How To Choose The Right Double Sided Tape For Your Project
This sounds basic, but before you buy a double sided tape, you need to know what you’ll be using it for and what you need the tape to do. If you have several different types of projects, you might need to buy a different type of tape for each of those projects, to be sure that you get the performance you need.
Below are factors to consider, which can help ensure that you’ll get the best double sided tape for your next projects.
Surface Type
Some double sided tapes adhere better to smooth surfaces (such as glass, plastic, or metal), while others are designed for rough or porous surfaces (such as concrete or wood).
Types Of Adhesives
Double sided tapes have various types of adhesive, most commonly rubber adhesive and acrylic adhesive. In general, rubber adhesives offer quick adhesion and easy removal, while acrylic adhesives are known for their strong, durable holds.
Adhesion Strength And Holding Power
When you’re buying a double sided tape, you’ll want to choose a tape that can support the weight of the material you’re bonding.
On each of our product pages, if you click on the “Technical Data” tab, and look at the “Adhesion” specification, you’ll see the number of ounces or pounds per inch that the tape is designed to hold. The higher the number, the higher the holding power.
Backing Material / Carriers
The backing material on double sided tape serves as the support structure that holds the adhesive layers of the tape. Also known as carriers, common backing materials in double sided tape include:
- paper or tissue backing (flexible and lightweight)
- foam backing (provides conformability and cushioning, ideal for uneven surfaces)
- film backing (polyester or polypropylene films, provide strength and are resistant to solvents and chemicals)
- cloth backing (durable and flexible)
- UPVC backing (unplasticized polyvinyl chloride, rigid and durable)
- PVC backing (polyvinyl chloride, flexible and durable)
Temporary Hold
Temporary double sided tape offers the convenience of easy removal without leaving residue, which makes it ideal for short-term holds.
Our DC-K048A double sided tape is an extremely strong double sided tape that works well for temporarily holds on steel, metal, or wooden components. It also is great for mounting photos or posters on walls and is also frequently used in woodworking. This type of double sided tape removes cleanly (no residue left behind) from most hard and smooth surfaces.
Our DC-W188F removable carpet tape is an extremely strong and effective double sided tape that won’t leave behind residue. It’s often used at trade shows and conventions (for securing carpeting and other types of temporary flooring). The tape also works well for construction applications (such as holding vapor barrier film and mounting film for demolition and remediation processes) and industrial applications (such as mounting printing plates for industrial print packaging applications). The tape is also frequently used in woodworking.
Permanent Hold
Permanent double sided tape, on the other hand, is designed for long-lasting applications when you need a strong, durable bond.
Our DC-M012P clear, double sided tape and DC-U032A white, double sided tape both have such aggressive adhesives, that they’re often used for difficult bonding applications where other tapes might fail. These two tapes are often used for permanent bonding of steel, metal, plastic, rubber, and plexiglass, as well as for mounting signs, nameplates, decorative trim, and plastic profiles.
Indoor Or Outdoor
Some double sided tapes are only designed for indoor use, while others have adhesives and materials that hold up outdoors, even under harsh conditions and extreme temperatures. Our
DC-T274A is a great general purpose double sided tape that works well for lightweight bonding and mounting indoors. And we have a variety of heavy duty, double sided tapes that work well outdoors, such as our UB-F3504 tape.
Weather Resistant And UV Resistant
Weather resistant and UV resistant double sided tapes maintain their adhesive properties and structural integrity under exposure to sunlight, heat, moisture, and temperature fluctuations. UV resistance prevents the tape from becoming brittle or losing tackiness because of sun exposure, while weather resistance ensures a secure bond even in wet or cold conditions.
Our DC-M194A double sided polyester film tape is specifically designed to work well in cold temperatures and is also UV resistant. Its application temperature range is -4°F to 176°F, and its service temperature range is -40°F to 176°F, and this tape is often used to mount insulation, create lap seals on insulation, mount smooth surface substrates in cold temperatures (such as freezers), and permanently bond foams, plastics, metals, and composite materials.
Thickness And Cushioning
Double sided tapes vary widely in their thickness, and it can make a big difference in performance. Thin double sided tapes are typically used to bond smooth surfaces and for situations that require less bulk and visibility, maybe even a clean, flush finish. Alternatively, thick double sided tapes bond well to rough or uneven surfaces, and they also can be used to fill gaps and compensate for irregularities.
On each of our product pages, if you click on the “Technical Data” tab, and look at the “Total Thickness” specification, you’ll see the number of mils (a mil is 1/1000th of an inch). The higher the mils number, the thicker the tape.
Conformability
In double sided tape, conformability refers to the ability of the tape to mold to the shapes and textures of the surfaces where it’s applied. High conformability double sided tapes (such as our UB-F3504 and UB-F3557 heavy duty acrylic foam tapes) are often used to make a full contact, strong bond on uneven, textured, and flexible materials. For smooth, flat surfaces, a less conformable, stiffer tape may work better.
Durability
The durability of a double sided tape is based on its ability to withstand various environmental and physical conditions over time. Double sided tapes that are designed for long-term durability often feature strong adhesives (such as acrylic adhesive, which resists high temperatures, UV light, and chemicals).
When selecting a double sided tape, you should take into account the surfaces that the tape will be bonding, as well as the tape’s potential exposure to elements, temperature fluctuations, and stress. Thinking about these factors ahead of time can help ensure that you’ll choose a tape that will perform well throughout its intended lifespan (whether that be for a temporary or permanent hold).
Residue
What’s left behind after you remove double sided tape? This could be a concern, especially if you need the tape for a temporary application and/or are using it on a delicate surface. All of our double sided tapes that are designated as “temporary hold” are designed to be residue-free in many circumstances. This means that they’ll peel away cleanly from most hard surfaces, without damaging the underlying material or leaving behind a sticky film.
Color
Finally, you might want to select your double sided tape based on its color. We have double sided tape in a variety of colors, including white and clear.
About ECHOtape
We’re always happy to answer any questions you might have about our products and their applications! We’re experts in tape, and for more than 50 years, we’ve been providing high-performance, specialty adhesive tapes to our customers. We want to make sure that you get the right tape for your application, and we’ll gladly make recommendations.
You can call us at (800) 461-8273, e-mail us at info@echotape.com, or send us a message.
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