We wish the folks who developed duct tape had given it another name; any other name. And even though the origins of the name remain obscure (it seems it was originally called “duck tape,” possibly because it applied to duck fabric or its waterproofing capabilities), it was in the 1950s that the name developed a connection to repairing ductwork. The confusion continues to this day, so many homeowners think a few layers of store-bought gray tape will fix any breaks they discover in the network of ducts that send hot and cooled air through their home.
But… don’t use duct tape on your ducts! We can’t emphasize this enough. Duct tape has some superb uses because of its strength, powerful adhesion, flexibility, and water resistance. But fixing ducts isn’t one of them. Again: duct tape is not to be used for sealing your ducts! You need experts to perform duct sealing in Boerne, TX, like those at Cowboys Air Conditioning & Heating.
You don’t have to take our word on this: extensive tests done at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Environmental Energy Technologies Division, concluded that under normal or stressful conditions, duct tape used on ducts turns brittle and fails. The popular adhesive tape failed every test the lab put it through—often catastrophically. The state of California outright illegalizes the use of duct tape on actual ductwork, and many building codes across the U.S. also ban duct tape as a solution to ductwork problems.
Commercial duct tape comes with no safety certifications, which means you don’t know what you are purchasing. Duct tape can burn and produce toxic gasses, and that isn’t anything you want attached to something that is channeling the air you breathe!
Professional duct repair technicians sometimes use tape in their work, but it’s a specialized aluminum or metalized tape nothing like commercial duct tape. Experts tend to rely on mastic sealant, a resin-based adhesive, to perform repairs on ducts.
In our DIY age, duct tape has turned into a sort of philosopher’s stone for repairs, leading to the adage: “If anything is wrong, use duct tape!” We have a different adage: “If anything is wrong with your ducts, call professionals!” For your Boerne, TX duct sealing job, leave the roll of gray sticky tape in the drawer and call Cowboys Air Conditioning & Heating
