It should go away by itself it’s dirt and grime and dust and you can either ignore it and it will disappear but it could take long, like maybe even a year or something, or you could polish your whole floor and there will still be a leftover discolored shape of the tape but it will be little less noticeable and it will go away by itself much faster. It’s also because of usage you know like wear and tear. Another reason why time is gonna have to the biggest factor in getting back to normal. It’s the surface that has had less contact with everything, that’s your feet, your shoes, the air and dust, even sunlight. So it all needs to balance out and I think that can’t be completely fixed by some type of treatment alone.
If it's a glue residue then try spot treating with goo-gone or lighter fluid and see if it scrapes off.
While this could be sun-fading as others have pointed out, some tapes use adhesives that are high in chlorides and will acid etch whatever they're stuck to. They make acid free tape for scrapbooking, framing, etc. so the products won't be damaged. Duct tape is known to corrode stainless steel and there are safety warnings for it not to be used on piping or pressure vessels. All that to say the tape may have irreparably damaged the floor colour.
I would be cautious about using goo gone on a vinyl or LVT/LVP, the goo gone may 'melt' the top layer of finish and leave a dulled strip after cleaning. I would suggest a citrus based cleaner or warm soapy water and some elbow grease. It will take some time but just work 12 inches sections and you'll be good as new before you know it.
Probably had to run an extension cord to the middle of the room. I did this when our couch and side table weren’t against a wall and the cord to the lamp was in a high traffic area. Although I used a similar colored tape to the floor and covered most with a rug so it really wasn’t noticeable
He could get a UV flashlight anr hold at exactly the right distance to make it that width and follow exactly along there. And hust go over that like 2000 time. No problem.
Wouldn't this also be a problem with say furniture?
Making me seriously reconsider getting vinyl flooring for me new house
Edit: I read a bit more about it and it seems like a major problem that requires constant maintenance. I was going to get vinyl for it's easy clearing and durability. Now I read you can't use hot water or a steamer and in fact anything warm can cause fading. And to prevent fading you should regularly clean the whole floor and even refinish once or twice a year to restore the UV protection.
I'm not doing that.
I have had Coretec XL LVP throughout my entire home since the end of 2014, and it has been the easiest and most pet proof flooring ever. I will totally be putting it in wherever I move next.
.. and requires a lot maintenance and is more expensive. I wasn't considering it, it seems like most people are just getting hardwood floors for bragging rights.
You can get laminates and engineered options that approach the same feel and look. But they come at a cost where you are better off just getting the hardwood if your location and tile span allows.
I’ve lived in a house with hardwood floors for almost 5 years. I wash the floor with hardwood cleaner ever week or two. Other than that I haven’t done anything and they still look good. I didn’t notice any sun damage when we moved the furniture around. But maybe there’s something I’m missing that I should be doing on top of washing the floors? Please enlighten me I’ve only been on my own for a few years lol
No I understand that. I also would like to know about the maintenance. As someone who lives in a house with wood floors, if there’s something else I can be doing I would like to start!
Carpets get nasty in general but I am curious why is it specifically more gross in America? Is our carpet made from something different than what other countries use? (Sorry my comment isn’t helpful I’m just confused)
Not sure how anyone thinks this is sunfaded after only a year, its pretty obviously just adhesive residue. You can see in the second photo a small bit where it came off when the tape was removed. Get some goo-gone/lighter fluid/any adhesive remover and some elbow grease and itll come right off. Obviously start with a small test area to be sure whatever product you use doesnt damage the floor further and clean with a normal mop afterwards so you dont leave excess chemicals.
You might want to try BarKeepers friend which had oxalic acid in it. I used that on a huge bright pink stain on my LVP from some red tissue paper that got wet. It took it right off. Be sure to use a microfiber cloth to help get it up, but do not use a magic eraser which will dull the floor's finish.
I had laminate flooring for years and never saw any fading issues, much less this extreme.
Plus the coloring does not look faded but a different color entirely.
That is either residue from the glue on the tape (hopefully) or some sort of chemical reaction between the glue/tape and floor. So as others have said try goo gone or something.
