Need Help Double sided foam tape with plastic backer?

[Jake - Advantage Signs]

Good afternoon Signs101!

We use an inexpensive double sided foam tape for lightweight signs and letters, but the stuff I buy right now has a paper backer and one of my installers is always complaining about the backer tearing during installs. I see his point, but I just can't find something to replace it that has a plastic release. The tape I buy currently I buy for $14 for 1"x36yard roll. That's pretty hard to beat, but I would definitely be willing to spend more if it makes installs that much easier.


My installer had a roll from his last job that has a blue backer. I found this site, and I'll be damned if that isn't the blue plastic release shown in the thumbnail, but I'm hoping to buy through one of my regular vendors - Grimco, Fellers, Uline, or Grainger.

Any recommendations?

TIA!

 

[WYLDGFI]

Harbor Supply in Maryland has a house brand of foam tape we use. Works well and has a plastic backer.

 

[Gino]

Chemical Concepts. 267-684-1938

 

[Lance]

"one of my installers is always complaining"........
Maybe he's doing it wrong ?
Are others happy enough with the paper backed tape ?

 

[ChaseO]

What I usually find is that the paper tears the most on rolls that have been slit down, which almost all of them have. I had a roll the other day come through the shop with blue plastic and it an Orafol product, but I'm not sure which series it is. Most of the plastic backers are your higher end VHB or UHB tapes, but this roll seems to be normal D/S foam tape, so I'm sure price is on par with what you are looking for. .

 

[Z SIGNS]

If I was your installer I would be complaining too.
Some of those cheap tapes are a pain to work with.
I would recommend 3m stuff.

 

[Tessellate]

I’m on board with your installer. We use a Canadian suppler in our shop and for less then 20 Canuck a stan loonies we get 3/4” VHB that has the same lb/sq in as 3m grey VHB. They also offer it in optically clear when we do glass mounts.

For the exact reason he complains about we have gone to solely poly backed tape. When do a lot of surface mount dimensional letters and when picking off 100+ 1-4” pieces of tape on site on the backs of letters - it’s well worth it.