Replacing carpet on your boat.. Here is a good tip on how to remove the old adhesives

[Moose1am]

OK I found that MethyleneChloride works great for removing 25 year old dried up carpet glue or adhesives.

I took a brush and a sause pan and poured the thick liquid goop out into the pan and then brushed it onto the deck (aluminum metal 20 guage that I took off the boat and laid on the concrete driveway) I covered the aluminum with the goop on it with a sheet of clear thick plastic and put weighs at each corner. I let it sit for one hour since it was pretty cool out side today. It only got up to 60 deg today and I started this project at 9 am so it as still only about 60 deg F (15 deg C) out side in the sun. The directions say to use it at temps between 68 and 85 deg F. So it was a little on the cool side this morning. After an hour and a trip to the hardware store I returned and folded the plastic back off the metal and started to test scrape the old glue. It practically melted off.

Now this is a gooey stick messy job but the good news is that it won't hurt the concrete. LOL. I took a 6 in 1 paint scraping tool and scrapped most of the old adhesive and old carpet backing (black rubber stuff) off the sheet of aluminum and got about 85% of the old glue off.

I am now repeating and doing another application of this methylenechloride adhesive remover and waiting for it to work is magic. I am just killing some time right now waiting for it to do it work.

I wanted to put this in a thread all by itself as the other thread was getting pretty clutted.

I have tried lots of solvents but none of them really worked. I could have spend weeks dry scraping to get the old glue off but my hand was getting tired. So I am letting chemistry do the work for me as I sit here and wait for the sun to heat things up outside. We should be getting up to 60 deg in the shade.

Oh yea the plastic is to keep the remover from drying out. It's best to do this in the shade if it's really hot outside. You want to keep the solvent on the glue as long as you can and keep it wet to make it work best. It also is good to do this on a calm day. Winds can cause the solvent to dry out too fast and then it won't stay wet and work as good.


Hope this helps someone redo the carpet on their boat or whatever.

Be careful with this stuff as it's like paint remover and it burns when you get it on your skin. And it's know to cause cancer in labortory mice and is considered a carcinagen in California. I use some chemical resistant gloves and did this work outside where I get lots of fresh air.

The aluminum is looking like brand new now. I was going to try to buy a sheet of 20 gauge aluminum but the only ones avaialble were 4ft by 10ft and they were too short. I need 5ft two inches wide by 4ft 6" long to make a new aluminum pattern.

I plan on taking the cleaned up pattern and laying it on the new carpet to use as a guide to cut the new carpet. then I can just glue the stuff onto the aluminum and when it's dry trim off the excess carpet and then screw this entire thing down on the front deck of my boat using small selftaping sheet metal screws. I hope this project goes good.

[KARL]

.can't you wrap the carpet under the edge 2" or so..then you wouldn't have to ever worry about the carpet peeling back ..just cut on 45 at corners..just thinking out loud :D

[Crapbie]

Maybe you could shave the part you tuck so not to create to much thickness

[Moose1am]

Well today I laid the new carpet and aluminum pattern on the boat deck and screwed it into place. I worked really good once I got the trim's old screw holes lined up with the old screw holes on the aluminum boat deck. I have the new carpet in place and it looks really great.

I still have to mount some hardware back on the boat deck. Cleats, Forward Light, Wooden plates that have the velcro on them for my depth sounder and then the seat pedistal base has to be installed.

But the hard work is finished.

I did find another problem with the aluminum front of my boat as it has a big crack about 9" long and 1/4" wide. The hook for attaching the rope is right in that area and I am afraid that this is a stess crack that must be welded shut. I hope to get that done to today but the clouds are still hanging around and it's only getting up to low 50s today instead of the low 60's. I don't want to get the boat carpet glue wet as it takes 5 full days at the right temp to have the glue dry completely where it will be waterproof. Since the boat has not been in 75 deg F weather ( it's been cold here this last week) I have been keeping the boat and carpet in the garage and I installed some portable electric heaters in the garage. But I fear that the glue needs a few more days to dry thoroughly. I don't want to take the chance of getting it wet before it's dry. I want this new carpet to last for the next 10 years.

The carpet's edges are protected by metal L channels so the raveling problem I think is solved. I used some small self tapping sheet metal screws to hold the carpet pattern ( thin gague aluminum sheet) down to the aluminum boat deck. I sure am glad that fishermarine made the boat deck out of thick gauge aluminum.

Once I get this crack welded I am ready to load up and start fishing again.

OK I found that MethyleneChloride works great for removing 25 year old dried up carpet glue or adhesives.

I took a brush and a sause pan and poured the thick liquid goop out into the pan and then brushed it onto the deck (aluminum metal 20 guage that I took off the boat and laid on the concrete driveway) I covered the aluminum with the goop on it with a sheet of clear thick plastic and put weighs at each corner. I let it sit for one hour since it was pretty cool out side today. It only got up to 60 deg today and I started this project at 9 am so it as still only about 60 deg F (15 deg C) out side in the sun. The directions say to use it at temps between 68 and 85 deg F. So it was a little on the cool side this morning. After an hour and a trip to the hardware store I returned and folded the plastic back off the metal and started to test scrape the old glue. It practically melted off.

Now this is a gooey stick messy job but the good news is that it won't hurt the concrete. LOL. I took a 6 in 1 paint scraping tool and scrapped most of the old adhesive and old carpet backing (black rubber stuff) off the sheet of aluminum and got about 85% of the old glue off.

I am now repeating and doing another application of this methylenechloride adhesive remover and waiting for it to work is magic. I am just killing some time right now waiting for it to do it work.

I wanted to put this in a thread all by itself as the other thread was getting pretty clutted.

I have tried lots of solvents but none of them really worked. I could have spend weeks dry scraping to get the old glue off but my hand was getting tired. So I am letting chemistry do the work for me as I sit here and wait for the sun to heat things up outside. We should be getting up to 60 deg in the shade.

Oh yea the plastic is to keep the remover from drying out. It's best to do this in the shade if it's really hot outside. You want to keep the solvent on the glue as long as you can and keep it wet to make it work best. It also is good to do this on a calm day. Winds can cause the solvent to dry out too fast and then it won't stay wet and work as good.


Hope this helps someone redo the carpet on their boat or whatever.

Be careful with this stuff as it's like paint remover and it burns when you get it on your skin. And it's know to cause cancer in labortory mice and is considered a carcinagen in California. I use some chemical resistant gloves and did this work outside where I get lots of fresh air.

The aluminum is looking like brand new now. I was going to try to buy a sheet of 20 gauge aluminum but the only ones avaialble were 4ft by 10ft and they were too short. I need 5ft two inches wide by 4ft 6" long to make a new aluminum pattern.

I plan on taking the cleaned up pattern and laying it on the new carpet to use as a guide to cut the new carpet. then I can just glue the stuff onto the aluminum and when it's dry trim off the excess carpet and then screw this entire thing down on the front deck of my boat using small selftaping sheet metal screws. I hope this project goes good.