Something Broken? A Little Tape Should Fix That Right Up

What in the world did we do before the invention of tape? Duct tape, masking tape, scotch tape, packing tape — I could go on. So many different kinds of tape to accomplish so many different handy tasks.

And wouldn’t it be great if more of the things that go wrong around the house could be fixed by tape? Because that seems to be the thing people go for in a pinch. Leaky faucet? Grab some tape. Loose fixture? Tighten it with tape. Cracked frame? Tape.

Observation would seem to indicate that while not every homeowner has (or knows how to use) tools, everyone seems to have tape.

Evidence of Previous Foundation Repair

LOL. It’s tape. On a crack.

Gas Venting

Did they update the codes for gas venting again? No? Yeah, painter’s tape isn’t going to work.

The gas flue coming from the water heater needs “clearance to combustibles” because it gets very hot, and even though they used A LOT of tape, that is not going to cut it. You need a non-flammable barrier between the vent and the wall.

A Really Full Bath?

Not sure what the goal was here other than to block the emergency drain. It seems to have worked well over time given the state of the tape. Almost wish they’d had the roll handy so you’d know what kind of tape that was, because it must be really good tape.

Anywho — whatever is going on here, it seems like you’d go ahead and remove that on inspection day when you’re trying to sell the house, no? (And maybe use some Scrubbing Bubbles on that mildew while you’re at it. 🤢)

Wrong Kind of Tape!

What’s with the painter’s tape? It’s true though, isn’t it? You can ALWAYS only find the painter’s tape when you need duct tape, am I right? (And masking tape when you’re trying to wrap a present)

But here, when you’re literally taping a DUCT, take the extra time to find the duct tape. And what happened? Did the ice cream truck come by in the middle of taping up the gap? It’s halfway taped, and they just left suddenly. So many questions …

No!

Speaking of questions, here we have a lot of mixed messages. We have a garage door opener with the word “No!” written next to it, and then scratched out. Underneath that is a switch that has been covered with tape.

Is the “No!” for the switch or the opener? Is it crossed out because it’s ok now? If so, why the tape? Are both the open and the switch bad? What happens when you press/switch them???

Pro-Tip

If you are putting your house on the market and you have tape on ANYTHING, you should go ahead and fix that before you list it. Unless it’s a teardown, they’re probably going to make you do it later anyway, and if it’s after the inspection you’ll have to provide receipts from a licensed vendor.

Plus, believe it or not, having tape on things in your house tends to devalue it in potential buyers’ eyes. That last part is just an opinion, but we think our Realtor friends would agree.