Masking Tape – A Domestic Goddess’ Best Friend! A Terrorists Worst Enemy?
Written: Feb 13 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy to use, rips evenly, great sticking power, tons of uses.
Cons: A little on the noisy side, ends need high pressure when used for painting.
The Bottom Line: Masking tape. Much like peroxide, baking soda and cotton balls, is the type of item that never gets the real recognition that it deserves.
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| Freak369's Full Review: MANCO INC. Manco Masking Tape |
In the world of do-it-yourself home repair, there is no tool more versatile than masking tape. Sure, hammers, double sides screwdrivers, electric nail guns and the coveted Dremel are all great choices, but I dare you to find a product that can be used in every room of the house, costs about $2.00 [or less] and is kid safe. Masking tape is something that gets used from time to time and tossed in a drawer or tool box and never thought about again until its needed. Hopefully this review will give you some new uses for this product as well as how it can replace some of the more expensive home repair items that people purchase because someone with an orange vest tells them “it is a must have”.
But What Is Masking Tape?
Masking tape is a rubber-based adhesive material affixed to one side of a flexible paper that comes in various lengths and widths. Invented in the mid 20’s but not made available to the public until about twenty years later, masking tape is a distant relative to sand paper. Sand paper?. Yes, sand paper. Take away the ‘sand’ from sand paper and you have masking tape – a crude form of it but nonetheless a working form of it. Starting out as a basic light brown, highly efficient temporary tape it has evolved over the past ten years. Available in a bounty of colors and finishes, it really does put the fun into functional. It was created for use when auto detailers were looking for something to protect painted surfaces from over-spraying and when details were painted on by hand.
Uses
Since the Manco line of masking tape is available in so many different widths the uses are pretty much unlimited. This works great if you need to protect sections of a wall or window frame prior to painting however the ends of the tape really need to be pressed firmly to prevent paint from seeping under the edge. I like to use a plastic grout trowel and work from the inside of the frame or wall to the outside. This might make cleaning up a little harder so make sure that you are prepared for a little extra work when removing the tape. This is also great for covering baseboards when painting or touching up a wall. This allows you to get right up to the edge and end up with a nice sharp line. Since the adhesive of the tape is rubber based always do a small test of the surface before you start a project.
Masking tape can also be used for packing purposes as well as for shipping boxes or parcels. This is an inexpensive alternative to the clear packing tape that can set you back about $3.00 a roll for the run of the mill strength and size. I’ve used Manco masking tape to seal up boxes that were transported back and forth from my house to the storage unit we rent and it help up perfectly. Much like a Band-Aid, once you peel it off it never really has the same holding power when you go to reseal it so make sure that you have plenty on hand if you are moving or packing up boxes for the holiday season. And speaking of the holiday season – masking tape is great for using to hang up greeting cards, strings of lights and decorations. Sure, making tape is kind of trashy looking so make sure you apply it to the backs of the items so it’s out of sight.
Outside of the household area, this is a great item for kids to play with. Let them make mini mosaics by ripping pieces of masking tape and applying it to paper. They can color in the individual pieces and make their own creations. Masking tape is easier for kids to work with since they can rip it with their own little hands – no sharp and dangerous scissors or metal cutting edges needed. The larger rolls [2 inches wide and larger] are great for last minute lint-picker-uppers. Rip off a five to six inch piece, connect the ends [adhesive side out] and slip your hand through the hole – run it over your clothing to remove lint, pet fur or any other unwanted items and pitch it in the trash.
The strangest thing I have ever used the Manco masking tape for was when we had a treasure hunt in the house. I was able to make large “X”s all over the place with the masking tape and then go over them with black electrical tape. I experimented with the black electrical tape and found that if left on for more than a few hours it left a tack behind that was a little on the hard side to remove. I was able to whip out about 20 “X”s in about an hour and placed them on the linoleum floor, kitchen cabinets, wooden doors and bathroom tile with no problem. Clean up was simple – pull up an edge and rip it off. This is one of the biggest benefits of using masking tape for projects or adventures – it won’t hurt kids skin like stronger adhesive tapes, is easy to work with and leaves no residual tack.
Things To Know
Masking tape is available in a multitude of sizes, colors, widths and grades. If you have a specific need for it chances are your friendly clerks at the hardware store can help you in picking out the correct style for your project. Since the tape is waterproof for a certain amount of time [all depending on the grade] this is great for masking off areas for painting, touch ups and general repairs. If you are planning on using this for exterior uses you might be a little disappointed by some styles. If it is going to be exposed to direct sunlight or rain, I suggest going with something stronger like a duct tape or a product specific type of tape.
The one inch wide and one and a hlf inch wide sizes are the best to have on hand for general day-to-day uses – not to small, not to large. Sizes range from one half inch to a massive five inches wide and colors include the basic light tan color to creative primary colors, pastels and neon. I try to only purchase masking tape from a store that has a lot of traffic and has a good reputation for rotating their stock on a regular basis. Masking tape doesn’t come with an expiration date so you never know how long its been sitting on the shelf. Most of the time the rolls of tape come packaged with a plastic over wrap, don’t be fooled by this, its there just to identify the product, the UPC code and any specifics about it. The plastic won’t protect it from drying out or becoming brittle – so you are kind of playing a game of masking tape roulette.
Masking Tape Fights Terrorism?
With all the recent publicity about duct tape, plastic sheeting and protecting your home against bio-terrorism, I wanted to go over some of the helpful things you can do with masking tape in case [God forbid] the need arises. Since masking tape isn’t as sturdy as duct tape, sealing off windows with this isn’t really an option. Same with using this for on the fly pipe repairs – it simply won’t hold up. Even though masking tape isn’t as strong as duct or electrical tape – it is still a necessity when compiling a kit for emergencies. It gives you the ability to repair something quickly without the need to scissors. I’ve seen this used on the inside of windows in a criss-cross fashion to protect against glass blowouts during storms. While it won’t protect the glass from getting broken, it makes clean up a lot easier. Not a comfort to those in crisis situations, but every little bit helps. Never use masking tape to try and repair anything electrical – such as wrapping damaged power cords or AC adapters. These types of repairs should only be tackled by electrical tape.
Masking tape can be used for identifying items that have been bagged [flour, sugar, baking soda etc] since you can simply peel off the tape and apply another one. Besides you run the risk of tearing the bags if you are using a metal tipped marker or ballpoint pen. Bagging items in case of an emergency protects them against water and makes transporting them easier. Masking tape can also be used as a makeshift identification tool. Write pertinent information on the tape and apply it to clothing, kids or property. It can also be used to label plastic totes of clothing or food goods, marking treated and untreated water containers as well as individual drinking bottles and to mark fresh batteries.
The Bottom Line
In my book, masking tape is a great thing to have around the house. Providing that you get fresh rolls, there’s a ton of things you can do with. This is a safe alternative to using tapes that need to be cut with scissors or scotch tape that comes with the metal ripping guide. For kids projects, this is the perfect pick for just those reasons. The removable tape leaves little to no residual tack so cleaning up is as simple as it gets. Inexpensive, versatile and easy to use are just three of the many plusses to masking tape. If you have any other uses for this product, please feel free to mention them in the comment section.
To view all the great products that Manco makes, please visit their website at
www.manco.com.
As always, thanks for the visit!
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2003 Freak369
Other odd reviews …
My Friend And Yours, Hydrogen Peroxide
Oh You Little Stinker!
Recommended:
Yes
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