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The last thing you want on your floor is sticky tape residue. It just makes a mess; fluff and dirt stick to it, shoes catch on it, and it looks unsightly. But there is always the worry that scraping it off will damage the floor. This articles shares some of our favourite methods to get tape residue off and our interviews with experts in the industry give us their top tips too.
Various types of tape, such as gaffer tape, masking tape, electrical tape, Sellotape, and double-sided tape, are often used to secure items like rugs, underlay, cables, and furniture to wood floors. While this can be a quick and effective solution, removing the tape can be challenging and potentially damaging to the floor.
It's crucial to act quickly when removing tape from wood floors. The longer tape remains on the floor, the harder it becomes to remove, increasing the risk of damaging the floor.
All sticky tapes contain plasticizers in their adhesive. These plasticizers can start to soften and degrade the finish on wood floors upon contact, causing damage within hours regardless of the type of finish.
Mike Hamer of Pallmann UK has extensive experience with wood floors and finishes on wood floors and he shares his knowldege in our video interview below.
While it is possible that the tape may have damaged the floor to teh point where it will need refinishing, it is worth having a go at resolving the problem. Prior to starting you need to follow these steps:
Evaluate the floor's condition: If your floor is significantly worn or you're considering refinishing or replacing it, weigh these options before spending effort on residue removal.
Identify the floor finish: Wood floors typically have either a surface build finish (like some oils and most lacquers) or a penetrating finish. Surface build finishes sit on top of the wood, while penetrating finishes absorb into it.
Impact of Cleaning Solutions: Test cleaning solutions on a small, inconspicuous area to ensure they don't harm the floor finish. Neutral PH wood floor cleaners are generally safe, but stronger solutions or solvents like isopropanol should be used cautiously and only after testing. A good quality neutral PH wood floor cleaner like Pallmann Neutral Cleaner would unlikely cause any harm to a wood floor if used in the right way.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=43S1cBfcRiE&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fartofflooring.co.uk%2F
So now you have assessed the floor, you can turn your attention to removing the tape.
1. Peel off the tape
Remove as much tape as possible by peeling. Warming the tape with a hairdryer can help soften the glue but be cautious as this can also make it stickier.
2. Scrape residue
Use a blunt instrument to gently scrape off remaining residue, taking care not to damage the floor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKmPu30YZ-Y&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fartofflooring.co.uk%2F
3. Chemical cleaning
Start with a neutral cleaner like Pallman Clean Wood Floor Cleaner. If the residue persists, increase the solution strength or use a solvent like isopropanol which would be the next option. Wet the floor with water to prevent the solvent from 'biting' in to the floor finish Always test these on a small area first.
4. Clean the area
After removing the residue, clean the area with a standard dilution of neutral floor cleaner and let it dry.
The cleaned area might be noticeable. If the floor has a penetrating oil finish, such as Pallmann Magic Oil, apply several coats of Pallmann Magic Oil Care to the cleaned area, then a single coat over the entire floor for an even finish. Use a microfiber flat mop for best results.
We hope this has helped you in your quest to free your floor from sticky stuff and that you are left with a beautiful, good as new, wood floor!