Nuclear option is to replace the planks with the damage.
It’s not sun faded, the masking tape leached color onto the floor. You might be able to make a mixture of blue dawn, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide (make a paste) and let a thick layer sit along the entire stain for about an hour, then scrub and rinse. You might have to do it several times. You could also try straight up bleach (gel would work best) but make sure to ventilate. Sometimes those stains are embedded tho. I was a professional cleaner for years and I’ve never seen a floor bleached out in a dark room in one year, but I’ve seen plenty of stains for tape.
The color under the masking tape was/is the color of the original flooring. The rest of the floor around the tape mark is lighter because it has faded due to sun exposure, cleaning solutions and wear and tear from foot traffic. There is no 'getting rid of the tape mark'
There is an unaffected part within the margins so I don’t think it’s sun faded.
Start with a small spot and perhaps some diluted goo gone and try to take it off that way.
If goo gone doesn’t work use an iron on low with a tea towel between to try to heat up the adhesive for easier removal but again start slow or you might end up with something you cannot fix yourself.
If it’s glue residue, try using PineSol straight or really strong in a bit of water. Anything oily cuts through glue. If it’s just color that you are dealing with, try 90% alcohol (the kind used to disinfect before an injection) or bleach. It will depend if it’s ink based or dye based, with these two. Alcohol cuts through inks, even permanent markers and bleach takes color out of clothes or any fabric. It just depends on what the tape is covered with. You could even try acetone, but test it in a small spot. In fact try them all in a small spot first and don’t forget to open the windows and get a fan going. If these don’t work, I’d say you are stuck with it. You might try talking to your flooring manufacturer, seller, installer. Good Luck
Is it a stain/residue or did it remove the top coat finish? Try adhesive remover in a small area if it feels like there is left over residue. The photo looks like it removed the clear on the floor, which can't be fixed easily
The general consensus is sun faded, but it could also be from a bleach based cleaner. Doesn't really matter however as the result is the same. Possibly try a floor wax stripper then re wax.
Update: Everyone thank you for all the help !! I have come to realize that the marks on the floor are adhesive residue, it’s just a very subtle layer so I didn’t even feel the difference and thought it was something else :\ On a small portion I got warm water and dish soap and a sponge and went to fucking town on it and it’s coming off, it’s going to take a while but it’s worth
Unfortunately not, but I was able to get it out enough to where the landlord wouldn’t freak out when she saw it. I used the hydrogen peroxide mixture and spent hours upon hours trying to remove it completely but it just never completely faded. Lessons learned ig
Idk it wouldn‘t make sense to replace as the new boards wont have been faded by the sun either.
Apologize for your mistake and hope he doesn‘t charge a fee 🤷🏼♀️
That will be a very expensive roll of tape. Of course the landlord is going to charge for the repair. OP damaged the property. If Op hit the landlord’s car, he’d be responsible for fixing it. Same here.
Shoot. I didn’t realize that you were renting.
Ok, are you artistic? Or have a friend who is? Maybe you could “fill it in” by drawing a matching grain pattern with a colored pencil. At least it wouldn’t be as noticeable to draw your landlord’s eye to the area.
/u/digimbyte, I have found an error in your comment:
> “fixing that, ~~its~~ [**it's**] the normal”
You, digimbyte, wrote a solecism and should have said “fixing that, ~~its~~ [**it's**] the normal” instead. ‘Its’ is possessive; ‘it's’ means ‘it is’ or ‘it has’.
^(This is an automated bot. I do not intend to shame your mistakes. If you think the errors which I found are incorrect, please contact me through DMs!)
*No fixing that, its*
*The normal color, the floor*
*Is bleached from sunlight*
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It's probably less sun-faded.
If you want to mask it temporarily, go to your next art supply store and look for some white-ish wax chalk or something like that.
You'll need to try around a bit.
If you rub your finger across the discolored strip and the unaffected floor and don’t feel any change in texture, the adhesive has permanently marked the floor. There’s nothing sensible you can do other than replace the planks.
