constructions.
It’s not uncommon to find burlap laid on freshly poured cement to keep it from drying too fast, among other construction-related applications.
Bituminised Hessian
This is a traditional rough open weave hessian fabric laminated using bitumen to achieve a watertight covering. The coat created by the bitumen and the burlap fabric results in a durable material that can withstand repetitive and vigorous outdoor use.
Because of the waterproofing properties of bitumen, the materials can be used to protect boats, seal roofs, and coat buildings.
Coloured burlap
In most applications, burlap comes in its original brown colour. But for applications that require an aesthetic finish, there are coloured woven burlap fabrics that you can use. These make excellent barriers, tents, banners, and theatre backdrop notice boards. It is also an excellent canvas for creative projects.
These are just some of the other uses of burlap and making excellent bags for home, casual and industrial use. The most important takeaway from burlap is that it is a strong, natural fabric with numerous applications both at home and in an industrial setting.
