How to use adhesive tape. All you can do with it

How to use adhesive tape? And, more specifically, how does tape work? Undoubtedly tape, in all its forms, is something present in all our lives.

We used it dozens if not hundreds of times for the most disparate needs: to glue drawings on the walls of our house, to wrap gifts, to close packages before sending them, to carry out makeshift repairs, to paint without smudging, and so on.

Knowing more about the adhesive tape, and understanding how it works, can however help us use it better, and to choose the most suitable one each time. Let’s start from the beginning: where does adhesive tape come from?

A brief history of adhesive tape

Today we take adhesive tape for granted. Indeed, it would seem strange not to have a roll or two in the house at the time of need. Though, certainly, it has not always been this way. Of course, glue has existed for centuries, even millennia: just consider that, in ancient Egypt, carpenters used vegetable substances as glue. But it is only in the twentieth century that adhesive tape, strips able to glue and attach different objects, was invented.

That’s right: adhesive tape was created in 1935, within the company which would become 3M, at the time a sandpaper manufacturer. The idea was to create make tapes with an adhesive side, easy to attach, to allow those who had to paint objects to created margins that could be placed and remove quickly.

Where previously paper and glue were used, requiring time and attention, from the 1920s onwards adhesive tape was used instead. At first, then, adhesive tape was used for masking work.

Other kinds of adhesive tape were also developed. The famous American duct tape, for example, was launched in the middle of World War II, first for the American army, and then for industry uses.

In short, the history of adhesive tape is less than a century long; in these decades, however, many different types of tape have been invented!

The types of adhesive tape

To use adhesive tape, you need to know which type to buy, according to your needs.

In principle, and in very simple words, to understand how industrial double-sided adhesive works it is good to know that it is made mainly of two parts: above is the support, which gives the tape resistance, and which is basically covered with a finish that allows the strip to be rolled without sticking irremediably to itself; below is the real adhesive, which can be more or less powerful.

Depending on the materials used for the adhesive part and for the support (which can actually be made up of several layers of different materials) there are different kinds of adhesive tape.

For example, there is paper tape, which is mainly used for masking work, being inexpensive, easy to use and easy to remove without a trace.

Then, there is the insulating adhesive tape, that particular type of tape used by electricians to isolate electrical wires. Then, there is adhesive tape for carpeting and rugs, designed to place these layers of fabric in a stable way.

And again, there is American duct tape, double-sided tape and so on. There are tapes in paper, in fact, made with in canvas, in PPL, in PVC, in rubber, with fiberglass as well, and more… you are spoiled for choice!

Surface types

Before using adhesive tape, you need to think about what you want to do with it: if you need to close up a heavy package, you will need to use strong double-sided tape, whereas to hang a sheet of paper on the wall can simply use weaker tape instead, the kind which can be found in stationery shops.

It is then necessary to think about the surface on which the adhesive will be applied. On smooth surfaces, in principle, there will be no issues, whereas on rough surfaces the adhesive tape will have less contact area, and therefore less power.

Any amount of dirt on a surface can reduce tape grip, as dust and grease that inevitably compromise the tightness of the tape. Finally, it is best to think about the temperature the tape will have to withstand: if you need to use double-sided adhesive tape on hot or cold surfaces, you should think about choosing special kinds of tape, designed to work even at “extreme” temperatures!

Removing adhesive tape

After applying it, it is sometimes necessary to also know how to remove the adhesive tape as well. In some cases, especially if the adhesive tape has been applied recently, removal will be easy.

In other cases, it will be more difficult both to detach the industrial double-sided adhesive tape and then to remove all the glue residues left on the surface. It helps, in these cases, to use a plastic scraper, as well as useful substances to soften the glue: alcohol, solvents, water and vinegar, oils and lubricants are all possible options, to choose according to the surface to be treated.