Owning a classic car is an incredible honor, and one that requires the driver to take exceptional care of the vehicle, both inside and out. Classic car interiors are often looked over, but there is plenty of potential for innovation and style. The headliner fabric is what covers the interior of the cabin ceiling and can be designed to create a stylistic statement depending on your unique tastes. If you are due for headliner repair or auto upholstery work, there are problems that you can fix by yourself and those that require a professional. For instance, your car roof lining gets old with time. The first sign to tell this is by a sagging headliner.
You can fix this problem in minutes if you have the right knowledge. This post has everything you need to know about car roof lining. It also has a Do-It-Yourself guideline on how to fix car roof lining without removing.
What Is a Car Headliner?
A car roof lining is also known as a headliner or headlining. It is a fabric material that is on the inside roof of automobiles.
A headliner, or headlining, is a fabric that is secured to the roof framing. It gives the car’s roof a smooth texture, absorbs noises, and keep a pleasing interior temperature by buffering the outside cold and heat.
Over time and due to extreme weather conditions, the fabric may become loose and get separated from its backing board. This condition is known as ‘sagging headliner,’ which you sometimes cannot avoid repairing because it gets in the way.
Its Primary Purpose Is To:
- Enhance the car’s interior aesthetics by giving it a smooth texture
- Absorb excess noise from outside
- Regulates the internal temperatures by buffering heat and cold from outside
As a result, car roof linings can have multiple layers of composite materials.
Headliner Types
- Vinyl
For cars with bow headliners, vinyl is the optimal choice, as it can be cut precisely to fit the unique shape of the car. Vinyl is easy to clean and comes in a wide variety of colors, textures, and styles, so you can customize the look to fit your vision. Not only will vinyl create a classic appeal for your car’s interior, but it can be installed by a professional to look as if it were the original fabric.
- Synthetic
Synthetic cloth is a very light fabric that lends to incredible durability and breathability, meaning it won’t retain heat in the car. Synthetic cloth is even more durable than vinyl and is known for being tear- and rip-resistant, allowing you to drive the car with total peace of mind knowing its interior is virtually unable to be damaged.
- Foam Back
Foam backcloth options are perfect for cars that have foam-formed headliners. Your options include traditional foam backcloth, which is a simple piece of material with a foam backing attached and can be easily installed on the overhead board. Next, the foamback suede option, which lends to a more luxurious look, comes ready for installation with a foam back attached. The suede can be designed in a number of colors to match the style you are hoping to achieve, but it will create a timeless, expensive-looking interior for your ride. Lastly, you can opt for the foamback mossy oak, which is a cloth-printed headliner that creates a natural finish in the car interior.
Reason For a Car Headliner Repair
Over time, the car lining gets loose and detaches itself from its backing board. We call this process sagging.
When a car’s roof lining fails, it either sags or falls from the board in severe cases.
How To Repair Car Headliner
Most car owners put a lot of effort into the external maintenance of their vehicles. They are unconscious that the interior of a car also suffers gradual wear and tear.
Realizing too late that your car’s headliner needs attention can be a painful ordeal. As such, you need to examine the condition of the car’s interior frequently. If you notice any sagging, it is recommendable to make headliner repair immediately.
There are two ways through which you can fix a sagging headliner. You can either replace it with a new one or just fix the lining without removing it.
Replacing a headliner can be financially draining. It is even worse if your car is already old. You may end up paying an amount that is equal to the value of that car.
Replacing the headliner with a new one can be financially impractical, especially in an old car, because the expenses will be almost equal to the value of the car! So, how to fix sagging headliner without removing it is the most budget-friendly way? You can apply these tricks:
Clear-Headed Twist Pins Headliner Repair
These pins are appropriate for fixing large areas of a roof lining. They are also known as saggy stoppers.
They are incredibly affordable and readily available in the market. You can use twist pins to fix a roof lining that is about to fall off.
The most fantastic thing about these pins is that they do not leave holes on your board. As such, it is preferable to other methods.
Gluing Headliner Repair
The simplest way to reattach car headliner back to its place is by gluing. It works best if the fabric is sagging partially in the edges.
For the lining to evenly adhere back, it is recommendable to use a spray-on glue. Ensure that the glue you use is purposely for attaching car upholstery fabric.
Ordinary glue is not effective and cannot withstand adverse weather conditions.
Spray the glue on the entire upper side of the fabric. Also, spray some on the foam, which is under the lining.
Join the fabric to the foam and press firmly with your hands, removing any creases.
Steam Cleaner and Paint Roller for Headliner Repair
A sagging car headliner is because of glue’s impotence. A steam cleaner helps in melting the glue, and it can stick back.
A steam cleaner goes hand in hand with a paint roller combo. The roller helps to spread the lining firmly to the board without leaving creases.
This method is most effective on sagging fabric at the edges and corners. However, if the glue is old and has been dry for long, this method may not work.
Headliner Repair with Sequin Pins
Pins are also efficient in fixing car headliner without removing. When the fabric is sagging from the center, sequin pins are the most appropriate instead of glue.
They do not require much money or time. Even if half of the roof lining is coming off, these pins can effectively push it back. However, they are not recommendable to use for large areas.
After straightening the fabric, push the pins through to the foam backing. You can arrange the pins in an appealing pattern as you wish.
Double-sided Tape As a Headliner Repair
You can buy this double-sided tape from any auto shop in your vicinity. It works by sticking it to the roof’s frame and the lining.
This tape is very adhesive in that it can hold the lining in place for months. It is preferable for severe damages on the sides and edges.
This method is, however, not recommendable. You can only use it as a temporary fix before utilizing a more excellent approach.
Finally
In conclusion, a car’s headliner is an essential component of your vehicle. It enhances the car’s interior design, curbs outside noise, and regulates internal temperatures.
Therefore, you should give it ample attention and care, just like the body and wheels. Nonetheless, failing and sagging of the headliner is inevitable.
Depending on the type of classic car you own or the age and condition of your headliner may determine if headliner repairs are even practical to get it back into the condition you desire.
It happens due to natural wear and tear. Also, driving for too long in adverse weather conditions, heat or cold, is another major contributor.
Therefore, it is recommendable to protect your car as much as possible. However, if the inevitable sagging occurs, be quick to fix it.
Sagging often starts from the edges to the center. Fixing small issues is quick and requires fewer resources.
My dad passed down his old car to me a week ago, and I only noticed this morning how the car’s roof lining seems to be sagging. I appreciate you letting us know that we can fix this ordeal by either replacing the sagging headliner entirely with a new one or fixing the lining without having to remove it. I’ll be sure to keep this in mind while I look for an auto body shop for vehicle headliner repair that can recommend to me the best solution for this issue.