Those home repair emergencies can be a total pain. Leaky pipes, exposed wire rods, a cracked skylight – all of these minor damages can be a major inconvenience. But sometimes, you don’t really have to call in a pro to get things patched up. There are some great do-it-yourself solutions out there that require minimal time and skill.
For leaky problems or patch-up jobs that might be exposed to moisture and rain, you’ll need a waterproof tape to seal that sucker up. Designed to provide extra cling, these tapes can help repair and even reinforce some of the stuff that might be broken in and around your home. Creating a super strong bond, waterproof tapes can survive for years, saving you time and money as well as extending the life of a few pipes here and there.
Best Waterproof Tapes
Proxicast Pro-Grade Extra Strong Weatherproof Self-Fusing Sealing Tape
When you first give it a touch, you might think the Proxicast Pro-Grade Self-Fusing Sealing Tap is nothing but hype. The lack of an adhesive surface similar to most tapes makes it seem like a poor choice for leaky pipes or a punctured garden hose. But the beauty of the Proxicast tape is that it’s self-fusing. That is – it won’t adhere to anything but itself. But when it does make contact with its own silicone surface, it creates an airtight seal that compresses around your repair.
The ultra-efficient tape repairs pipes, wires, hoses and everything else that you can wrap it around to create a waterproof, airtight seal that can last a pretty long time. To activate the silicone, give the tape a good stretch and then wrap it around your repair until it loops back on itself. When that happens, the silicone will cling to itself, compress, and apply pressure. This secure bond doesn’t only cover up the hole, but also tightens your pipe, wire, or hose so that it brings the edges of the crack together.
Keep in mind though, unless your repair requires that you wrap the tape around, the Proxicast won’t work. It needs to make contact with its own surface in order to stick, so flat surfaces like cracks on an aquarium can’t be fixed with this sort of tape.
Gaffer Power PowerSteel Heavy Duty Duct Tape
Not your ordinary duct tape, the Gaffer Power PowerSteel Heavy Duty Duct Tape was designed for everything from residential applications, to commercial repairs, and even industrial needs. The PowerSteel was intended to be a permanent solution to most minor problems, allowing easy, effortless, and affordable repairs in and around your home or anywhere else.
The tape is made with an extra thick layer of fabric that’s coated with a polyethylene film. Along the back, the tape uses an ultra-strong adhesive bringing the total thickness of the tape to a whopping 17 mm. But despite its relative thickness, the PowerSteel tape is impressively flexible, making it a good choice for repairs that might work better with a little movement, like garden hoses.
Keeping a Gaffer Power PowerSteel Heavy Duty Duct Tape roll in the trunk of your car or in a home-office drawer can be a great way to perform necessary repairs anytime, anywhere. It’s easy-tear design means you can rip off a piece even without a pair of scissors, perfect for those quick repairs.
Flex Tape Rubberized Waterproof Tape
This As Seen On TV product has gained quite a lot of popularity for a few good reasons. First off, this heavy-duty waterproof tape can repair virtually anything, working on leaky pipes, broken tiles, punctured garden hoses, and more. Secondly, the tape also lets you repair things around your home with minimal prep – no need to dry any surfaces, this stuff sticks even if you’re applying it underwater.
Another thing you might appreciate with Flex Tape is that it bends and flexes during application. This reduces the tensile forces of the tape, letting it stick more securely regardless of the shape of the surface you’re sticking it to. Its thick rubberized backing is exceptionally strong, providing great reinforcement to keep your repair intact and operational for a few extra years.
It helps to mention though that Flex Tape doesn’t joke around. The ultra-sticky adhesive will cling immediately to a surface as soon as it makes contact. So, you need to be sure where you’re sticking it because once it’s on, there’s no moving, adjusting, or flatting out any air bubbles. Make sure you practice on a dummy piece first to get your technique right and get the job done as properly as possible.
Caulk Strip Adhesive Waterproof Repair Tape
The Caulk Strip is a unique kind of waterproof tape that can accommodate minor repairs and a few other household improvements. Often, this tape is preferred by homeowners who want to maintain the aesthetic of their interior thanks to its clear backing that makes it practically invisible.
Aside from your typical piping, hosing, and similar repairs, the Caulk Strip can also help prevent mold and mildew. Placing the tape on little nooks and crannies like the edge where your toilet meets the floor, or a crack in your kitchen tiles where moisture might seep through gives you the opportunity to prevent lots of different contaminants from thriving.
Long-lasting and durable, this tape has a highly polished exterior surface that’s smooth and easy to clean. So, once it starts to darken or stain due to moisture exposure, simply wipe it down to get it back to its original clean, clear appearance.
ProTapes Pro Flex All Weather Patch and Shield Repair Tape
Don’t let its unassuming appearance fool you. This seemingly simple tape looks a lot like your run-of-the-mill masking tape, but it features an extra durable backing that’s equally flexible to let you patch up holes or damage on curved or irregularly shaped objects around your home. The high-quality adhesive clings permanently, creating a solid seal to prevent air, moisture, and water from seeping out – or inside – of your repair.
