Whenever we mention tape, the first things that come to mind are a regular office tape, or maybe duct tape. However, you’d be surprised at all the different types of adhesive tapes that are available today and how each and every one of them is better than the other in certain aspects. Knowing the advantages and disadvantages of the most popular types of tape will let you decide which one is right for you to use on the projects you’re working on, regardless whether they’re commercial or residential.

Office Tape

Office tape is the kind of tape you see sitting in a dispenser on your desk or in a drawer, typically used to hold documents together. When looking to buy a scotch tape, try looking at value packs in order to save money and get a free dispenser. You can purchase them either by the roll (if you already have a dispenser) or in plastic disposable dispensers. Scotch tape can be transparent, greener, double-sided, removable and pop-up, so you have plenty of options to choose from, depending on your needs.

Specialty Tapes

There are various different kinds of specialty tapes, all which serve a particular purpose. The range of specialty tapes include: filament tape, printed message tape, painting tape, duct tape, carpet tape, double-coated tissue tape and so on.

The filament tape, for instance, is used on corrugated bundling and boxes. It comes in various grades: light-duty, medium, general purpose and premium. You should look at the strength of the tape, as their strength can vary anywhere between 40kg to 200kg.

Masking tape, on the other hand, is used for painting in order to provide clean lines. It’s ideal for painting because it can be removed with ease without damaging the walls. You can find coloured masking tape, general-purpose masking tape, high performance and premium masking tape.

Duct tape features a durable waterproof backing and a rubber adhesive. You can pick between a cloth duct tape, transparent duct tape and coloured duct tape. Duct tape is very strong and durable, and is oftentimes used for heavy duty binding.

Storage & Shipping Tapes

Storage and shipping tapes are very similar, the main difference is that storage tapes are made with an acrylic adhesive, while shipping tapes utilise a hot melt adhesive. There are many different types of storage and shipping tapes, but the most common ones are recycled, heavy-duty, commercial grade and general purpose.