Does It Cash In One's Chips? (Shelf Life Table For Common Brands)

Duct record. The second ready to many homeowners’ problems. You never postulate it adjacent calendar week; y'all always need it instantly! This is why it’s and so frustrating when y'all get to catch the faithful roll solely to discover it’sec not working like it should. Well, it turns out that duct tape is 1 of the not-food products that tin can pass away.

Just equally expired nutrient can no longer serve its purpose, expired duct record is not upwardly to the myriad tasks we necessitate it for. The loss of function is linked primarily to the adhesive. The shelf life can depend on several factors, simply in that location are besides ways of staving off expiration beyond the stated shelf life.

Duct tape tin pass away. The adhesive loses its stickiness, together with the record tin no longer part. Duct tape has a shelf life ranging from six months to three years, as well as the shelf life does differ across the brands. However, it does non seem related to popularity or cost.

How Can Duct Tape Expire?

The 3 major components of duct record are the plastic coating, the cloth meshwork, in addition to the adhesive dorsum.

The adhesive backing is what is well-nigh inwards danger of expiring.

The effects of fourth dimension, extreme temperatures, too moisture on the adhesive can cause the record to go because they rob the adhesive of its stickiness.

Time can crusade duct record to dry out equally the chemic components of the adhesive age as well as accumulate impurities such as dust.

Duct tape stuck on a surface for more than a yr is probable to start to autumn off, fifty-fifty if temperature too moisture are controlled as well as not extreme.

High temperatures tin can also campaign drying out every bit the oestrus causes the chemical components of the adhesive to degrade together with pause downwards. This is because estrus speeds upwards chemical reactions, including the ones that degrade duct record’sec adhesive.

Extremely high temperatures tin can fifty-fifty atomic number 82 to the duct record adhesive deforming or fifty-fifty melting, making the record useless.

In addition to the rut, duct record besides does not respond good to common cold since, at common cold temperatures, the safety-based components of the tape will get down to completely solidify. With this loss in flexibility, the adhesive volition likely lose its travelling bag, especially if the surface to which it is stuck is not perfectly apartment.

Additionally, exposure to wet tin touch on the seal of duct record.

When duct tape is inward contact amongst H2O, whether this is through liquid H2O or humid air, the water acts equally a lubricant that will movement the adhesive to skid too lose its concord on the object.

Sustained contact amongst H2O volition proceed the duct tape from sticking too will start out to interruption downward the chemical components of the adhesive, rendering the duct record useless.

Since air ducts incorporate cold air, hot air, as well as moisture, this makes duct record a bad jibe for air ducts, despite the advert.

The plastic/material part of the duct record does not degrade as much or as chop-chop every bit the adhesive. However, high oestrus tin can deform it, together with common cold temperatures tin can arrive brittle.

Average Shelf Life of Duct Tape

Duct record can take a shelf life of six months to 2 years, amongst the average being a yr.

Shelf life varies since brands purpose dissimilar material in addition to product processes.

One major variable inwards shelf life is the adhesive packet.

Rubber glues used past duct tape role UV stabilizing packages formulated to withstand historic period. The chemic makeup volition vary past brand, in addition to approximately may be meliorate inward quality.

The character of the textile in addition to polythene plastic layers also impact the shelf life.

Does the Tape Shelf Life Vary Across Brands?

Brand	Shelf Life	Price (low, medium, high)	Amazon Link
3M	i yr	Low	View
Gorilla	two years	Medium	View
Nashua Tape	3 years	Medium	View
Scotch	two years	Low	View
Polyken	one twelvemonth	High	View

It is hard to find trends inwards this tabular array since the ones I expected are not shown in the data.

I expected more than well-known brands, such equally 3M too Scotch, to accept longer shelf lives. Oftentimes, brands that are good-known are popular because of their lineament.

However, these ii brands actually take medium or curt shelf lives. One matter that may link to their popularity is their depression toll reach. People tin be willing to lay upward alongside sure compromises inwards quality if the price matches this.

Another trend I expected to see was higher-priced duct tapes having a longer shelf life. However, this was not the example.

The longest-lasting duct record, the outlier Nashua Tape, actually has a cost inward the medium reach.

Contrary to my expectations, the highest-priced record, Polyken, actually had ane of the shortest shelf lives at i twelvemonth.

So, despite the fact that the shelf life seems pretty random, nosotros tin conclude that the brands do differ when it comes to how long it takes for their duct record to die.

Tips to Preserve Duct Tape

Although a duct record brand may claim that its shelf life is upwardly to iii years, it is likely that this lifespan won’t be achieved if duct tape is non used together with stored properly.

The best ways to save duct record are to read the instructions and deport out the recommendations.

Most instructions, whether on the make’s website or on the packaging, volition give a range of temperatures at which the duct tape will perform best.

As a rule of pollex, duct tape is oftentimes the safest inwards an expanse that is nigh lxx °F.

A piffling higher up or below should live condom, only extremes such as thirty °F or 100 °F are likely to impairment the integrity of the duct record and its adhesive.

So, keep the record out of the sun too away from oestrus-generating appliances (e.g., don’t tuck it into the drawer next to the oven).

If you live inward a hot climate, where the temperatures easily surpass lxx °F, then you lot should look for a deliberately cooler spot.

Although many duct record manufacturers may order that their record is waterproof, this is non strictly truthful. Duct record is considered to live water-resistant, scientifically speaking. It can recover from about contact alongside high humidity or liquid H2O, merely sustained contact volition ruin the tape.

Because of this, fifty-fifty if the record claims that it is waterproof, do non home duct record inwards areas that experience a relative humidity of above fifty%.

So, continue it away from bathrooms, laundry rooms, as well as rooms that take humidifiers running (a staple inward the bedrooms of people suffering from allergies or colds).

Additionally, continue duct tape away from apparently onetime liquid water. Again, avoid bathrooms in addition to laundry rooms. Don’t proceed it outside, fifty-fifty if you about oft role it for outdoor repairs. The kitchen is besides not the best place to store duct record.

Is There Any Way to Revitalize Old Duct Tape?

The consensus seems to live that there are no specific methods by which you lot tin revitalize your sometime duct record. However, in that location is a fox for old, dried-out masking record that may also function on one-time duct record.

The fob is to merely pose the tape on a newspaper towel too microwave it for well-nigh 10 seconds.

This is supposed to heat upwards the adhesive, causing it to loosen, become softer, in addition to, thence, regain its stickier.

I don’t take whatever old duct record at my disposal; otherwise, I would have tested this out for you. However, the reasoning behind the method does appear relatively audio.

Still, at that place are or so things to live wary of:

For 1, the duct record could get besides hot inward the microwave, ruining the adhesive completely.

Also, the microwave may melt the gum or cause dangerous chemicals to live released if the temperature is as well high or the tape is heated for also long.

Then there are the limitations of this method:

If the duct tape has lost its stickiness due to exposure to high to temperatures, it is unlikely that applying oestrus volition assistance it.

Additionally, duct tape that has lost its stickiness due to moisture is nearly probable likewise degraded to be helped by microwaving. Even if the heat removed wet, the adhesive may be too far gone.

If the duct record was likewise cold together with became brittle, microwaving could go to loosen the adhesive upwardly. However, microwaving could as well take moisture from the brittle record, causing it to dry out out fifty-fifty more than.