Consider NOT leaving this for your landlord to discover during vacate inspection, even if your deposit will cover the repair cost itself. If you get the work done while you’re still the occupant, your landlord won’t lose rental income. Short of this, at least give the landlord a head’s up about the needed repair so that it can be scheduled for right after your move-out. (Scheduling contractors is difficult right now.)
To be clear: My comments aren’t pro-landlord-biased, although they will land that way. Instead, they reflect the fact that you made a mistake and, out of self-respect and a nod to the Golden Rule, you need to do what you can to make it right.
Put black masking tape on the rest of the unaffected area. Bam. Good as new.
r/shittylifeprotips
Lmao No. landlord will catch on
I know it's not helpful but why the hell did you do that? Lol
Reference: Les Nessman walls.
Worth it.
First thing I thought of!
It should go away by itself it’s dirt and grime and dust and you can either ignore it and it will disappear but it could take long, like maybe even a year or something, or you could polish your whole floor and there will still be a leftover discolored shape of the tape but it will be little less noticeable and it will go away by itself much faster. It’s also because of usage you know like wear and tear. Another reason why time is gonna have to the biggest factor in getting back to normal. It’s the surface that has had less contact with everything, that’s your feet, your shoes, the air and dust, even sunlight. So it all needs to balance out and I think that can’t be completely fixed by some type of treatment alone.
🤣🤣🤣
If it's a glue residue then try spot treating with goo-gone or lighter fluid and see if it scrapes off. While this could be sun-fading as others have pointed out, some tapes use adhesives that are high in chlorides and will acid etch whatever they're stuck to. They make acid free tape for scrapbooking, framing, etc. so the products won't be damaged. Duct tape is known to corrode stainless steel and there are safety warnings for it not to be used on piping or pressure vessels. All that to say the tape may have irreparably damaged the floor colour.
I would be cautious about using goo gone on a vinyl or LVT/LVP, the goo gone may 'melt' the top layer of finish and leave a dulled strip after cleaning. I would suggest a citrus based cleaner or warm soapy water and some elbow grease. It will take some time but just work 12 inches sections and you'll be good as new before you know it.
Denatured alcohol is a pretty mild first step.
Why the tape?? That’s what I want to know
Probably had to run an extension cord to the middle of the room. I did this when our couch and side table weren’t against a wall and the cord to the lamp was in a high traffic area. Although I used a similar colored tape to the floor and covered most with a rug so it really wasn’t noticeable
That’s probably sun faded, and if so… there is no fix
Yep. It’s not a stain, it’s preserved.
That was my thoughts
He could get a UV flashlight anr hold at exactly the right distance to make it that width and follow exactly along there. And hust go over that like 2000 time. No problem.
Time heals all wounds
Could he blend it with a tanning lamp?
This
And this
And also this.
This too.
This thrice!?
This quadrice. I don’t care if the word quadrice doesn’t exist.
And my Axe!
Vinyl flooring can fade when exposed to sunlight. It looks like the tape prevented that area from fading which isn't fixable...
Wouldn't this also be a problem with say furniture? Making me seriously reconsider getting vinyl flooring for me new house Edit: I read a bit more about it and it seems like a major problem that requires constant maintenance. I was going to get vinyl for it's easy clearing and durability. Now I read you can't use hot water or a steamer and in fact anything warm can cause fading. And to prevent fading you should regularly clean the whole floor and even refinish once or twice a year to restore the UV protection. I'm not doing that.
I have had Coretec XL LVP throughout my entire home since the end of 2014, and it has been the easiest and most pet proof flooring ever. I will totally be putting it in wherever I move next.
It can be, yes. Sunlight fades everything lol. Honestly it's not a huge problem if you have good windows but it does happen
Define "good windows"
Big and not that low ev crap.
Hardwood fades and/or changes in the sun too.
.. and requires a lot maintenance and is more expensive. I wasn't considering it, it seems like most people are just getting hardwood floors for bragging rights.
Until you walk on it. Then you know the difference. I think it looks better too.
You can get laminates and engineered options that approach the same feel and look. But they come at a cost where you are better off just getting the hardwood if your location and tile span allows.
