A thought on removing interior carpet adhesive

[cabmandone]

I've decided to tackle replacing my interior carpet in my 85. I started removing the old adhesive and couldn't find any adhesive remover that wouldn't also take up the paint. I tried using a few solvent based removers but the paint would come up with it. I then moved to some of the citrus based adhesive removers. Still softening the paint and taking some up with it. I then started cleaning up in some spots where I hadn't put any of the remover using water and a towel. I noticed the adhesive was coming up just by wiping with a wet towel. I moved to water and a semi abrasive steel wool. The paint was staying put and the adhesive was coming up.

If you're thinking of taking up your old carpet, you might want to try something like 0000 steel wool and warm water. I'm too far gone and will most likely be putting some POR 15 or some other paint to protect the metal. Maybe my accidental "discovery" can save someone some grief and keep you from breathing in fumes or smelling orange for the next two days.

[Reiver]

Thanks, I'll give that a try. Too damn easy to think of in the first place lol.

[cabmandone]

I was going crazy trying to find something that wouldn't hurt the paint. If you don't want to go with steel wool, try a scotchbrite pad or something like that. Let me know if it works for you.
Nineball (fellow pelican) had good success using a product called CitriStrip that can be found at Home Depot or Lowes. For whatever reason, my paint was still coming up.

Good luck!

[sc_rufctr]

I used acrylic thinners to remove mine. I worked and it didn't remove the paint underneath. My car is a 78 SC. (sig)
I'm not sure what paint they used back then but is suspect it must have been an early version of two pack or an oven backed enamel.

[zippy_gg]

I used Citristrip when I redid my interior and it worked great! Got it at Home Depot.
Same as this: Barr Co 1qt Citristrip Paint Varnish Stripping Gel QCG73801T | eBay

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by zippy_gg

I used Citristrip when I redid my interior and it worked great! Got it at Home Depot.
Same as this: Barr Co 1qt Citristrip Paint Varnish Stripping Gel QCG73801T | eBay

That's one of the products I tried and it too was taking up the white paint. Nineball and some others said they used it with great success. I don't know why my paint was coming up. I must have got a Monday paint job.

[javadog]

Maybe you left the citrus stripper on too long.

I'd probably fix the missing paint problem with a can of paint and not POR 15. You could even mix a little 2-part paint in a cheap sprayer, if you want it a little more durable than rattle can paint.

JR

[mreid]

Use a Prevail sprayer and use a good two part epoxy primer over the bare spots. I also use the citrus based stripper with good results, but did have a few spots of bare steel.

[Willem Fick]

I have also had very good success with mineral turpentine. It softens the glue without attacking the paint, allowing you to wipe it off. I usually follow that with a strong household cleaner to remove the oily residue that the turpentine leaves.

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by javadog

Maybe you left the citrus stripper on too long.

I'd probably fix the missing paint problem with a can of paint and not POR 15. You could even mix a little 2-part paint in a cheap sprayer, if you want it a little more durable than rattle can paint.

JR

I left it on until the glue started to soften. Probably less than 5 minutes. I've got some Alkyd Enamel with some Urethane hardener from when I painted Bobcat loaders that I'm probably going to coat the inside with.

[javadog]

A warning about the use of turpentine...

It stinks to high heaven and your wife will not like you if you use it. The smell gets into the house and lingers for days. Way worse than lacquer thinner, acetone, gasoline and other useful chemicals they ***** about...

You've been warned...

JR

[tirwin]

How long did you leave the citrus stuff on for? I left it on for an hour before I started working. It took up more paint in the places towards the end where it had been on the longest, but I didn't have much of a problem. I touched it up with a little rattle can satin black and then laid dynamat, CCF and MLV over it. Oh and I had scraped up all the old asphalt sound deadening crap too. I used Marine Clean (from the same folks that make POR15) as the final cleaning/prep step.

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by tirwin

How long did you leave the citrus stuff on for? I left it on for an hour before I started working. It took up more paint in the places towards the end where it had been on the longest, but I didn't have much of a problem. I touched it up with a little rattle can satin black and then laid dynamat, CCF and MLV over it. Oh and I had scraped up all the old asphalt sound deadening crap too. I used Marine Clean (from the same folks that make POR15) as the final cleaning/prep step.

Less than 5 minutes I'd say. I started removing it once the glue softened. I used a plastic putty knife to remove globs and a shop cloth to remove the thinner spots. After the paint started coming up I said "he.." with it and moved on to steel wool figuring I was already into it so I might as well just get the stuff off.

[RWebb]

why remove the old glue if you are going to install new carpet?

if you want a nice painted surface to show you'll want to do a lot of sanding

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by RWebb

why remove the old glue if you are going to install new carpet?

if you want a nice painted surface to show you'll want to do a lot of sanding

I wanted to make sure that the new adhesive was going to metal rather than over the top of old adhesive. I only want to do this once.