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Four Reasons You Shouldn't Use Duct Tape for Tarp Repairs

17 February 2016

Amaury Picard

If you own a tarp and it rips, it may be tempting to just grab a roll of duct tape and try to fix it. However, that is not the best idea. Instead, you should use specialist tarp repair products like tarp repair tape, vinyl cement and others. Here is a look at some reasons you should not repair a tarp with duct tape.

1. Duct tape may leave residue.

If you temporarily repair the rip in your tarp with duct tape, the tape may leave a sticky residue when you remove it. When you apply the tarp repair tape or vinyl cement to the tarp, the residue from the duct tape may make it impossible for these products to adhere correctly. Instead, you should leave the area around the rip as clean as possible so that your repair product can bond properly.

2. Tarp repair tape is designed specifically for tarps.

While duct tape can be incredibly useful, it is simply not the specialist product you need if your tarp is ripped. Instead, you need a product that is designed to emulate the strengths of your tarp. For example, tarp repair tape is often high quality, UV-resistant, thick, woven fabric. It has a plastic backing underneath each piece, and it is designed to fill the same function as your tarp. Duct tape, unfortunately, is not designed to do that.

3. Duct tape doesn't provide the strength you need around stress points.

If the rip in your tarp is near a stress point like a grommet or a corner, in most cases, duct tape is simply not strong enough to repair it. In fact, you shouldn't use repair tape or vinyl cement in these places either. Rather, you should sew a patch to the tarp and possibly bolster the stitching around the affected area as well. If you use duct tape instead, it will likely rip when there is stress put on the grommet or corner.

4. Duct tape can get in the way of sealants.

If you have a tarp that you plan to use for years, you may decide to reseal it occasionally. There are sealants that work for a range of different types of tarps. For example, you can apply a layer of canvas preservative to your canvas tarp, or you can apply a layer of vinyl cement to your vinyl or laminated tarp. However, it's important to note that these sealants are designed to bond to the material your tarp is made out of.

As a result, they will bond to patches that are the same material as your tarp, but they won't bond to materials that are different. For example, if you have a patch made of duct tape, your sealant likely won't adhere to it, and that makes your tarp more vulnerable in that spot.

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