'The Tackifier' Blog by FindTape

Will This Adhesive Tape Hold? Testing the Adhesive Strength of Double-Sided Tape.

You may not believe it, but double-sided adhesive tape has remarkable – even Herculean! – strength. Some pressure-sensitive tape is even used as a replacement for rivets in buildings or in manufacturing. In other words, it's not just for mounting frames and other wall hangings.

Double-sided tapes are available in different backing or carrier types such as film, tissue, cloth, paper and foam and they are available in a range of peel adhesions and tensile strengths. Our least adhesive double-sided film tape, the JVCC DC-4109RS product has a peel adhesion of 29 ounces per inch and is comparable to a general-purpose masking tape. It's perfect for mounting lightweight items, such as nameplates.

But that's just a start. Some of the other double-sided tapes we offer at FindTape.com have very impressive strength and adherence qualities. A double-sided film tape like Scapa S301 Double Coated UPVC Tape is adhesive enough to be used in product assembly, while 3M 4950 VHB Tape is used in both interior and exterior structural bonding applications.

But rather than tell you about the adhesive strength of our double-sided tapes, I'd like to show you. In this video, I test four double-sided tapes to see which one can support the most weight. Check it out.

The double-sided film tape we typically sell for adhering window insulation film to the interior of windows during the winter season is JVCC DC-4109RS tape. If the film is heavier and you need a tape with a stronger adhesive then JVCC DC-4199CS would be another to look at. These would be the closest double-sided tapes our converter stocks which are similar to 3M's 2145C product for indoor insulator film mounting. As far as these tapes' removability you'd want to test them first on an inconspicuous part of the window frame to make sure it removes as desired. Please also remember the more adhesive the tape you go with the harder it will be to remove in the spring. Also both of these tapes are coated with an acrylic adhesive which provides moisture, UV and temperature resistance; however tapes with acrylic adhesive need a few minutes to an hour for the adhesive bond to set correctly when applying them. See our blog entry on general instructions on applying pressure-sensitive adhesive tape for more detailed instructions. Thank you.

UPDATE: We also now carry Duck Brand Window Kit Replacement Tape if you are looking for shorter length rolls for both indoor or outdoor window film installations.