3M Tape DAMAGED window molding!

lkotsios said:
Is there a difference in either way of removal?
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There is when dealing with fresh paint.

When you work with fresh paint it is imperative that you keep the tape pulled back perpendicular to the panel and at a 45 degree angle when removing. Pull tape straight up at a 90 degree angle away from the paint and you increase the chance at pulling the paint away from the panel ten fold.
 
scuff said:
Fair enough. Start with Goo Gone, move to Goof Off, try 3M Adhesive Remover, etc. Point being, this still may be a recoverable situation.
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I will try a few today starting with least aggressive.

Mike@DedicatedPerfection said:
When you went to remove the tape, how did you remove it? Did you peel back and keep the tape flat and level to the vehicle at a 45 degree and pull away or did you grab the tape and pull straight up and away from the vehicle?
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Yes, I peeled it back slowly and kept it flat against the paint, just as many of Mike's how to videos demonstrate
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Holy cow I wouldn't do that. There's like a bazillion trim materials you never know what a strong solvent like that will do, especially on 15 yo trim.

I'm still trying to figure out what the "problem" is--the spot that was under that tape looks clean and shiny while what wasn't looks milky/hazy. What is it supposed to look like? Is it rubber? Is it supposed to be shiny, or is it more matte like a tire? Like I said, there's a bazillion kinds of trims and finishes.

All things being equal I would clean with some diluted APC, maybe wipe with some IPA, and use a good trim sealant like WETS (Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant) and see if it evens out.
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The trim was milky and hazy which some dressing would have solved. The main problem it the texture and distinct line that was left behind. If you look at my horrible phone pics :/ the untouched molding is smooth and the taped areas show heavy texture.
 
you did everything correct i can assure you.
that same exact thing happen to my moldings o my car. 5 years ago. my moldings with tape never saw any sunlight, it was garaged for about 2 days with the tape on. never been a ble to fix/reverse the damage.
i' notice that when winshields get replaced, they put on that blue tape it also gets damaged.
my car is black and those molding look liked crap.
i used some black wow around the trim, left it in the sun, followed by a good was in the shade and it made a some what differencethe. weird part is that its a textured shiny spots. it seems to me that the glue melts the molding causing it to get shiny!? kind of like crazy glue melts some plastics.

good luck
 
MisterB853 said:
The trim was milky and hazy which some dressing would have solved. The main problem it the texture and distinct line that was left behind. If you look at my horrible phone pics :/ the untouched molding is smooth and the taped areas show heavy texture.
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Oh, now I understand...and understand why Mike@DedicatedPerfection asked about how you pulled the tape off. My theory would be you were close to pulling the surface layer off of the trim and that's why it mottled the surface. Possible sitting in the sun or a judiciously applied heat gun might smooth it out? Which way does that line in the trim go? I mean which surface is higher, the part that was under the tape or the part not? Or can't you feel the line?
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Oh, now I understand...and understand why Mike@DedicatedPerfection asked about how you pulled the tape off. My theory would be you were close to pulling the surface layer off of the trim and that's why it mottled the surface. Possible sitting in the sun or a judiciously applied heat gun might smooth it out? Which way does that line in the trim go? I mean which surface is higher, the part that was under the tape or the part not? Or can't you feel the line?
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The surface that was under the tape is higher as though the glue pulled the trim up.

I have tried 10% ipa, 70% ipa, wax cleaner, simple green, 3m plastic and vinyl restorer and still no luck.


Time to walk away for a bit before I light the car on fire!
 
MisterB853 said:
The surface that was under the tape is higher as though the glue pulled the trim up.

I have tried 10% ipa, 70% ipa, wax cleaner, simple green, 3m plastic and vinyl restorer and still no luck.


Time to walk away for a bit before I light the car on fire!
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Try a heat gun.
 
I would spray some adhesive 3M spray on where the tape was and take a tarry towel and wipe it off, it might be as simple as a fix as that. Shoot me a message in my inbox and I'll help you.
 
MisterB853 said:
The surface that was under the tape is higher as though the glue pulled the trim up.

I have tried 10% ipa, 70% ipa, wax cleaner, simple green, 3m plastic and vinyl restorer and still no luck.


Time to walk away for a bit before I light the car on fire!
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It sounds much more likely that the adhesive released from the tape, simply leaving a layer of adhesive on the trim.

Other than the alcohol, none of those seem like a good solvent for adhesive removal, which explains the results. Several better solvent options have been mentioned. Make sure you use a cloth or applicator that won't be attacked by the solvent, or it may leave another layer of residue or dye on the trim.
 
