Carpet Tape

[crays]

I wanted to line my workbench top with outdoor carpet and use double sided carpet tape. Picked up a roll of tape at Home Depot that's kind of like silicone/rubber. Well, it won't stick to the carpet and it's pissing me off. Any tips on a better brand/style/type of tape or another adhesive? I want to be able to remove and replace the carpet at some point, so the installation can't be permanent. Thanks.

Its heat activated glue. Similar to hot glue but you use a specific iron.

Spread out some carpet glue. Let it get tacky then put the carpet on or use a stapler.

Another option would be to nail some trim over the carpet all the way around

Sounds like he's using double-sided adhesive tape, not hot seam tape. I doubt hot tape would stick to the metal, anyway.

Stupid questions first KS...you are peeling the backing off the tape, right?
Why, in your opinion is in not adhering to the carpet backing, which leads to the next question: what kind of backing does your carpet have?
Lots of variables here. A lot of the backing on outdoor carpets loos like a grid if you look at the back, and the synthetics they use to manufacture it aren't really all that stable. There isn't a lot of surface area for the adhesive to bond to, and what it does bond to isn't really all that stable. Most outdoor carpet is designed to be loose-layed, or put down with 100% spread flooring adhesive.

ETA: Let me guess, it's not adhering to the carpet and when you look at the tape, it looks like your dropped the tape on a really dirty floor?

[KS63]

Sounds like he's using double-sided adhesive tape, not hot seam tape. I doubt hot tape would stick to the metal, anyway.

Stupid questions first KS...you are peeling the backing off the tape, right?
Why, in your opinion is in not adhering to the carpet backing, which leads to the next question: what kind of backing does your carpet have?
Lots of variables here. A lot of the backing on outdoor carpets loos like a grid if you look at the back, and the synthetics they use to manufacture it aren't really all that stable. There isn't a lot of surface area for the adhesive to bond to, and what it does bond to isn't really all that stable. Most outdoor carpet is designed to be loose-layed, or put down with 100% spread flooring adhesive.

ETA: Let me guess, it's not adhering to the carpet and when you look at the tape, it looks like your dropped the tape on a really dirty floor?

It's double sided tape, and yes, I did peel the backing off. It adheres to the steel fine, just not the backside of the carpet. I've got a 2x4 and some c-clamps on it now to see if it just needs more pressure. The carpet does not have a mesh backing like most carpet I've seen. It's fairly smooth. I'll try a test piece tomorrow with the heat gun and see if that works.