New way to remove sound deadening material

Hey folks. Quite by accident, I've found a new and MUCH easier way to remove sound deadening material. I bought a car to resell, and the PO more or less used this car as a rolling trash can. The carpet was absolutely ruined. After I removed the old carpet, I found a mold colony about 4' long by 1.5' wide on the left side of the car. And I mean this stuff smells horrible! So, how do you remove the mold? It had penetrated the sound deadening material. My idea: soak it in bleach! So I did. I poured about one quart over the stuff and let it sit for an hour. When I got back, quite a bit of it had leaked past the rubber floor plugs, but some remained. I took a stick and scraped it across the top of the material, and it scratched the surface. I dug in with it, and the S.D material pulled RIGHT UP with no effort at all. Well, so did the paint, but that's another story. I'll update this tomorrow after I make sure that there's not actual damage to the floorpan, but I don't expect to find any.

 mIKE

So, you recommend growing a massive mold colony and then mixing it with bleach?

So, mold removes sound deadening and then bleach removes mold. Got it.

Liquid nitrogen works even better. Dry ice is a distant second.

no no no...the bleach removes the paint. The sound deadening goop grew between the mold and the paint

4cylndrfury wrote: The sound deadening goop grew....

Quick, kill it before it adds weight to my car!

A co-worker said gas works well too. I'd be tempted to burn it out if I used gas.

oh my,

Just wait until winter... A couple taps with a hammer and that junk flakes right off.

The original poster is located in Georgia where winter means it's time to start using less than "max A/C"

Will try bleach, dry ice and hammer = distorted floor pans.

I have always used the dry ice method myself. Every time I remove the sound deadening from a car I am flat out amazed at how much of that crap they manage to stick in there! I got close to 100 lbs out of my Nissan, haven't done the Lexus yet. I hope to complete it sometime this winter...

ansonivan wrote: The original poster is located in Georgia where winter means it's time to start using less than "max A/C" Will try bleach, dry ice and hammer = distorted floor pans.

Not THIS year my friend. Most years I'd agree though.....

I'm beginning to wonder if the bleach was the answer though: it's possible that the material was weakened by the mold. I'd been too scared to touch the stuff. If you'd seen this disaster, you'd understand.

 Mike

It's way more fun to set your car on fire on purpose to get rid of the sound deadening.

I am at work, so I can't actually see those pictures I linked - I apologize if they are wrong

they are wrong...we will let it slide, this time.

I used a $4.50 air hammer from Harbor Freight. Fast, easy cleanup and no mold required.

maroon92 wrote: they are wrong...we will let it slide, this time.

Aww crap - what are they actually pictures of? Mold?

Since I'm at work also...they're pretty pictures of red Xs

Clem

Keith wrote: I used a $4.50 air hammer from Harbor Freight. Fast, easy cleanup and no mold required.

+1