A Grommet is a small piece of material that acts as a reinforcement to prevent material damage. It's a ring-type material piece; hence you can pass different elements through it. The shoelace and the eyelet are the best examples to explain this uncomplicated material piece. Comes in various colors and materials, a Grommet is a pretty useful product for day-to-day residential, commercial, and industrial tasks. As a homeowner, you may already have used this versatile product, and as examples; we can highlight curtains, shower curtains, and so on. Well, this product acts as a dual-purpose one. In other words, it protects the element that passes through it, also; the material that it's fixed on. Well, even though a Grommet is a small product most of the time; the advantages that we can enjoy through it are priceless. Let's get to know about this versatile and essential element in detail today!

First of all, let's understand the purpose of a Grommet in detail! Well, we can explain it to you with the same example, the shoelace and eyelet. Every day, you pass the shoelace through the opening, and it can cause damages to both the elements, the shoelace and the holes. People in this world are gifted; hence they invented something called the eyelet that protects both the components. Yes, a Grommet is pretty similar to the eyelet, but a few minor differences are there to highlight, and we will discuss those in the next few paragraphs. Most eyelets are made of a colored-plastic for achieving beauty. Shoes, dresses, handbags, and so on are the items that you can see eyelets today. Anyway, preserving the product may not be the prime reason to use an eyelet. It can be there as a decorative piece. Grommet, on the other hand; is a robust component when compared to traditional eyelets. In other words, all grommet-related products are installed on materials for protection. We can explain this to you with the shower curtain. Almost every homeowner use a shower curtain today to prevent water from splashing on to the bathroom floor. As the curtain move here and there on the bar that it's fixed, it can get damaged or tear gradually. In this case, the metal bar won't get affected by this movement as the curtain is a softer material. The Grommet on the curtain acts as a reinforcement barrier, preventing the curtain and metal bar contact. So, both the metal bar and the curtain protected.

Depending on the application, you should choose the right Grommet, if not; this versatile product can fail and lead to disasters. For example, applications such as hanging posters and banners need a piece of material that can withstand the force and movements generated by the blowing wind. If the shield fails, the banner or the poster will too. But, the ability to withstand forces is not the only factor to consider. It could be a plastic or a rubber product that is not as strong as a metal product, but metals come with disadvantages such as sharpness and electrical conductivity. Are you confused about which product type suits your use the most? Well, you can contact us for advice and recommendations.

Plastics

As mentioned, most plastic products are called eyelets and acting as decorative pieces and reinforcements are the top uses of them. Anyway, plastics can fail under extreme conditions such as tension and vigorous movements. All these weaknesses suggest that you can't use a Grommet made of plastic for applications such as hanging banners and cutouts. Also, plastic may not suitable for outdoor applications. Yes, it is true that plastics won't get corroded even if they exposed to rainfall and water. But, plastic products get deteriorated when exposed to direct sunlight. Crack formation, color burn, melting, and deformation are the possible side effects of plastic products getting exposed to direct sunlight. However, plastic grommets can be used for applications involving electrical wires. Same as rubber, plastics don't conduct electricity and edges are not sharp. Hence, the electrical wires that pass through will not get damaged.

Metals

Well, we should highlight several metal options here. Bronze, copper, steel, stainless steel, brass, and even titanium. As you know, all these metals come with unique properties and qualities over other. For example, ordinary steel isn't ideal for outdoor applications as it readily gets corroded, but price-wise; it is the cheapest. Also, stainless steel could be the overall metal that comes with the highest numbers of features, but brass and bronze can overtake stainless steel when considering attractive features. Titanium is the most expensive metal option for a Grommet, and you can use it for unique and robust applications such as on boats and yachts.

When choosing a metal product, the first factor to consider is whether it is for an indoor or outdoor application. For outdoor applications, you should use only the metals that show corrosion-resistance. So, you can't use a Grommet made of ordinary steel here. Also, make sure the metal can handle the force that your application will exert on it. For example, when hanging large banners; the movement caused by the blowing wind can exert an immense force on the grommets. What would happen if you choose a softer metal here?

Rubber

Many industrial experts consider rubber as the best material for grommets and related products. Rubber is strong, shows resistance to corrosion, light-weight, versatile, and affordable. Also, same as plastics; rubber doesn't conduct electricity. Anyway, rubber can withstand harsh conditions such as heat due to sunlight exposure. You can buy rubber grommets that come in various colors as well. Most experts in the electrical industry make use of this product to protect electrical wires that run through sharp edges. A quick tip: edge Grommet is another alternative to traditional ring-type products. You can cover a larger area with edge grommets.

Wrapping up

What do you understand after reading the article? Well, we can't say an exact material as the best one for grommets and related products. The best material depends on your application. Sometimes, the most expensive product may not suit your application, but a cheap product made of rubber can be the ideal one. You can buy this versatile product from local hardware shops and house improvement stores. Or, you can contact a supplier in your city if you plan to buy it in bulk amounts. Well, a Grommet is not an expensive product; you can buy it for a few cents as well. Talk to an expert today when choosing metal ones for your applications as some metals aren't suitable for outdoor and underwater applications.