Eureka moment

[Tim Lamb]

Anyone fitting PIR foam insulation will know that the aluminium foil tape used has an inbuilt determination to annoy the unwary.

Firstly the adhesive used is stronger than the foil.

Secondly, having begun life as a coil it has a readily fulfilled desire to revert, attaching to itself with a vigour not achieved with the intended target.

Thirdly, separating the foil from the protective backing at the torn edge requires the visual acuity of an eye surgeon and the manual dexterity of a watch mender.

Yesterday, at a moment of serendipity, I allowed the separating paper to remain long from the previous run and not torn off with the foil. Starting the next run was easy because the short stub of foil was ready for attachment with the paper retained over the roll top under the spare hand. Rolling out along the joint line is easy because there is a hand free to manage the waste paper.....

[Andy Burns]

I've only used it in about 2m strips, so didn't really encounter the problems you mention, but I shall try to remember for future use, of course you always seem to have cut your fingernails very short just before the jobs that need them for peeling off backings.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Tip for peeling off the backing - bend a corner back on itself. The foil stays bent, but the backing tends to spring back straight, separating from the backing. Needs to be a small piece bent back though, like 1-2mm, which you do by dragging a fingertip backwards across the corner.

Don't peel the backing off long lengths and then attempt to move it in to position. Pull the backing off as you stick it down.

It sticks well to hot surfaces too. Had a couple of DS18B20 temperature sensors stuck to top and bottom of a hot water cylinder as part of raspberry pi based boiler control for several years in a relative's house. When I removed them a couple of weeks ago (cyclinder being stripped out), they were still stuck rock-solid.