In a perfect world, tape would just hang on to what it needs to, and no outside forces could affect it. But seeing as most tapes don’t exist inside a vacuum, that isn’t possible. In reality, there are a lot of forces that can act on a tape.
When choosing a tape for your project, you have to consider these factors. You need to weigh the different ways that the environment it’s used in can change how the tape works.
So, how do you pick a tape? Let’s explore that together!
What Can Affect Your Tape?
To start off, let’s take a peek at some of the environmental factors that can affect tape. For some projects, these challenges may not even be relevant. But for a lot of tape uses, like construction, these can come up a lot.
Temperature
Temperature is a big deal for tape. If you look at any tape’s data sheet, you’ll notice that the temperature threshold is mentioned early on. Heat (or lack thereof) can completely change how an adhesive performs.
The adhesive on tape can act like both a solid and a liquid. This means that:
- If the temperature around an adhesive is too hot, it will melt and can’t hold on
- If the temperature is too cold, the adhesive will freeze and can’t grab on in the first place
- If there is too much temperature fluctuation too soon after it is place, the adhesive won’t set properly
Each tape is different, so they will have different temperatures they can handle. That’s why it’s important to have an idea of what kind of temperatures your project may be exposed to. This will make it easier to find a tape that works.
The Sun
Another thing that can affect tape that not many expect is the sun.
In hindsight, this shouldn’t be too surprising. UV light can be quite intense sometimes. There are some tapes that are particularly sensitive to it.
If these tapes are exposed to UV rays too much, the adhesive won’t perform as intended. You can usually tell this has happened if the tape has yellowed.
So, if your project is going to be outside, in the sun for long periods of time, make sure your tape can handle it.
Weather
The final environmental challenge your tape may face is the weather. While most tapes are designed to be water resistant, this isn’t something to be underestimated. After all, there’s a difference between water resistant and waterproof.
Despite their design, some tapes can’t handle too much water. In places where there is a lot of rain, snow, and/or humidity, these tapes just won’t work. This means that you need to make sure your tape can withstand any weather.
How Tapes Can Resist Environmental Challenges
We’ve talked a lot about the things that can tear down tapes. But there are plenty of tapes that are able to handle those challenges. The important thing is to know how to find them.
The first thing to know is that there are indoor and outdoor tapes. Outdoor tapes are designed with all of the challenges we’ve discussed in mind. Though some can handle certain challenges better than others.
You can learn more about what a tape can and cannot handle by looking at its data sheet. As we mentioned above, these will tell you what kind of temperatures a tape can handle. They often will also list how well they handle water and UV light.
This will help you find the right tape for your project. You should also ask these questions while picking a tape:
- Will it be exposed to extreme temperatures?
- Will it be used in high humidity?
- Will it be exposed to lots of rain, snow, or water?
- Will it be in the sun constantly?
After you’ve answered those questions, you’ll have the criteria you’ll need for your tape. This will make finding the right one that much easier.
If you’ve answered all those questions and are still not sure what tape you need. There’s no need to worry. That’s what we’re here for!
The experts at Walker Tape Converting will help guide you on finding your ideal tape. We’ll help you go over these questions and give you the tape options that best fit your needs. Then we’ll work with you to design customizations that will take the tape from great to perfect!
Reach out to our experts to get started today!
Recent Posts
Categories
