Carpet tape adhesive stains

[Goomer]

I received a call from a merchandising company today. About a year and a half ago, the were contracted by a local Sears to set up a golf display with several putting greens. They placed standard green outdoor "carpet" over existing commercial, and to the best of their memory, used some type of double sided carpet tape from Home Depot to secure it. Year and a half later upon removal, there are black lines wherever the tape was. He did not want the entire carpet cleaned, but wanted what was thought to be adhesive residue removed. They tried to remove themselves with no success using Goo Gone etc...

I flushed the areas out first to remove anything that was in there from their attempts, and then tried everything I had to no avail. Goof Off, Mostenblockers adhesive remover, OJ, even tried Fels, everything with no success.

Seems it is not actually adhesive residue, but the fibers seem to be darkened/stained by long term exposure to the adhesive/tape/ or the combination of them as well as the outdoor carpet backing. No solid/sticky adhesive coming off at all, and even darkening along the whole line.

Sears management is breaking his balls and talking replacement. I am trying to help him out as much as I can, but concerned it might be permanent.

Anybody familiar with the composition of these adhesives/tapes, and if there are any components in them that can "stain" like that?

Anything else to try???

 

[GeneMiller]

did a job in a kids gym where they used duct tape to mark off lines. i removed them with a rag and solvent clean. hands and knees and scrubbed it out. it took hours some small parts returned and so did i. very labor intensive.

gene

 

[Goomer]

Seems more like a stain as opposed to residue.

Nothing will budge it.

 

[KevinL]

Is that a bottle of charcoal lighter fluid sitting there. I'd say you tried everything.

 

[Goomer]

Is that a bottle of charcoal lighter fluid sitting there. I'd say you tried everything.

No, but that may be the end result.

It's Mostenblokers Lift Off

 

[Jamesh921]

Actually, charcoal lighter fluid will remove the thermoplastic adhesive that you find on seaming tape (I've seen it done with my own eyes).

You might try lighter fluid (nothing to lose at this point), but I've seen that "blue hue" on carpet before, and I haven't found anything that will remove it.

Replacing might be the only option. BUT, they don't have to replace the entire room. Let them know that they can cut out the affected area and install a "border strip". That should save them thousands (depending on the size of the room).

 

[sweendogg]

its not so much a stain as it is a chemical reaction... the voc's from the tape, carpet or both.. have off gased and reacted to cause a color change. You might be able to check a stain removal technique with oxidizers and reducers, but this tends to be permanent... I also would not be surprised if this the astroturf was black foam or cushioned back and its very possible that the taped areas are the original color as well... just a thought.

 

[PCCN]

Ran into this a few times last year. If it's just the tape residue with dirt sticking to it, delimonene sprayed lightly over the lines, rinse with hot water. Mine came up all 3 times. Good luck.

 

[ACE]

Offgasing???? Really???

I take these out by moderatly Moderately spraying the areas with citrus solvent then pre-spray, scrubbing with 175 and red pad and extracting with wand.

 

[sam miller]

Heavy duty soil lifter chemspec works well on adhesive

 

[sweendogg]

Alright fellas did you not read his original post??

He used several solvents the flushed the bajesus out of and if it was adhesive you would be able to tell. The fact that a color change is evident instead of soiling is indicative of a reaction.. Materials were placed over the carpet trapping the off gassing from the astro turf and the plastic offgassing of the double sided tape.. both creating vapor barriers that could have even stopped the natural off gassing of the carpet itself. There are several possibilities here but I think he would have seen an improvement if it was still ad hesive residue..