Glossary term
Seam tape
Also known as: Seam-sealing tape
A thin, heat-activated laminate strip bonded over sewn seams to restore the waterproof barrier lost to stitching.
Definition
Seam tape is a secondary-process laminate — typically a thermoplastic polyurethane film with an adhesive backing — applied over the inside face of sewn seams in waterproof-breathable garments.
Its job is to cover the stitch-holes a sewing needle puts through the membrane, restoring barrier integrity. The process adds labour, weight, bulk and a recurring failure mode as the tape lifts over the garment's lifetime.
Why it matters to DSEAMS
DSEAMS' Cohesive CIBS and Liquants AES technologies replace seam tape entirely with bonded, fused seams — eliminating the patch-up process and the failure mode it introduces.
Related terms
- Seam sealingThe post-sewing process of restoring waterproof barrier performance at seams, usually by applying seam tape.
- Bonded seamA seam produced by adhesively joining two fabric surfaces without sewing — eliminating needle punctures through the membrane.
- Hydrostatic headA laboratory measure of how much water pressure a waterproof fabric can hold back before leaking through, expressed in millimetres of water column.
- Waterproof-breathableA fabric construction that blocks liquid water from entering while allowing water vapour to pass through — enabling sweat to escape from a sealed garment.
DSEAMS technologies