Surface preparation - making sure surfaces are clean, free from oils, dirt, dust. A good product for this is an adhesive cleaner & solvent.
Another important fact in surface preparation is to make sure, if need be that your bonding surfaces have been abraided (given a little bit of sanding) to remove protective coatings, anti-graffiti coatings to allow the tape to make a maximum bond. In some cases , such as low surface energy plastics, etc. that an adhesive promoter is used, also for the bonded materials to make a full strength bond.
Surfaces are sealed – if you are applying tape to concrete, particleboard, bricks, plywood, mdf, etc that a sealant is used on these products to "seal" the surface before you apply your tape. If the surface is not sealed, the tape will only stick to the fibres & particles on the surface of your substrate & not the full body of the material you are bonding to, which will eventually lead to the loose surface material sticking to the tape & the tape lifting / falling off what you are adhering it to.
Full surface contact is made when applying tape – when you are applying double-sided tape, it is very important to make sure that full surface contact is made with the tape to the products you are adhering to. In other words make sure that the tape is fully stuck / has made contact with both sides of the product you are sticking together. This can be achieved by either:
A) running your hand along the full area where you have adhered your tape to
B) using a pressure applicater / "squiggie"
C) using a pressure roller
Surface area is covered in relation to the product you are adhering. In other words, don't have a big sign with a little bit of tape stuck to it & think it will hold. You have to cover at a minimum, strategic points around your sign, eg. on corners in the middle, etc. to have a good bond.
Click here to see our range of products used for surface preparation.
If you would like more information on products or advice on "the right tape for the right application", please feel free to contact us!