The all-weather tape can perform all the typical repairs you would expect to patch up with similar tapes but goes the extra mile by letting you apply the tape even on below grade concrete wall penetrations for water. This should let you eliminate water from seeping into concrete from the soil, strengthening your foundation and reducing the risk of water damage over time. Aside from that, this impressive tape also lets you repair RVs, rail cars, garden sheds, tarpaulins, and really anything that you think you might be able to repair with a durable piece of tape.
Rescue Tape Self-Fusing Silicone Waterproof Tape
The company behind Rescue Tape is pretty bold to say that their tape is a permanent fix to a number of solutions. But with its incredibly effective design, it’s not really hard to believe. Plus, claiming to be the only tape included in the USA Military’s Battle Damage and Assessment Repair Kit, Rescue Tape’s claims aren’t so far-fetched.
Just like the Proxicast, Rescue Tape works with a self-binding silicone. That means that the tape will only adhere to itself. Using it entails stretching the strip and wrapping it around your repair. This constricts the object as the tape binds to the crack or hole to keep an airtight seal around it. Once it’s stuck to itself, there really is no going back. The tape was designed as permanent solution, so you won’t really need to worry about it losing its cling or unraveling over time.
Another impressive thing about Rescue Tape is that it continues to strengthen its bond over time. So, as the years roll on, you can depend that your repair will become even more durable as opposed to certain tapes that might lose their effect after a few years’ time.
Gorilla Waterproof Patch and Seal Tape
Careful not to get your fingers on the adhesive – the Gorilla Waterproof Patch and Seal Tape means business. This ultra-heavy-duty tape features one of the strongest adhesives on our list, making it a suitable choice for those more complicated home repairs. The design features a flexible yet durable exterior backing that lets you bend and curve the tape to really secure your repair, no matter its shape. The tape also resists UV exposure, so you can feel assured that your tape won’t lose its adhesion over time.
Perhaps the only challenge with this pick from Gorilla is the ultra-strong adhesive that might make it a challenge to apply. So, to prevent any mishaps, consider exposing just a small amount of the adhesive and sticking it onto your chosen surface. As you flatten it out and secure the cling, then pull back a few more inches of the tape and do the same. Keep doing this until you finish your patch up, then cut the tape to finish the repair.
XFasten Fiberglass Waterproofing Anti-Fracture Membrane Fabric Tape
If you’re interested in personally patching up a kitchen or bathroom problem, then XFasten might be your best friend. This incredibly flexible waterproofing tape was designed for one thing – to keep moisture out of places where you don’t want it. Resembling a roll of tissue paper, this fiberglass fabric tape makes an incredibly long-lasting solution, lasting up to 40 years after you install it.
Maybe you’ve handled a fiberglass tape before and decided that you’d never do it again. Some of these tapes tend to be too thick and difficult to work with, preventing you from achieving the seamless outcomes you were hoping for. But with the XFasten tape, that ceases to be a problem. The product boasts an impressively thin and workable density, letting you easily cut through the sheet to get just enough length for your purpose. It also adheres securely to your surface, leaving no room for air bubbles or other elements that could dampen the bond.
Long lasting, easy to manage, and effective at keeping out moisture and water, the XFasten roll can help you waterproof your shower, backsplash, your bathroom tiles and more with little fuss and effort.
Incly Seal Repair Tape
If you’re face to face with an outdoor job that might require a special kind of tape, maybe you might want to give Incly a try. This tape uses a strong backing that is impervious to punctures and tears, making it ideal for the unforgiving conditions it might encounter outdoors. The tape was specially designed to work on uneven, often dirty surfaces like wood, concrete, metals, brick, stone, and roofing.
To ensure a proper seal, you might have to prep the surface you’re working on. That involves cleaning it and dry it out to maximize the cling of the tape. Once that’s done, take the strip and lay it down starting at one end, pressing it down on the surface with the included rubber roller. After that, your repair should be pretty much complete, possibly lasting decades before the need for another patch up job.
Solution Nerd Clingy Tape Waterproofing Repair Tape
If you’re a first time DIY-er then you might be feeling a little extra apprehensive about patching up that pipe. Sure enough, some of the more heavy-duty tapes on the list might even seem daunting, despite requiring minimal effort and skill. For those newbies to home improvement and repair, Solution Nerd’s Clingy Tape might be a good choice.
With two extra-long rolls of waterproofing repair tape, this instant leak solution gives you a lot of material to work with, so you can keep on practicing until you feel confident in your technique. Included with the package, is a dummy box that you can use to practice your taping skills and get the hang of the product before you take to your actual repair.
And if all else fails – don’t sweat it. The package also includes some really clear instructions gives you a complete and detailed step-by-step so you can take the leap and try your first ever patch up job.
3M Extreme Sealing Tape
Count on 3M to come up with their own sealing and repair tape to complete their range of adhesive materials. Their Extreme Sealing Tape is a favorite for repairs not only because of its effective adhesion, but also for its durability. The tape can be a permanent solution to a host of household issues, including leaky pipes, roofing, and hoses, exposed wires and more.
Another thing that sets this tape apart from the rest is that its clean translucent backing can also be painted over. So, if you’re not keen on having your patch up job look too obvious, then using the 3M Extreme Sealing Tape might be a better solution. Just slap on a strip and paint over it to keep it hidden and to maintain the aesthetic of your repair.
