Cause and Effect -- Duct Tape Is Not For Fastening Ducts

Duct tape must be one of the most misnamed products that there is anywhere. Fact is, one of the worst things you can do with it is to tape ducts of any type, from furnace ducts to exhaust ducts on the bath fan. Heck, you are better off repairing your shoes with it, the old camping water bottle or maybe using it to repair the trailer hitch -- just kidding there.

As an inspector, we see lots of ducts that are held together with duct tape.  

That is one side of the coin, the other side is the duct taped ducts that we see that did not stand the test of time.

The photo above, which is very common when duct tape is used, gives a great example of why using duct tape to secure ducts is a no no. Various connectors for securing the different types of ducts are available at hardware stores and going that route is certainly the better option.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith