The wrong kind of tape can cause your move to fail, as crucial as solid boxes and packing materials are. During transit, storage, or packaging, a failure to use tape can result in a high level of frustration, costly breakage, lost time and money, compromised storage, or even physical harm to the user if a container or box is opened too soon or becomes leaky.
If this is your first time, you might jump out of your car and go to the superstore to grab a couple of rolls of whatever you can pull apart with a serrated cutter, then call it a day. Those are the classic mistakes made by newbies.
Does all tape have the same qualities?
Take a second look. Tape used to seal moving boxes should be labeled “moving” or “storage,” have a clear acrylic adhesive, and be marked accordingly.
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Comparison Of Shipping Tapes And Packing Tapes
Although they may look alike, packing tape and plastic shipping tape are two different things.
It is necessary to tape up boxes that are not too heavy with shipping tape to be lighter and thinner. It’s possible to handle shipping tape well, but it may not be able to stand up to long-term storage.
In addition, Tape enables it to withstand dishwashers, freezers, and refrigerators for up to a decade without cracking. You should use athletic tape to order packing supplies to wrap boxes.
The term packaging tape can be applied to shipping and packing tape, making things even more confusing. Be sure not to purchase any packing tape unless it is specifically labeled to use with moving or storage boxes.
What Tape Is Best For Moving Boxes
You will need a firm, sticky, and reliable tape for shipping boxes across town or the country. You should avoid storing your boxes in storage for long periods.
Moves and short-term storage are made easier with Scotch Tough Grip Moving Packaging Tape:
Packaging clear tape and providing a good grip on all types of cardboard delivers a maximum weight holding capacity of 80 pounds per box.
Storage Box Tape That Works Best
Scotch Long Lasting Storage Packaging Tape is a good choice if boxes need wrapping for long-term storage. In addition to the higher price a roll carries, it will also keep your packages sealed for years despite extreme temperature swings.
Packing tape: How to choose the right kind for moving and storage
Because self-adhesives used for shipping and moving can be challenging to distinguish from the tape used for storage, it’s easy for newbies to mix them up.
Do you know what that difference means?
The shipping tape uses hotmelt adhesive, designed to hold packages together when handled irregularly and repeatedly; storage tape, on the other hand, is coated with acrylic adhesive, which can withstand extremely high temperatures and low temperatures for as long as a decade.
The difference between shipping tape and acrylic storage tape may be hard to notice. However, you can usually hear the difference as shipping tapes tend to crackle a lot after being dispersed.
Braunschweig says that Scotch Shipping & Moving tapes have rigorous hot-melt chemistries that have high strength and durability. We recommend using our Scotch Moving & Storage Acrylic Tape when storing something or for carton packaging material storage in the basement or storage unit.
Reading online reviews and taking the time to learn about your tape options can help you make the right choice. It boils down to three factors when looking for the best moving tape:
An Adhesive Bond
Its stickiness measures a tape’s adhesiveness. Moving sticky boxes are ideal for carrying heavy loads and keeping items safe in storage for a long time.
- What is the adhesion of the tape to the materials to be secured?
- Can it be repositioned easily?
- How will the product perform under extreme humidity and temperature conditions during storage?
- What is the tape back’s “release coating” for preventing the tape from irritatingly rebonding to the roll?
Assertiveness
As far as box weight is concerned, a tape’s millimeter (or “mil’) thickness, color, and sticking power, as well as its backing material, will determine how much it can carry. Tensile strength measures how much weight the tape can take without breaking.
- Tensile strength should be at least 20 pounds in quality packaging tape.
- Tapes can range thickness from 1.9 mils for a thin tape to 3.1 mils for more durable tapes.
- Using a thicker tape is probably better for heavy boxes; using a thinner tape is better for lighter ones.
- The cost of thicker moving tape (under $4) for a 38-yard roll of 1.88-inch tapes is moderate, while the cost of thinner, 55-yard tapes is lesser (under $3).
- Additionally to Scotch, there are other major brands such as Duck, Tape King, and U-Haul.
Ease of use
If you want your tape to stay fixed to the roll, you shouldn’t have to fight it or waste time getting it to re-bond. Look for clear packing tape that is compatible with a handheld tape dispenser for ecommerce box packaging. When packing your boxes, a dispenser will save you the time and effort of putting them together.