Duct tape, also called cloth tape, is a long-lasting adhesive tape that can be easily torn by hand.
It’s suitable for indoor and outdoor use thanks to its strength and water resistance. It’s available in various widths, lengths, and colors – with the most common colors being black, silver, and clear. There’s even duct tape that glows in the dark, which is useful for crafts, Halloween decorations, or locating items in dark settings. As well as this, there’s double-sided duct tape which is coated in adhesive on both sides. This is ideal for sticking two objects or surfaces together without making holes or the tape visible.
It was originally called duck tape because during World War II the US military needed a waterproof tape to keep moisture out of ammunition cases. Johnson & Johnson manufactured the tape and, because of its water resistance which emulates water off a duck’s back, it was referred to as ‘duck’ tape.
After the war, it was realised that duct tape is great for sealing joints in heating and air conditioning duct work. That’s when the colour changed from army green to the silver colour most commonly produced today.
Duct tape has now become multipurpose and is used for general sealing, patching holes, packing boxes and repairs. Some duct tape can also stick to rough and uneven indoor and outdoor surfaces such as wood, stone, plaster, brick and metal.
As well as these common uses, there are some other interesting applications for duct tape – some of these are listed below: