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Duct Tape vs Electrical Tape: What’s the Difference?

Duct Tape vs Electrical Tape

Duct Tape vs Electrical Tape

Duct tape and electrical tape are common items in most households. They are inexpensive and versatile enough for many jobs, but they are also very different, and it’s easy to get confused about the best time to use each one. We will discuss each one and show you when to use them. Keep reading while we look at the materials, adhesive, size, durability, and more to help keep you informed.divider 4

Overview of Duct Tape:

tape-pixabay
Credit: kerttu, Pixabay

What Is It?

Duct tape has a cloth or scrim backing coated with polyethylene and a sticky rubber-based adhesive. It was initially used for sealing heating and cooling ducts, hence the name and gray color, because of its firm hold, durability, and resistance to hot and cold temperatures. Professionals now use foil tape for sealing heating and cooling ducts, but duct tape remains more popular than ever.

Many people confuse duct tape with duck tape, which is either a brand of duct tape or refers to an old tape that used duck cloth in its construction. It’s also confused with gaffer tape, another cloth-based tape commonly used in theater for its ability to be removed without leaving residue.

What It’s Good for

Duct tape has a wide range of uses and is one of the best all-purpose tapes you can buy since it sticks to nearly anything. It’s durable and strong enough to use for any task. It will also hold pottery together, repair torn book bindings, hold fabric together, create a washable waterproof surface, and more. Creative people even make jackets and wallets out of duct tape.

The downside to duct tape is that the adhesive is left behind when you remove the tape, leading to quite a mess. This residue makes it unsuitable for many uses where it would interfere or ruin what’s underneath. You should not use duct tape on your body because it will pull out your hair and could tear your skin.

Pros

  • Many uses
  • Strong and durable
  • Waterproof
  • Suitable for high and low temperatures
Cons
  • Leaves residue
  • Not suitable for skin

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Overview of Electrical Tape:

connection-electric-tape-pixabay
Credit: papazachariasa, Pixabay

What Is It?

Electrical tape has a nylon backing that stretches and prevents the transmission of an electric current. It’s often called insulating tape since its primary purpose is insulating electrical wires. The most common color is black; the other colors indicate voltage level and wire phases for complex electrical systems. It’s black because that’s the color most resistant to ultraviolet light.

What It’s Good For

You usually use electrical tape to cover electrical connections and solder joints. The vinyl backing doesn’t conduct electricity, so you won’t get shocked when handling components wrapped with it. Electrical tape will stick to many surfaces, and you can use it anywhere you would use any other tape.

Electrical tape is relatively thin and won’t make good packing tape. The thick nylon doesn’t degrade, so it’s not environmentally friendly. It also leaves adhesive behind when you remove it.

Pros

  • Sticks to most surfaces
  • Prevents electrical shock
  • Waterproof
  • UV resistant
  • Color-coded
Cons
  • Not environmentally friendly
  • Leaves residue behind

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Quality Comparisons:

office-supplies-pixabay
Credit: Free-Photos, Pixabay

Adhesive

Both duct tape and electrical tape have a strong adhesive that will stick to almost every surface. However, duct tape adhesive is much stronger, made of rubber, and can pull out hair or tear the skin. Electrical tape adhesive is also rubber-based, but it’s not as thick.

Elasticity

Electrical tape is much more elastic than duct tape. Its elasticity allows for pulling it tightly against the connections so the tape can adhere to the surface, which creates a tight bond and prevents air from reaching it. Electrical tape is not suitable for holding materials together and will stretch. Duct tape is the preferred choice when you need to hold items together. It will not stretch and is durable enough to keep them together for a long time.

Durability

The electrical tape uses highly durable nylon that can last many years. In addition, wires and other electrical components you will use the tape on are often hidden away, so there is less risk of damage. The black color is resistant to ultraviolet light, and you can use it in exterior locations, like electrical boxes and antennae.

Duct tape is also incredibly durable, and its cloth or scrim backing will prevent it from stretching or tearing. It’s not as resistant to ultraviolet light as electrical tape, but it can survive higher temperatures, and you can use it underwater.

When to Use Duct Tape

  • Sealing air ducts
  • Packing
  • Underwater
  • High temperatures
  • When you need a long-lasting bond
When to Use Electrical Tape
  • Sealing exposed wires
  • Tidying loose wires
  • Decoration
  • Labeling
  • To mark electrical lines

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Conclusion

If you could only get one kind of tape, we highly recommend duct tape. It’s more practical, can be cut to any size, and sticks to almost anything. You can find modern duct tape in a wide range of colors and decorative patterns. Electrical tape is also inexpensive and available in many colors, but the adhesive doesn’t last as long.

It doesn’t stick to some surfaces as well as duct tape, especially ones that are dirty or corroded, and it’s much less effective in cold weather. Both have countless uses around the home, so keep a roll of each on hand if you can. We hope you have enjoyed reading over this comparison and learned more about both tapes. If we have helped answer your questions so you can pick what kind you need, please share this comparison between duct tape and electrical tape on Facebook and Twitter.


Featured Image Credit: Pixabay, Commons Wikimedia

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