Last Updated on October 20, 2021 by Kimberly Crawford
Tapes may seem insignificant and underrated but in reality, it is one of the essential tools used in every household, store, office & company all over the globe. Tapes have been in use for around 200 years and before that time, people used to extract tree saps to use for sealing and bandaging.
These days tapes have become more in demand, especially for packaging purposes, as online shopping has increased dramatically in this pandemic. However, no particular type of tape can be applied to different materials.
There are various kinds of tape used for cloth, paper, wood, electrical pipes, and so on. So let’s find out about the 30 different types of this sticky helper that you may not know, and might one day come in handy.
1. Invisible Tape
Invisible tape is the most commonly used tape in the office. They have a transparent plastic backing and are mostly used in mending paper tears and for sealing documents, photographs, books, or magazines.
These tapes are cut with either scissors or sharp-toothed tools and a pen or markers can be used to write on them.
2. Cloth Tape
Highly resistant to water, cloth tape is heavy-duty protective tape that is used mainly for rough surfaces. The durability and flexibility of this tape make it useful as bandages and for sealing walls, and electrical fixtures. It comes in different colors and can be written on it with markers or pens.
3. Packaging Tape
Also known as box-sealing tape, or parcel tape, this pressure-sensitive tape is used for sealing cartons or cardboard boxes.
4. Duct Tape
Also called duck tape, these strong, adhesive tapes are mostly used for household projects or in construction, electrical, or plumbing uses.
Duct tapes can be easily removed and can be used on any product. The beauty of this tape is that it can stick on both rough and dry surfaces, indoors and outdoors, such as on wood, brick, metal, or stone.
5. Double-sided Tape
Just as the name suggests, double-sided tape has pressure-sensitive adhesive on both sides. These tapes are good for mounting purposes such as pictures or shelves on walls instead of using nails.
6. Washi Tape
Washi tapes are decorative tapes that can be used for art and craft projects, to decorate your books and journals, or even to wrap gifts. They come in various colors and designs to make any projects look colorful and vibrant.
7. Painter’s Tape
Painter’s tape is a type of masking tape that comes in two distinct colors: blue and green. They are mainly used by painters on walls, ceilings, and windows to protect the part where the paint shouldn’t be applied.
It can be kept up to 14 days after the paint dries and can be removed easily without causing major damage.
8. Drywall Tape
It is a rugged paper tape that is commonly used for wall construction and repair to cover seams in drywall. Furthermore, this tape also requires a coat of drywall joint compound to hold it in place.
Though the tape is durable, resistant to tearing, and unaffected by water damage, the drywall surface must be clean, dust-free, and dry; otherwise, it won’t stick, as well as moisture can seep through the tape and damage the wall.
Related: 24 Types of Drywall Alternatives For Your Wall, Basement, Ceiling, Shed
9. Electrical Tape
Also known as insulation tape, these tapes are used to insulate wires that conduct electricity. Generally, black electrical tapes are used in insulating cables. These tapes come in a variety of colors, known as “phasing tapes”.
Each colored tape indicates the voltage level and phase of the electrical wire and a ring of it is tied around the black to describe its purpose.
10. Filament Tape
Also called strapping tape, and are used for securing products during shipment. These are mostly used to tie two or more loads securely in place, sealing cartons or cardboard boxes, so the contents inside do not get damaged during transit.
11. Flagging Tape
Available in a variety of colors, it is a non-adhesive tape used around the globe. This tape has genuinely made life easier for medical practitioners, miners, firefighters, and campers.
It is used in forestry to mark trees that are unhealthy or are hazardous to the surrounding. They are commonly used by campers or hikers to mark trails, to easily follow the route back after the trip.
Besides forestry, these water-resistant and colorful tapes are also used to mark territory or land to keep unwanted people (except for the owners) from trespassing. This is most common during an ongoing project. The major benefit of this tape is the color stays the same for a long time.
Flagging tapes are also used during emergency situations arising from natural disasters. In this case, the red color denotes serious and life-threatening injuries, the yellow indicates serious but not life-threatening and the green marks are used for non-emergency injuries and can wait for treatment.
The same is the case for miners and firefighters. They can mark places that are a potential hazard or use them as directions, which can help them find their way back.
12. Masking Tape
As the name suggests, masking tape masks or covers the area that shouldn’t be painted and can be pulled out easily.
These can be smoothly applied, removed, and easily torn paper tape. Best for use in painting walls or in the artwork.
13. Aluminum Foil Tape
Made of aluminum material, these are used for waterproof sealing and to stop air leakage. The tapes are covered with a strong pressure-sensitive adhesive that barricades moisture and vapor and works perfectly on rough and irregular surfaces.
14. Surgical Tape
These tapes are made of paper, fabric mesh, or latex-free plastic materials. They are hypoallergenic mainly to hold wound bandages in place and are commonly used in the medical industry, and in first-aid kits.
