When buying a car, drivers first of all pay attention to its design. This is how a person works, the external component for most is considered the main criterion when choosing a car. Moreover, it is customary to pay close attention not only to the body, optics, glass shape and color of the car; deflectors with moldings are also considered an important point when choosing the ideal car for yourself. As for the latter, in addition to the stylistic component, they also have a well-founded functional purpose. And even though moldings are an integral element of a car with its own performance characteristics, many motorists unknowingly try to dismantle this important part. This material will tell you everything about the purpose of moldings, their installation and dismantling.
Removing moldings from car doors
Molding is an indispensable part of the car's appearance, which is designed to protect the body doors from various damages. The product resembles a plate that is made of plastic, thermoplastic, steel or other rubber-containing materials. Such decorative stickers are famous for their protective functions and also help to decorate the car.
If installed correctly, the molding will be useful due to the following functions:
- Protecting the body of your car from damage if a nearby car is opened.
- Moldings take on the impact of stones and dirt.
- The paintwork will be protected from damage when the door is opened close to the curb.
The design is very simple, but not everyone knows how to remove them correctly so as not to damage the body. We will discuss this issue in more detail below.
Door molding
The most ordinary door can become original and non-standard,
if you use molding for it. Until recently, this word could describe the decoration of a car’s exterior. Today, molding has become commonplace for restoring a door and creating a unique look.
The molding consists of overhead strips. Their place is on the surface of the doors, where they help focus attention on color or fittings. The decorative element is made of aluminum, metal, plastic, wood. It can be of any width, size, shape and color, and also differ in texture. The product solves several problems.
Decorates
The main purpose of using molding is the desire to divide the surface of the doors into separate parts, as panels do. To do this, the linings are attached to a smooth plane. Their installation can be done using double-sided tape or glue. They look original if the door segments have different colors. In this design, the molding outlines the boundaries and gives an aesthetic appearance. If you add such decor to our economy class veneer doors, they become livelier, look more stylish and noticeable. The cheapest doors will look more expensive if they are finished with chrome, brass, copper or gold overlays.
Improves quality
The product can help hold MDF panels. If the doors are made of MDF, an aluminum or steel plate securely holds it to the door leaf. Fastening is done using ordinary self-tapping screws or special screws. Several demarcations of the plane with such overlays will not allow the door to deform from precipitation or temperature changes if it is located at the entrance to the house. Molding will be useful for interior doors if they are installed in the bathroom, but do not have moisture-repellent protection. When exposed to steam and moisture, the fabric may warp. The solution will be to replace the doors or the most inexpensive option, which is recommended by DoorExpo masters - installing strips of molding. Installing them along the edge of the doors protects the door leaf from chipping.
Ways to use molding
- Separate and only door decoration
- Combination with handle
- Addition of milling on the canvas
- Emphasizing a mirror or glass insert
The molding can be attached to any surface, therefore it is equally suitable for wooden, laminated, veneered, metal, and plastic doors. If your doors look boring because of their smooth, blank cladding, you can even make them stylish with your own hands. To do this, buy overlays for self-installation, which do not require special technology or tools.
Dismantling rules
Car owners are faced with various situations when dismantling the molding is simply necessary. One of these situations is the occurrence of damage to the surface of the body. The procedure for installing moldings includes a whole range of work, as well as painting. To prevent the moldings from being painted, they must be dismantled. Dismantling is also required in another case - if the protective strip is damaged, cracks or damage appear.
The simplest solution in this situation is to contact a car service. And besides, dismantling the moldings will not be difficult even for a beginner. It is very important to understand the algorithm of actions and stick to it.
There are 2 ways to remove moldings:
- Through heating the molding. You will need to take a hair dryer and heat it to 40 degrees Celsius. To get the desired result, you need to wait until the desired temperature is reached, then the glue will dissolve and you can easily remove the molding.
- Using a solvent. You can purchase glue dissolving agents at various specialty stores. If you have the necessary composition, you can quickly remove the moldings. You just need to apply the solution to a rag and walk around the area near the decorative element. This way you can dissolve the glue without damaging anything else.
To reinstall moldings on car doors, you will need the same tool. In advance, you need to treat the element, as well as the area on the doors, to thoroughly degrease it. And then install the molding in place. Don't forget that the side pieces are made of steel and aluminum and they are often mounted on door clips. If there are such parts, then you will not need a screwdriver. With a screwdriver you can scratch the car body.
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How to remove molding trims
There are quite a number of situations when it is necessary to remove moldings. This often happens due to the presence of fresh damage such as a dent on the car door. Restoring a door usually always includes painting, and to do this, any lining will have to be removed. Also, a similar need may arise in the event of a crack in the molding itself or its wear.
Of course, you don’t have to fool yourself and go to a car mechanic with this task, but it’s cheaper to do it yourself, especially since dismantling won’t take much time and effort.
Most often, the linings are attached to car doors using special glue. Therefore, dismantling such a molding involves detaching it from the adhesive layer.