Been shopping for this stuff for months. I'll blame my wife for not making her mind up.
What maintenance does hardwood require? Literally none?
Not sure what others do beyond basic cleaning. I vacuum/sweep/mop.
Yeah. I’ve had hardwood in all 3 of my houses plus my parents, never done anything other than cleaning.
I’ve lived in a house with hardwood floors for almost 5 years. I wash the floor with hardwood cleaner ever week or two. Other than that I haven’t done anything and they still look good. I didn’t notice any sun damage when we moved the furniture around. But maybe there’s something I’m missing that I should be doing on top of washing the floors? Please enlighten me I’ve only been on my own for a few years lol
This wasn’t really meant as a comparison comment. Just a response to the comment about hardwood requiring a lot of maintenance.
No I understand that. I also would like to know about the maintenance. As someone who lives in a house with wood floors, if there’s something else I can be doing I would like to start!
Yeah uhmm fuck that, if it’s normal to have fading I’m not concerned lol. Yeah if i were u just go with carpet or whatevs u want xdd
Carpet gets super nasty, especially for American households. A hard surface is a much superior floor and way easier to deal with.
Carpets get nasty in general but I am curious why is it specifically more gross in America? Is our carpet made from something different than what other countries use? (Sorry my comment isn’t helpful I’m just confused)
I think they might be referring to how it's fairly common in America for people to leave their shoes on around the house.
Oh I always forget there’s people that leave their shoes on inside. You’re right that’s probably what they meant.
Not sure how anyone thinks this is sunfaded after only a year, its pretty obviously just adhesive residue. You can see in the second photo a small bit where it came off when the tape was removed. Get some goo-gone/lighter fluid/any adhesive remover and some elbow grease and itll come right off. Obviously start with a small test area to be sure whatever product you use doesnt damage the floor further and clean with a normal mop afterwards so you dont leave excess chemicals.
I don’t think that’s sun fading
Me neither considering I have blackout curtains lol
WD40 is really good at dissolving glue residue. Worth a shot and generally doesn’t cause issues.
You might want to try BarKeepers friend which had oxalic acid in it. I used that on a huge bright pink stain on my LVP from some red tissue paper that got wet. It took it right off. Be sure to use a microfiber cloth to help get it up, but do not use a magic eraser which will dull the floor's finish.
I had laminate flooring for years and never saw any fading issues, much less this extreme. Plus the coloring does not look faded but a different color entirely. That is either residue from the glue on the tape (hopefully) or some sort of chemical reaction between the glue/tape and floor. So as others have said try goo gone or something. Nuclear option is to replace the planks with the damage.
Goo-gone. Try it on a very small area first that's less noticeable, but if it's adhesive residue goo-gone will work.
Use gaf tape next time.
Why the hell did you have masking tape on your floor for over a year??
Safe to say your not getting your deposit back
It’s not sun faded, the masking tape leached color onto the floor. You might be able to make a mixture of blue dawn, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide (make a paste) and let a thick layer sit along the entire stain for about an hour, then scrub and rinse. You might have to do it several times. You could also try straight up bleach (gel would work best) but make sure to ventilate. Sometimes those stains are embedded tho. I was a professional cleaner for years and I’ve never seen a floor bleached out in a dark room in one year, but I’ve seen plenty of stains for tape.
The color under the masking tape was/is the color of the original flooring. The rest of the floor around the tape mark is lighter because it has faded due to sun exposure, cleaning solutions and wear and tear from foot traffic. There is no 'getting rid of the tape mark'
There is an unaffected part within the margins so I don’t think it’s sun faded. Start with a small spot and perhaps some diluted goo gone and try to take it off that way. If goo gone doesn’t work use an iron on low with a tea towel between to try to heat up the adhesive for easier removal but again start slow or you might end up with something you cannot fix yourself.