15. Kinesiology Tape
The term Kinesiology refers to the science and treatment of joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and connective tissues. Also known as Therapeutic tape, (it) reduces and relieves muscle and joint pains and enhances movement.
Kinesiology tapes are designed with a stretchable and cotton material to give the patients adequate room to breathe while putting enough pressure on their joints and tissues to support and increase mobility.
16. Velcro Tape
These are also called fastening tapes and are not adhesive. It is made of two different cloth strips that are pressed together to fasten it. Used commonly for opening in a bag or purse (especially if they are handmade).
17. Magnetic Tape
Though it might not be available at present, if you have ever come across small, rectangular-sized cassettes that were used to record and play music on the radio, those cassettes used to contain long, narrow strips called magnetic tape to record audio and store data.
Nowadays, magnetic tapes are mainly used in art and craft, and DIY projects. It has become a handy material where you can hang the adhesive side of the tape for almost anything on the wall. You can also hang your tools, nails, paper clips, stapler pins, screws, nuts, and bolts on a wall surface for easy access.
These tapes are used in recording sound, pictures, or data.
18. Mounting Tape
The same as double-sided tape, these are used on wall decor for mounting picture frames or mirrors. Some of these are so strong that they can stick on permanently.
19. Thread Seal Tape
These are commonly used in plumbing for sealing pipe threads. These tapes are of a specific widths wound around a spool, so you can select the appropriate width size of your pipe to easily tie it around.
20. Garden Tie Tape
These tapes are non-adhesive, stretchable, and come in various sizes. It is used to tie the stems of plants, designed to stretch as the plant grows. It is durable and so strong that it does not need to be re-tied. Perfect for landscaping your front yard.
21. Barricade Tape
These colorful tapes are used to barricade an area where there is a potential hazard situation. Mostly used in crime scenes to keep passersby from tampering with evidence.
These are also used as warning signs in construction sites, and on doors or elevators to convey an out-of-order warning.
22. Labelling Tape
These are paper tapes used for product labeling. It can be used on different types of surfaces such as glass, wood, bricks, etc. These are used in shopping marts to label the product description and price at the side of the shelf.
23. Fashion Tape
Also called Lingerie tape, these double-sided tapes are designed to keep your clothing in place such as securing bra straps from slipping or securing the edges of a strapless dress.
These tapes are designed in a way so that they can be directly attached to your skin or between fabrics. The adhesive used is hypoallergenic and medical-grade which can hold heavy fabrics. However, if you apply it to your skin, it is recommended you peel it off slowly.
24. Friction Tape
A woven cloth adhesive tape that is sticky on both sides, is mainly used to insulate splices in electrical wires and cables.
25. Speed Tape
Speed tapes can survive freezing temperatures and high speeds. Because of this feature, aluminum tapes are mainly used for minor and temporary repairs on aircraft that exceed 10-20,000 feet altitude and fix small openings or cracks in racing cars. It is sensitive to UV light and temperature and resistant to water, solvents, and also heat, for a short period.
26. Paper Tape
As per its name, paper tape is a common tape used worldwide with a variety of colors and can be removed easily. There are a number of paper-backed tapes such as Crepe paper, Craft paper, Flatback paper, Tissue paper and are often used in mounting, color coding, packaging, and masking (in cases of art projects or painting).
27. Flash Tape
Flash tape is a strong adhesive used to secure materials in place inside a vacuum bag.
Apart from that, it is also used by builders to prevent unwanted moisture and air from entering the structures. By applying tape to the seams and rough openings, it prevents water from entering and also improves interior air quality.
A holographic tape that is used to keep pesky birds and scarecrows away.
28. Floral Tape
These adhesives are used to stick stems of flowers together to make a bouquet. It can also be used for gift wrapping and DIY projects.
29. Floor Marking Tape
These are colorful tapes used to mark hazards, divide aisles and spaces, or show directions by sticking them on the floor. Being extremely durable, floor marking tapes last for years and are generally used in factories, warehouses, transportation terminals, and retail areas.
Floor marking tapes come in an assortment of colors. These are useful and provide important benefits to the workers in factories and manufacturing companies.
For instance, a biohazard area can be marked with a red floor marking tape to let the workers know to wear proper protective equipment (PPE) before entering the zone. Additionally, these tapes may also have various designs on them to convey messages to people about the hazard.
30. Freezer Tape
These freezer tapes are perfect for labeling frozen foods and items. They are specially designed to stay and hold up to -40 degrees Fahrenheit. It is made of an acrylic adhesive that can easily stick to paper, freezer bags, plastic wraps, and aluminum foils. This tape makes sealing and storing frozen foods easier.
Final Thoughts
We use tapes almost every other day, but sometimes we use them wrongly. For instance, some tapes are not waterproof, while others are light-adhesive.
There are so many types of tapes available that serve different purposes. Knowing them may make things easier on your next DIY or household projects.