When one goes shopping, so to speak, for pavement marking tape, one usually looks for material that is strong enough to remain on the road indefinitely, or at least for a projected period of useful life without wearing away, shrinking or otherwise deteriorating. This is understandable for conventional road marking, but there are circumstances where this level of permanence may not be the best solution. For instance, some paths on a highway may be redirected while a section of the concrete is repaired or replaced. This situation necessitates that one use a material that will perform adequately for the duration of the temporary event, and then be removed with relative ease afterwards. Paint would be a poor choice for this function, not only because of its basic inferiority and susceptibility to damage compared to high-grade pavement tape, but also because it would be quite difficult to remove, requiring the use of paint thinner or scrapping methods to make sure that no trace of the paint is left behind. One must also consider that many roads use permanent marking tape already designed to design lanes, and the tape does not lend itself lightly to being painted over. Neither can more of the same tape be used efficiently, for obvious reasons.
Fortunately, the manufacturers of highway tape also produce and distribute series of temporary pavement marking tapes to respond to this need. Appropriately called construction tape to mark fixed-term construction projects, these tapes have a useful life of up to one year, without compromising many of the qualities that are found in tapes of higher quality. The reflectiveness rating of standard yellow and white removable tapes is as satisfactory as with the permanent tape products, since visibility regardless of time or weather is still a premium factor, and more so in the case of temporary tapes, because they typically delineate areas that vehicles can not cross. The exception is in the case of temporary tapes whose purpose is to hide existing permanent lines for the duration, which are normally colored black and are intentally non-reflective so as not to confuse drivers. In either case, the primary attribute of these tapes is their removal, and they can be lifted from asphalt or concrete, either in large strips or wholly intact, at ambient temperatures above 40 degrees F (5 degrees C) without using removal methods like solvents , grinding, blasting or heat application. This is due to the interweaving fabric in the adhesive, which keeps it from collapsing or falling apart when it is peeled away.
Clearly, the temporary nature of the marking tape does not prevent it from functioning optimally within reasonable parameters. The durable polymer that contractors permanent tape is also used here, only in thinner quantities. Some brands of removable tape are even outfitted with anti-skid particles that reinforce them against wear caused by vehicles and weather. Simply put, the best classes of removable tape will only come off when you desire, and will perform adequately like permanent tape until they have served their function.