Repair Au Temporaire

What is this stuff? It’s tape. But, like, super strong tape. Tape that you can use to repair a hose, fix the cracked plastic undertray of a convertible, seal a greenhouse, or do any number of things that Amazon reviewers claim it’s capable of (chronicled previously here.

And yet, in the specs for this stuff, it says:

Provides a temporary water-tight seal for up to 24 hours on plastic, wood, and metal surfaces

But, according to @accumulator, this is untrue:

I have no idea why it would say that. I have used this stuff and it holds up very well to water after over a year in direct sunlight (used it to patch a hole in PVC corrugated roof sheet on a shed).

Suspicious-sounding user @Not_Bot_Not seems to agree:

I’ve used this to fix holes in my linoleum floor (temporarily) and it lasts pretty long. This tape is very thick. I’m tempted to get more.

So what’s the deal? Maybe Bell & Howell is just trying to cover their butts with that bit above? Maybe, in very extreme conditions, this stuff can’t be trusted to last more than 24 hours? It’s hard to say. But here’s what we take from it: the tape isn’t a permanent fix, and if you’re using it to hold back some ungodly onslaught of wind or water, well, it might be able to do that, but not forever.

On the other hand, what we see from accumulator and Not_Bot_Not is a great sales pitch.

In the course of your life, issues will arise. And sometimes you’ll have the will to fix them as soon as they crop up. But there are days when you don’t, days when you have to say, “Not today, Satan,” and leave that problem for a time when you’ve got a clearer head and/or schedule.

Generally, holes exempt themselves from this. If they let water or air out and/or rain in, they need to be dealt with immediately or else you risk the damage compounding. But with this tape, you can put it off for at least a little bit, giving yourself time to gather your thoughts and put forward your best effort.

So, if that sounds good, get yourself some of this tape!