# Visqueen > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Visqueen > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Visqueen.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visqueen > Source revision: 1307070061 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Brand of polyethylene plastic sheeting}} {{other uses}} '''Visqueen''' is a brand of [polyethylene](/source/polyethylene) plastic [sheeting](/source/Plastic_film) (typically [low-density polyethylene](/source/low-density_polyethylene)) produced by British Polythene Industries Limited. It is the registered trade mark of British Polythene Limited in numerous countries throughout the world. It is commonly between 4 and 10 [mils](/source/thou_(unit_of_length)) (0.004 to 0.01 in./0.1 to 0.25 mm) thick and is available in clear, opaque, blue, and black.{{Cite web |url=https://www.thepackaginggroup.com/collections/polyethylene-sheeting-rolls |title=Plastic Sheeting |publisher=The Packaging Group |access-date=2017-09-20}}{{citation needed|date=July 2012}} Visqueen is used for many purposes. It is commonly used as a temporary [tarpaulin](/source/tarpaulin), as a drop cloth when [painting](/source/painting), to cover [concrete](/source/concrete) as it sets, to line decorative [pond](/source/pond)s, and to cover the ground before applying [stone](/source/Rock_(geology)) or wood chips to prevent [weed](/source/weed) growth. Large (100 × 20 ft) sheets of Visqueen are used during floods to protect [levee](/source/levee)s from wave wash erosion.{{cite book |title=Emergency Flood Fighting Methods |date=August 2010 |last=Burnett |first=Rick |publisher=California Natural Resources Agency Department of Water Resources |url=http://www.water.ca.gov/floodmgmt/docs/flood_fight_methods.pdf |archive-date=2017-06-29 |access-date=2012-04-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629153900/http://www.water.ca.gov/floodmgmt/docs/flood_fight_methods.pdf |url-status=dead }}{{rp|page=16}} It is often suggested{{By whom|date=December 2017}} for use in greenhouses. Visqueen is used as a condensation barrier inside walls when installing [HVAC](/source/HVAC) systems. It is also used as a ground cover in the crawl space of home foundations as a [vapor barrier](/source/vapor_barrier).{{cite web |url=http://www.indianacrawlspacerepair.com/vapor-barrier/ |title=Crawl Space Vapor Barrier in Indianapolis |date=9 March 2023 |publisher=Indiana Crawlspace Repair}} The use of Visqueen underneath a [basement](/source/basement) is to prevent water infiltration from water present in the ground that would pass through the concrete or dirt floor and bring in unwanted dampness. == History == Visqueen was first produced circa 1950 by the [Visking Corporation](/source/Viskase), a company founded in the 1920s by Erwin O. Freund for the purpose of making casings for meat products. Visking investigated the post-World War II emerging technology of polyethylene, and developed manufacturing techniques to make pure virgin polyethylene film. Originally spelled '''VisQueen''', the film was an excellent moisture barrier and was marketed to many industrial, architectural, and consumer applications, such as moisture barriers, plant seedbed protection films, building fumigation barriers, drop cloths, case liners, and tarpaulins.{{cite web|url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/viskase-companies-inc-history|title=History of Viskase Companies, Inc. – FundingUniverse|publisher=}}{{cite web|title=Plastic Sheeting, Poly Sheets, and Rolls|url=https://www.plasticsheetingsupply.com/plastic-sheeting|website=www.plasticsheetingsupply.com|language=en}} At a time when Visking was the largest producer of polyethylene film in the U.S., Union Carbide acquired Visking in 1956. An antitrust ruling forced the sale of the polyethylene business of Visking to [Ethyl Corporation](/source/Ethyl_Corporation) in 1963. Ethyl, known best for its [tetra ethyl lead](/source/tetra_ethyl_lead) gasoline additive, renamed the division VisQueen. In 1989, Ethyl Corporation, desiring to concentrate on chemical manufacture, spun off VisQueen as a new company, [Tredegar Film Products Corporation](/source/Tredegar_Corporation).{{cite web |url=http://www.tredegarfilms.com/Company/CompanyHistory.aspx |title=The History of Tredegar |website=Tredegar Film Products |access-date=29 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106174807/http://www.tredegarfilms.com/Company/CompanyHistory.aspx |archive-date=6 January 2014}} == In popular culture == The song "Macho City" by the [Steve Miller Band](/source/Steve_Miller_Band) (1981) contains the lyric: "Politicians and lawyers/all know what it means/They'll be keeping it all legal/with political Visqueen". == Notes == {{Reflist}} == External links == * [http://www.visqueen.com/ visqueen.com]  – Visqueen Website {{Authority control}} Category:Plastic brands Category:British brands Category:Building materials --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Visqueen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visqueen) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visqueen?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.