Section : General

Carpet removal - cos' I'm stuck and so is the carpet 

Posted By : Stephen Williams, 20-Jul-2007, 09:50am

Anyone any good tips for removing carpet that's been glued down?

I ask because I've got a nice new carpet set (molded) and I need to get the sad looking carpet off the wheel arch in my GT6. When you pull at away at leaves 50% of the carpet as just tufts still stuck to the metal. Only thing I can think of is soaking rags in celli thinners and seeing if that softens the glue. Bit of a smelly fire risk though, plus it will lift the paint.

Once those are done its the inner sills, kickboard......... man - this PO liked to use a LOT of glue.

Stephen

• Carpet removal - cos' I'm stuck and so is the carpet 

  Posted By : Graham Cowan, 20-Jul-2007, 10:05am

  Stephen,
  This suggestion is going to sound really mad...but here goes......You know those gadgets you can buy in Woolworths to remove fuzzy bobbles from woollens (see attached). Why not use this to simply 'shave'-off the tufts. If sure your new moulded carpet would sit quite happily on top of glue/old carpet backing remnants.
  Cheers,
  Graham
  

   

  
  
  Carpet removal - cos' I'm stuck and so is the carpet

   

  • Carpet removal - cos' I'm stuck and so is the carpet 

    Posted By : John Davies, 20-Jul-2007, 12:15pm

    Try a paint stripper gun, the electric hot air type.
    It should melt the glue and allow you to pull off the carpet without breaking it up.
    Of course, it may melt the carpet too!
    
    I've used this to remove sheets of sound deadening material. It heats the sheet, as it is a poor conductor of heat, but not the metal panel unless you get aggressive with it and even then the heat conducts away quickly. But wear gloves as the carpet/glue will be hot.
    
    John

    • Carpet removal - cos' I'm stuck and so is the carpet 

      Posted By : Mark Hammond, 20-Jul-2007, 04:52pm

      I'd go along with the hot air gun method too, or you could try glue remover, most bodyshops use it and would be available through a paint factors.
      
      Mark