With all this product claims to be our expectation was low based on the fact we thought their product development team couldn’t possibly be this great. The tape looked very thin and had bold claims, such as the ability to stick to buildings at temperatures ranging from -18 degrees up to 80 degrees, even on damp surfaces. What tape could possibly do that we thought? But as we tested this product to its extremes we found ourselves very very impressed. Read on to find out more about our robust testing methods.
First of all, we wanted to test 3M’s boldest claim: High tack adhesive which can stick to most common building materials at temperatures ranging from -18 degrees up to 80 degrees.
We put the tape in the freezer, once frozen, stuck it onto a piece of gib. We were amazed, it stuck straight away. We wanted to know how this was possible so we looked into this a little more. The secret is the proprietary acrylic adhesive. This allows the liquid (stickiness) to remain unfrozen so the tape can stick. In any other instance, we would see the liquid freeze, disabling the stickiness of the tape. This would be a pain if you were working in cooler climates.
Can it really stick securely in 80 degree heat?
Now, heat is another story. The tapes stickiness could easily melt away in 80 degrees. We held a hairdryer up to the tape, along with a thermometer. We kept the hairdryer on the tape at 80 degrees for 20 minutes. It proved us again, completely wrong. The tape withstood the temperature, securely sticking to the jib, even when we tried to pull at the tape it wasn’t budging. We were blown away. We were sure 80 degrees was far too high of a temperature for a tape to withstand. We also applied a range of sealants to the tape to ensure it wouldn’t affect the adhesive. Sure enough, it did not.
Can it securely stick to a damp surface?
We stuck it straight onto a damp surface, it stuck straight away, no problem. It also seemed to be just as secure as it was when it stuck to a dry surface. Other brands we’ve worked with can sometimes even require a primer, staple or mechanical fixing. It makes jobs more fiddly and time-consuming.
How does the price compare to similar products on the market?
3M All Weather Flashing Tape is comparatively cheap considering for the price you get their unique, acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive. Other brands we’ve used don’t stick as aggressively as they don’t have a feature this advanced. They’re also not as thin, manoeuvrable and overall not as durable as 3M’s All Weather Flashing Tape. Manoeuvrability is key when sealing gaps around nails and staples. Other brands can get up to $200 for a similar tape.
How strong is it really?
We decided to take the test the extra bit further. We stuck two bits of tape together, leaving a strip at each end to act as a handle. We had two men pull at the handles after the tape was stuck together for one minute. They couldn’t rip the tape apart. This demonstrated to us that after one minute when the adhesive is only at 40% of its strength and our men couldn’t pull the tape away, that after forty minutes when the tape is fully bonded there is no chance your tape is coming off. This ticks the box on the claim of high initial tack.
Other benefits we found
- The split liner makes positioning of tape really easy, allowing us to do our job faster
- It sticks really well to itself. We’ve found this really handy when sealing around windows and nails
- There’s no need for a primer which is a real time saver
Although we were initially hesitant, all hesitations went away when we started testing and seeing for ourselves there were no bold claims that weren’t true. This tape really does do all it says and we couldn’t recommend a more reliable product.
If you’re sceptics like we were, get into GFC Fasteners to find this product and try it for yourselves. Or if you’d like more information ring 09 579 0722.
