Double-sided tape and how it works. Practical tips for good applications

How does double-sided tape work? How does it stick, how long does it last, and in what cases can it actually be used? There are people who never considered using double-sided adhesive tapes, and others who are always quick, due to their experience, to replace normal adhesive, glues, nails, and screws with good-quality adhesive tape.

It should be said that, in recent decades, tapes with two adhesive sides meant for many different uses have made their debut on the market: from the simplest (and weakest) ones, simply used to attach posters to a wall, to the strongest and most resilient ones, designed to attach paintings, mailboxes and more to walls, as well as to fit in place on the floor carpeting and rugs.

The advantage, for those who decide to use double-sided adhesive tape instead of nails and screws, that tape won’t pierce anything and doesn’t present the need for specific tools (such as drills and rotary hammers). But how does industrial double-sided tape work?

Adhesive tape: how it works

To understand how industrial double-sided tape works – to find out how to use it to its fullest potential – let’s quickly have a look at its structure. We all know that these tapes have two adhesive sides, which doubles the typical structure of tape.    
But how is this particular kind of tape made? It begins from some kind of support, i.e., from the actual tape, the non-adhesive part, which gives it structure and resistance. In the case of double-sided tape for stationery, extremely thin, often transparent, supports; in the case of double-sided adhesive tapes for mounting heavy objects on rough surfaces, instead, there are thicker supports, sometimes even foam.         
Then, there are the two adhesive surfaces themselves, which are made with different adhesives, depending on the kind of use that will be required of the tape. Finally, there is the releasable liner, i.e., the specific film, either made with paper or synthetic film, which “protects” the tape’s glue until the moment it will be used.

How to use tape.

Now let’s see how to use tape. Whether it is normal double-sided adhesive tape or double-sided adhesive tape for industrial applications, the basic concept remains the same.       
To properly use this attaching technique, which ensures such advantages as invisibility, simplicity, reversibility and speed, one must always proceed with the application of the strong double-sided adhesive tape, well laid, on one of the two surfaces to be glued together.   
At this point, everything will be ready for the placement of the second surface – be it a carpet, a sheet, or a piece of furniture – it will be possible to remove the releasable liner, so the second adhesive side is ready to accommodate the new surface.     
In the case of vertical applications, the advice is always to keep in place the object to be glued, applying slight pressure until the glue has taken hold.

The factors affecting the staying power of double-sided adhesive tape

Having outlined how adhesive tape is attached, let’s take another step towards the optimal use of this tool, analysing what factors can affect its staying power.           
Obviously, everything depends, before anything else, on the choice of the tape itself, knowing that there are specialized products designed for different sectors. In our e-commerce site it is possible to find double-sided adhesive tape for carpeting, double-sided adhesive tape made with high-thickness foam, high-performance tape, double-sided adhesive sheets, blisters, and transfers.  
So, the first step is to make the right choice.       
The second step is to make sure that the surfaces on which the adhesive tape will be placed are perfectly clean. As it probably easy to guess, in fact, dirt – be it dust, grease residue, and so on – is a barrier between the adhesive and the surface to be glued, which might compromise the tape’s grip.    
It is therefore necessary to clean in the best way possible the surface to be used, eliminating stains, dust, release agents, or simply moisture.        
Secondly, it must be taken into account that too high or too low temperatures, too, can affect the success of the tape’s gluing capabilities. Generally, with normal temperatures of between 10 and 35 °C (50 – 95 °F), there will be absolutely no issue at all.   
When dealing with lower and higher temperatures, however, the grip of normal double-sided adhesive tape progressively lessens; in the case of too low temperatures, the adhesive will stiffen, which will therefore fail to offer optimal adhesive power; with increasing heat, instead, the solidity of the glue is lost, which tends to make it lose its grip.  
However, there are also adhesive tapes designed for use at extreme temperatures.