I’ve seen them corrode in damp basements, especially if you’re anywhere near salt or chemicals.
Yeah, I’ve had the same thing happen—aluminum tags looked great for about a year, then started pitting and turning weird colors. My basement’s basically a humidity festival, so plastic labels on zip ties have actually outlasted everything else. Not as “official” looking, but at least I can still read them. Honestly, nothing survives the basement forever... except maybe that one spider colony behind the water heater.
Plastic zip ties are underrated, honestly. I’ve seen metal tags just crumble after a couple years in damp spots, especially if there’s any road salt tracked in. Have you tried any of those laminated labels? I’ve had mixed luck—sometimes they peel, sometimes they stick for ages. Curious if anyone’s found a “set it and forget it” solution for labeling pipes in basements that stay damp year-round.
Honestly, I’ve had plastic zip ties snap on me after a year or two in a damp basement. Maybe it’s the cheap ones, but I don’t totally trust them long-term. I tried those paint-pen markers directly on the pipes and it’s held up better than any label so far... not the prettiest, but it works.
Paint pens are underrated for this kind of thing. I’ve seen zip ties fail too, especially the cheap nylon ones—they get brittle fast in damp spots. I usually go with stainless steel cable ties if I need something to last, but marking pipes directly is just simpler sometimes.
I tried using zip ties to label my hot and cold water lines in the basement last year—thought it’d be a quick fix. A few months later, I found half of them on the floor, snapped right where the condensation dripped down. Guess the humidity was too much for the cheap ones. Ended up switching to those stainless cable ties like you mentioned, but honestly, they’re a pain to cut off if you ever need to swap something out.
Paint pens are a neat idea, though. Here’s what worked for me: wipe down the pipe with a rag (especially if it’s dusty or damp), let it dry, then use a paint pen to write directly on the metal or PVC. I usually add arrows for flow direction and jot down what the pipe’s for. It’s held up better than any tag so far, even in the crawlspace where it gets pretty gross.
I do wonder if there’s a downside to marking pipes directly—like, does it ever get confusing if you have to repaint or replace a section? But for now, it’s been way less hassle than dealing with brittle plastic ties.
