Removing headliner

I have that carpet stuff on my Bayliner. It's in good condition but I just think it looks cheap.
I had the idea of making panels out of very thin pliable plywood, cover them with foamed vinyl, and velcro it to the carpet. I checked...velcro sticks to the carpet very well.
Is that a possibility for the OP?
 
There are solvents that can be sprayed on the adhesive and they can be purchased at your local home big box store. I understand that the trick to those is to make sure that you're patient and allow the product to work for the recommended timeperiod.

Good Luck!

Lady C
 
The only way I can think of to make this job more miserable would be to use some sort of stripper while working overhead. You need to also consider how the fiberglass may be affected.
 
I did this a few years ago. My fabric was more of a foam-backed crap that came unglued over time. I ended up scraping the ceiling with a shop vac hose. I angled and sharpened the end of the hose, so it would suck up the glue pieces as they came off. It worked very well. Otherwise the pieces fall on every other part of the boat and stick. When I was done I just cut about 1" off of the hose end and it was back to normal.

Jim
 
I replaced the liner on my Searay years ago. was not to bad to remove I had no foam. Bad was installing the new one. I used vynil with foam and contact cement. I had to put afan on the hatch to remove the fumes and came out good. Need to be patient
 
Strong adhesives often yield to heat but direct (heat gun) heat on the headliner may be too dangerous. Perhaps you could try heating a wide drywall "knife" and pushing it along between F/G and liner?
 
I took some old vinyl stuff off the hull sides on our Californian with a paint scraper,goof-off, & a heavy dose of patience. I was also advised that lacquer thinner works well on contact cement. I'd be careful with the fumes, but it might be worth a try.
 
As previously stated, the use of a heat gun and scraper will allow you to effectively remove your carpet from the F/G skin.

The heat should be directed onto the adhesive itself. As you pull on the carpet the adhesive will have a tendency to stick to the carpet and F/G and separate cohesively ( it will start to string out). The scraper will be able to cut these strings. This is probably going to take some time, but it will work. During this process, you'll develop a feel for how much heat you need to apply and the length of time needed.

I would not use any flammable or non-flammable solvents in the cabin area, for this application. Most flammable solvents have a flash point around 32 degrees F or below. This simply means that you run the risk of an explosion or fire if the vapors are subjected to an ignition source like a spark or flame. Plus, most solvents flash off too quickly to have any lasting effect. They will soften the rubber on a temporary basis, but it will revert back to it's solid state as soon as the solvents evaporate. If you wanted to use a solvent, you would need to use a product like mineral spirits since it's evaporation rate is very slow and it's flash point is around 106 degrees F. At least it would have an opportunity to soften the adhesive so that you could remove the carpet.

If you wanted to use a non-flammable solvent such as methylene chloride, these pose other risks. First of all, the chlorinated solvents are known carcinogens. They would also evaporate too fast to have much of a lasting effect on the rubber before it reverted back to it's original state. Secondly, their vapors are heavier than air and as such will build up from the floor upwards. The more you use, the greater the build up. In addition to the vapors being carcinogens, they are also good de-greasers/paint strippers and corrosive to paints, vinyls, adhesives, etc. Which means that they could effect o rings, hoses, paint, adhesives, mechanical equipment and electrical equipment. If they are used on a very limited basis, you should not have those problems.

Bob
 
They are solvents that adverstise that they are "green" and environmentally friendly that do not emit odors.

Lady C
 
Might I suggest you try a steamer? Not one of those carpet shampoo type things that don't really use steam, just hot water.

A number of years ago my Mother bought me a real steamer that looks like a big paint spray gun and runs off 120 VAC juice. It has several nozzles that are interchangeable and when I got it I thought "What in the world am I going to do with that?" only to find it is real handy for removing mildew, water stains and separating my glued-in "mouse fur" headliner from the overhead.
 
Oneillch

I have worked in the industrial adhesive, sealant and specialty coating industry for over 30 years and can say without hesitation that there is no green solvent, at any box store, that is going to work in this application.

Bob
 
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