Sorry to hear, i also had something similar happen to me aswell. I left on 3m masking tape on under the trim on my 01f150 and it was out in the sun for 6-7 hours maybe? And when i went to pull of the tape paint started to come off lol
i think it was a mixture between bad paint and leaving the tape on too long in the hot sun.
Imo now is too get it off no longer than you need or just remask the next day.
 
Not much else in the garage to try. I also tried goo gone, and bug and tar remover...no luck
 
I feel like Willy Wonka...I don't think there's anything to remove, I think this is mechanical damage, and the only thing that might help is heat to kind of equalize things.

This is soft trim, yes? I mean it's spongy when you push on it?
 
Setec Astronomy said:
I feel like Willy Wonka...I don't think there's anything to remove, I think this is mechanical damage, and the only thing that might help is heat to kind of equalize things.

This is soft trim, yes? I mean it's spongy when you push on it?
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I think this indicates there's a layer of adhesive on the trim.

MisterB853 said:
The surface that was under the tape is higher as though the glue pulled the trim up.
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From what he's listed, none of the solvents used were very aggressive. Time to step it up a little and see what will cut through the adhesive.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
A layer of adhesive that's smooth and not sticky??

Listen to what the OP is saying--"as though the glue pulled the trim up"
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Yes, I've seen the adhesive layer separated from tape as described, with the exposed side of the adhesive no longer tacky. If it released from the tape, it makes sense that there would be a lack of adhesion between the two.

I don't understand what mechanism would raise a portion of the surface of the trim - "pulled the trim up". Please explain how that could happen.
 
scuff said:
Yes, I've seen the adhesive layer separated from tape as described, with the exposed side of the adhesive no longer tacky. If it released from the tape, it makes sense that there would be a lack of adhesion between the two.

I don't understand what mechanism would raise a portion of the surface of the trim - "pulled the trim up". Please explain how that could happen.
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I don't want to argue with you, I've never seen the adhesive separate from masking tape, unless it's all dried out and hard and the paper part of the tape essentially turns to dust, but that takes years. This happened to the OP in a matter of days.

The mechanism that would raise a portion of the trim is called adhesion, it would be the same mechanism that would remove paint with the tape. In this case it seems that the adhesive force created by several days of contact was enough to begin to fail the trim in tension as the tape was pulled off. If you blow up a balloon, and then let the air out, does it go back to the same size it was before you blew it up? No, because you stretched it out from the shape it was originally molded in. If you take a piece of spongy rubber window trim, and stretch it to where it almost pulls apart, does it stay the same texture and snap back to the size it originally was? Apparently not. If you take an empty PETE soda bottle and push your thumb into the side as hard as you can, does it pop back to the original shape and clarity? Or does it have a dent in the side with a white mark where the material has been stretched?

Anyway, enough for me in this thread.
 
When I participated in Mike's class he recommended that we "burn" the tape before applying to trim. He would pull a section of tape off and press it onto his pants or shirt and then apply to the trim. This was supposed to make it easier to remove as well as prevent the situation you are discussing (hopefully). I always do this when I use tape and I have had no issues thus far. Good luck.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
I don't want to argue with you, I've never seen the adhesive separate from masking tape, unless it's all dried out and hard and the paper part of the tape essentially turns to dust, but that takes years. This happened to the OP in a matter of days.

The mechanism that would raise a portion of the trim is called adhesion, it would be the same mechanism that would remove paint with the tape. In this case it seems that the adhesive force created by several days of contact was enough to begin to fail the trim in tension as the tape was pulled off. If you blow up a balloon, and then let the air out, does it go back to the same size it was before you blew it up? No, because you stretched it out from the shape it was originally molded in. If you take a piece of spongy rubber window trim, and stretch it to where it almost pulls apart, does it stay the same texture and snap back to the size it originally was? Apparently not. If you take an empty PETE soda bottle and push your thumb into the side as hard as you can, does it pop back to the original shape and clarity? Or does it have a dent in the side with a white mark where the material has been stretched?

Anyway, enough for me in this thread.
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I've never seen material of the type the OP is concerned that was soft enough for the removal of masking tape to pull it apart or distort it. It's not a soft, spongy door seal; it's a 15 year old windshield gasket.

OP, good luck figuring it out. With that, I'm out, too.
 
I have the identical window trim of the wife's Subby (2000 Outback). I put various tapes along the trim, down inside the 'groove' etc. Even went as far as trying duct tape. Left it set in the sun for a few hours. Removed the tape pieces and all I had was some left over 'sticky' that came right off with denatured alcohol (using a Q-Tip).

So, all in all, I could NOT duplicate your results. In other words, like everyone else, "I ain't gotta clue."

I tried to help ya...

Bill
 
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