How can I remove plastic film from porcelain tile?

Question

I just had "marble like" porcelain tile installed. the plastic film over each tile is too had to get off. The installer gave up and left it on, said he never seen plastic film so hard to come off. So far tried a glass scrapper, hot rag, and just manually picking it off by hand... it comes off but too time consuming. What are some other efficient AND safe methods of removing it? thank you

Answer 1

You could try gently warming up the plastic film with a hair dryer. Sometimes the adhesive attraction between the plastic and the smooth surface of the tile will begin to let go as heat is applied making it easier to peel. Use care not to get it so hot that you melt the plastic film.

Answer 2

Hot water is definitely the solution. Tedious but very effective. Immerse tiles in fairly hot water and it will peel off quite easily.

Answer 3

I just did this and tried some of the solutions above. The only thing that ended up working was rubbing alcohol. Soak the plastic as much as you can with a soaked rag. Then pull slowly. Some areas go faster than others - usually the dryer areas (hence the alcohol). It goes faster if you 1) go slow enough to keep the plastic from tearing, and 2) keep broad tension on the plastic with all fingers or the side of your hand. This also keeps the plastic from peeling. It is tedious but there is no other way that worked for me.

Now I just need to find a way to remove the residue left behind!

Answer 4

I put the tiles in the freezer. It hardened the plastic so that it could be pulled off more easily. It is important to lay the tiles flat and pull slowly to start. Remove with a gentle motion.