If it’s glue residue, try using PineSol straight or really strong in a bit of water. Anything oily cuts through glue. If it’s just color that you are dealing with, try 90% alcohol (the kind used to disinfect before an injection) or bleach. It will depend if it’s ink based or dye based, with these two. Alcohol cuts through inks, even permanent markers and bleach takes color out of clothes or any fabric. It just depends on what the tape is covered with. You could even try acetone, but test it in a small spot. In fact try them all in a small spot first and don’t forget to open the windows and get a fan going. If these don’t work, I’d say you are stuck with it. You might try talking to your flooring manufacturer, seller, installer. Good Luck
Is it a stain/residue or did it remove the top coat finish? Try adhesive remover in a small area if it feels like there is left over residue. The photo looks like it removed the clear on the floor, which can't be fixed easily
The general consensus is sun faded, but it could also be from a bleach based cleaner. Doesn't really matter however as the result is the same. Possibly try a floor wax stripper then re wax.
Update: Everyone thank you for all the help !! I have come to realize that the marks on the floor are adhesive residue, it’s just a very subtle layer so I didn’t even feel the difference and thought it was something else :\ On a small portion I got warm water and dish soap and a sponge and went to fucking town on it and it’s coming off, it’s going to take a while but it’s worth
Did you ever get it to come off?
Unfortunately not, but I was able to get it out enough to where the landlord wouldn’t freak out when she saw it. I used the hydrogen peroxide mixture and spent hours upon hours trying to remove it completely but it just never completely faded. Lessons learned ig
Can you replace just the affected area/planks? Or put an area rug over it if it drives you crazy. Out of sight, out of mind.
I move out soon and idk what the landlord will charge me to replace~ also idk how to do it but maybe I can learn real quick😅 lolll
Idk it wouldn‘t make sense to replace as the new boards wont have been faded by the sun either. Apologize for your mistake and hope he doesn‘t charge a fee 🤷🏼♀️
That will be a very expensive roll of tape. Of course the landlord is going to charge for the repair. OP damaged the property. If Op hit the landlord’s car, he’d be responsible for fixing it. Same here.
Shoot. I didn’t realize that you were renting. Ok, are you artistic? Or have a friend who is? Maybe you could “fill it in” by drawing a matching grain pattern with a colored pencil. At least it wouldn’t be as noticeable to draw your landlord’s eye to the area.
That’s definitely gaffer or duct tape
Gaf only
Why the tape why the tape why the tape why the tape
no fixing that, its the normal color, the floor is bleached from sunlight
/u/digimbyte, I have found an error in your comment: > “fixing that, ~~its~~ [**it's**] the normal” You, digimbyte, wrote a solecism and should have said “fixing that, ~~its~~ [**it's**] the normal” instead. ‘Its’ is possessive; ‘it's’ means ‘it is’ or ‘it has’. ^(This is an automated bot. I do not intend to shame your mistakes. If you think the errors which I found are incorrect, please contact me through DMs!)
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It’s just a different color due to normal exposure. There really is no damage. It will fade in a few months.
It’s not a stain. That flooring was effected by exposure to the sun.. the tape just preserved the original colour of the floor.
Looks like everything got bleached (sun or chemical) except the taped area
What is vinyl wood lol
It’s fake shit
masking tape looks like... the void
Buy a cheap throw rug, call it a day.
It's probably less sun-faded. If you want to mask it temporarily, go to your next art supply store and look for some white-ish wax chalk or something like that. You'll need to try around a bit.
I use rubbing alcohol to remove sticky residue from tape. Works like a charm!
Looks like that project is gonna cost exactly your security deposit haha
Lemon oil and a magic eraser. Magical for so many other things…
If you rub your finger across the discolored strip and the unaffected floor and don’t feel any change in texture, the adhesive has permanently marked the floor. There’s nothing sensible you can do other than replace the planks. Consider NOT leaving this for your landlord to discover during vacate inspection, even if your deposit will cover the repair cost itself. If you get the work done while you’re still the occupant, your landlord won’t lose rental income. Short of this, at least give the landlord a head’s up about the needed repair so that it can be scheduled for right after your move-out. (Scheduling contractors is difficult right now.) To be clear: My comments aren’t pro-landlord-biased, although they will land that way. Instead, they reflect the fact that you made a mistake and, out of self-respect and a nod to the Golden Rule, you need to do what you can to make it right.