Even tape professionals believe that using the “right” adhesive is where you begin, but this is mistaken. The most important factor in developing the most effective repositionable/removable foam tape should focus on the layers that make a foam tape.
There are plenty of foam tapes that market themselves as removable, but most often they become too weak or too strong over time and damage the surface when removed.
The reason for this is that many manufactures focus on peel adhesion tests performed according to professional standards from adhesive tape councils. And to have uniformed testing protocol, tests are done on a stainless-steel surface with adhesive on a film.
The foam, most commonly used is polyethylene, will either absorb adhesive into its cavities over time or transfer all the adhesive to the surface, unless it is properly layered and constructed.
When people use a removable foam tape to reposition art or graphic on a wall, for example, you can’t control what surface the wall will be. It could be a dry wall or a concrete wall, however, Drywall, otherwise known as gypsum wallboard or by the common trade name Sheetrock, has replaced plaster as the most common wall surface in American homes.
A superior removable foam tape will balance holding power on a wide range of surfaces while not damaging the surface when removed.
The secret to an effective removable foam tape is its layers so that the adhesive neither sinks into the foam or transfers it to the surface.
Adding a double sided film layer on top of the foam will help to keep adhesive from being absorbed by the foam, but they tend to damage the surface when removed and does not conform as well.
A tissue layer between the foam adhesive and the outer adhesive layer has proven to be the most effective construction. The webbing of the tissue keeps the adhesive on the tissue and not transfer into the foam or the surface.
There are two options, typically, for a removable tape.
Remo One refers to the tape having a removable side and a permanent side. The removable side, or re-stickable side adheres to the surface of wall, while the permanant adhesive bonds to the graphic or object being attached to the surface. The advantage of having a permanent side insures that when object is removed from wall, that the tape releases from the wall and not the object itself. Also, it is less expensive to produce tape with one removable side rather than having both sides removable.
Remo Two refers to having both sides of the tape removable. The main advantages are that it will not leave behind foam residue on object and surface, particularly important if object is reused. The other reason is that it avoids errors in attaching the removable adhesive to the wrong side. Remo Two adhesive tape is more expensive than Remo One tape since there are extra layers on the removable side of the adhesive, incurring extra material and processing costs.
For samples and quote of our superior quality re-stickable/removable foam tapes, contact sales@guardiaindustries.com