Video on how to remove molding from doors:
There are several options for how to remove moldings from doors without damaging either the part itself or the car’s paint:
- Heating the part. To do this, take a hairdryer and heat the pad to 40 °C. Usually the glue weakens and the part can be easily removed without damage. Otherwise you will have to buy a new one.
- Using a special solvent. In construction stores and auto parts stores you can often find a special product that dissolves various types of glue. To remove molding, simply apply it to a soft cloth and wipe the area around the trim. This way you will dissolve the glue and not damage either the trim or the paintwork. The only negative is that you will have to spend money to purchase this product.
In order to restore the presence of moldings on the car doors, you will first need to remove the remnants of the old glue.
To do this, use the same solvent. Then you need to clean both the part and the area on the door and degrease them. Now calmly and easily return everything to its place. It is worth noting that stainless steel or aluminum side trim can be attached to the door using clamps . Regardless of whether these clips are plastic or metal, do not pry them with a screwdriver.
! You will only bend the part itself and scratch the doors. It will cost you much less to purchase a special device that is made for removing the linings. It is pushed between the body and the molding, in which case the clamps are damaged, and the trim is easily detached from the door. To return the molding to its place, you will need to buy new clips.
The video shows how to properly remove the molding from the door and clean it of glue:
As you already understand, the most important thing when removing the molding is not to damage the paintwork of the car. This procedure does not take much time and does not require much effort. If for some reason you decide not to install new pads, then do not forget that in this case your car will not only be left without attractive accessories, but also without protection from external influences such as pea gravel and scratches due to collision with curbs and other cars in the parking lot.
How to glue molding
Many motorists, confident that there is nothing better than Moment glue in nature, try to use it to install decorative overlays. We warn you - the result will be frankly disastrous. After 2-3 months, the moldings will begin to fall off under the influence of temperature changes, vibration and moisture.
So we recommend using a special adhesive composition that can withstand any external influences for a long time.
Most often used for these purposes:
- sealant used for inserting car windows,
- cyanoacrylic glue (for example, it is used for gluing attachments to a billiard cue),
- so-called construction “liquid nails”,
- high quality double sided tape.
The best result, as practice shows, is achieved if double-sided tape is combined with any other adhesive composition described above.
Glass sealant is considered to be quite an effective solution, but its main drawback is the need to fix the linings, and for a long time. It is best to use masking tape for this: it fixes the molding securely, without leaving marks on the body parts.
Glass sealant
“Liquid nails,” when they harden, hold up perfectly. But until this time, they also need to be fixed, as in the case of sealant, but the required pressure cannot be ensured with tape. You'll have to come up with something more serious, for example, use a wooden or metal plank with supports placed along the entire length. If the length of the pad is short, you can press it with your hands, but this is not very convenient, and you will have to hold it for a long time, your hands will probably get tired.
Liquid Nails
Cyanoacrylic adhesive for car moldings is much more effective because it does not have the above disadvantages. But it also has disadvantages, and the most serious of them is that when working with such superglue, extreme care is required - any drop of glue that falls in the wrong place can ruin all your work. In addition, it is no longer possible to replace the molding painlessly for paintwork.
Cyanoacrylic adhesive for moldings
Note that when using all three adhesive compositions it is extremely difficult to ensure uniform application of the adhesive on the back side of the molding. This means that there is always a risk of omissions, and voids are formed in this place, into which moisture and air will diffuse over time, initiating corrosion processes.
Double-sided tape provides a better fit both to the surface of the molding and to the body. However, the reliability of the connection is largely influenced by the quality of the tape itself, as well as by compliance with the recommended installation technology. Often moldings are sold with double-sided tape already glued at the factory. In this case, the task becomes exactly twice as easy. An important point is the ability to easily dismantle the lining without damaging the paintwork.
If you don't know how the old moldings are glued to your car, don't buy new ones before you dismantle the existing ones - it's likely that they are attached in some clever way, for example, using latches that you may not know about.
Preparing the car for installation of moldings
The technology for pasting the linings, as well as the composition of the necessary tools/materials, depends on whether a particular car model has special grooves designed specifically for these purposes. If not, then you will need:
- roulette,
- household hair dryer,
- a marker that can be easily erased from the surface of the body,
- masking and double-sided tape,
- wipes with antistatic coating,
- degreasing liquid.
In the summer, the presence of a hairdryer is not necessary, but the car needs to be warmed up by placing it in the sun for 20-30 minutes. It’s better not to skimp on double-sided tape - invest in a branded product from 3M, which can be distinguished from counterfeits by the presence of vacuum packaging, which contains the manufacturer’s holographic symbols.
If there are grooves on the car, there will be no need for a tape measure and a marker - the place for installing the linings has already been marked. If the moldings have latches at the ends, this simplifies the task even more - secure the trims, and there will be no problems with alignment.
Preparing the surface for gluing involves thorough washing, drying and degreasing. When installing decorative elements repeatedly, swelling of the paintwork may be observed in some places, as well as areas with traces of corrosion. They must be properly treated - remove rust, degrease, apply paint and varnish.
