One of the benefits of self-adhesive tactile tiles and indicators is that they can operate in a temporary fashion. If you’re applying them to a surface that can’t be modified by drilling they make an ideal substitution to drill and resin, or screw hole fixings. However, there may come a time when the arrangement needs to be changed or the tactile tiles and indicators need to be removed completely, and it’s important to know the most effective way of doing this.
Depending on the situation there are multiple ways of removing self-adhesive tactile indicators such as studs, tiles, or strips. There are differences however depending on the type of indicator.
TPU tactile tiles and indicators
Due to their TPU composition tactile tiles, indicators can be heated at the corner, using something like a hairdryer or an iron with a cloth placed over the tile. This heat will cause the adhesive to soften and allow you to slide a scraper tool underneath and pry the tile away from the surface. Once the tile is removed the adhesive residue can be cleaned up with surface cleaner or isopropyl alcohol. Alternatively, the residue can be scraped away and then hoovered up if there’s no isopropyl alcohol or surface cleaner available. If there are a large number of tactile tiles, something like a floor tile stripper may be ideal for tackling a greater area.
TPU tactile tiles and indicators
Due to their TPU composition tactile tiles, indicators can be heated at the corner, using something like a hairdryer or an iron with a cloth placed over the tile. This heat will cause the adhesive to soften and allow you to slide a scraper tool underneath and pry the tile away from the surface. Once the tile is removed the adhesive residue can be cleaned up with surface cleaner or isopropyl alcohol. Alternatively, the residue can be scraped away and then hoovered up if there’s no isopropyl alcohol or surface cleaner available. If there are a large number of tactile tiles, something like a floor tile stripper may be ideal for tackling a greater area.
Post removal and re-using self-adhesive tactile indicators
If you’re looking to re-use the studs they’ll need to be cleaned using isopropyl alcohol to remove any of the leftover adhesive before then re-applying a self-adhesive tape or paste.