Viking Tapes - How To Choose The Right Tape

You should never underestimate the power of adhesive tape. It’s versatile, durable and easy to use - and if you choose the right one, it can significantly speed up even the most time consuming construction tasks, providing you with a hard-wearing, long-lasting solution.

However, with so many different tapes to choose from, it can be tricky to know which one is right for the job. To help you decide which tape is best for you, check out our handy eBook for useful hints and tips.

Firstly, you should establish what you need the tape for. The task you’re going to carry out will determine the type of tape you’re going to need, so it helps to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve.

b o j e h t w Kno

Some examples of the job you may be carrying out could include:

Seaming

Flashing

Bonding

Seaming refers to using tape to make a building airtight.

When the right type of tape is used, it can act as a durable, efficient barrier in helping to lock out air, while keeping heat locked in. Seaming provides an effective way of improving the insulation of a building.

Also known as weatherproofing, flashing is common in construction practice. It prevents water from passing through a structure, and it is usually carried out around windows and external doors. If you’re looking for a tape for this purpose, it’s crucial that you go for one with weather resistant properties.

Bonding is the process of attaching one type of material to another, such as bricks with a structure like a wall or column. To ensure you’re using the correct tape, it’s important to establish if you are carrying out temporary or permanent bonding.

Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the need for fire resistant tape has become more important than ever before. At Viking Tapes, we offer a selection of specially designed tapes that can prevent smoke ingress for areas that require seaming or flashing, including single and double sided tapes with fire retardant properties.

For example, in terms of temporary bonding, it’s likely you’ll need to be able to apply and remove the tape quickly and easily, while for permanent bonding, the tape will need to be extremely strong and durable to ensure it stays in place.

s l a i r e t a m r Know you ut surface

Think abo

It’s important that the tape you choose is suitable for the materials involved. So, to ensure the tape you choose does its job effectively, it’s worth taking this into consideration, regardless of whether you’re dealing with plastic, metal, wood or something else.

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l you’re the materia ve texture of si The surface can impact the adhe ven dealing with eration should be gi id ns co ch as with su , bond, so ed at ce is co ces if the surfa xtured surfa ve powder. Te si paint or a ore aggres m r, ke ic th a e bond. may require re a durabl su en to adhesive

Walls

Roofing

Flooring

To guarantee optimum performance from your tape when you’re using it on external walls, you’ll need to think about what type of materials you’re working with, such as oriented strand board or plywood.

For roofing, it’s vital that the tape you go for is suitable for the type of material it’s being used in conjunction with, so it’s important to keep this mind, regardless of whether you’re dealing with synthetic roofing, plywood, oriented strand board or something else.

If you’re looking for tape that’s suitable for creating a vapour barrier on flooring such as laminate or wood, or to join and fix underlayment in place on a cement floor, you’ll need to ensure the tape you use is compatible with the materials involved.

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You should be aware of the conditions that can affect your tape’s performance too. Some of the factors you may want to take into consideration include:

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t whe inking abou ith It’s worth th come into contact w ill could the tape w s. If so, this ce, nt lve so or performan chemicals e the tape’s oss-linked compromis require a cr ay m u yo so . ve si he ad

Temperature

UV exposure

Water and moisture

Generally speaking, the tackiness of a tape will depend on temperature, and the colder the climate is, the poorer the bond will be. If you are working at lower temperatures, make sure you’re using a tape that has been specially designed to be used in colder conditions.

Ultra violet (UV) light can be extremely damaging to certain types of tape, and too much exposure can mean it becomes hard and brittle - something you do not want in a tape that needs to hold for any duration, especially if it’s for outdoor use. Fortunately, you can minimise the effects of UV light by choosing a tape with inbuilt UV barrier protection.

Especially if you’re using the tape outdoors, such as for flashing, you’ll need to pick a tape that is able to withstand water and moisture. Choosing a suitable tape will mean you don’t need to worry about leaks or having to replace it.

e p a t r u o y e Choos

At Viking Tapes, we offer an impressive range of adhesive tapes which are suitable for a variety of different uses - including 3M™ products. To give you an idea of the different tapes we stock, and what they can be used for, keep reading.

Top Tip

:

3M™ Double Sided / Adhesive Transfer Tapes Our 3M™ Double Sided / Adhesive Transfer Tapes can help simplify and solve some of the most challenging construction issues, such as bonding different materials together and attaching hard materials to bond surfaces, including plastics, metals and composites.

3M™ ATG Tapes

3M™ A TG used in Tapes nee d to be conjun ATG g un. Th ction with a is a n place a layer llows you to of adh and th e e gun remove sive, s the liner.

This durable tape is suitable for low energy and multi material bonding, helping you to effectively attach different materials together. Similar to Double Sided / Adhesive Transfer Tapes, 3M™ ATG Tapes can simplify challenging tasks, bringing surfaces together easily.

3M™ Indoor Foam Tapes

3M™ VentureClad™ Tapes

3M™ VHB™ Tapes

As its name suggests, 3M™ Indoor Foam Tapes are suitable for indoor use and can eliminate the use of rivets, screws and bolts. This type of tape can help improve design and aesthetics by providing virtually invisible bonding.

3M™ VentureClad™ Tapes are available in a variety of different designs. For example, you can choose from jacketing insulation tapes for heating and ventilation construction jobs, while aluminium foil tapes are suitable for use in colder conditions of -20°C.

3M™ VHB™ Tapes are renowned for their reliability and strength, making them the ideal choice of tape for demanding bonding application. These tapes bond on contact and are easy to use. You can cut the tape into precise shapes and sizes for custom use.

Thank you for taking the time to read our eBook. We hope it’s provided you with the information you need to choose the right adhesive tape.

Sources: https://www.echotape.com/blog/secret-choosing-right-tape/ https://www.echotape.com/blog/complete-technical-guide-adhesive-tape/#choosing https://www.mbktape.com/pdf/6-factors-to-choosing-the-right-tape-for-the-job.pdf https://www.echotape.com/blog/why-seaming-tape-matters-more-than-ever/ https://www.echotape.com/blog/contractors-field-guide-building-envelope/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashing_(weatherproofing) https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Types_of_brick_bonding https://www.vikingtapes.co.uk/collections/3m-double-sided-tapes https://www.vikingtapes.co.uk/collections/3m-indoor-foam-tapes https://www.vikingtapes.co.uk/collections/3m-vhb-tapes https://www.vikingtapes.co.uk/collections/3m-ventureclad-tapes https://www.vikingtapes.co.uk/collections/3m-atg-adhesive-transfer-tapes