Why get foam backed cloth? That was the problem to begin with.
Photography by Tim Suddard
Flapping in the breeze, and not in a good way. Our 2011 BMW 328i needed a new headliner.
We see this often in cars that have 15 or 20 years on them: The foam between the fabric and the headliner’s backing–usually fiberboard or plastic–disintegrates.
End result? The cloth has nothing to attach to, hence the flapping in the breeze–or drooping onto the occupants’ heads.
First, no, you cannot just spray some glue up there and stick the cloth back onto the backing. The proper repair method is inexpensive–budget about $50 total–but, sadly, involves a bit of work.
Step 1: After removing any sun visors, grab handles and other things that help retain the fabric, pull the entire headliner out of the car–it usually wiggles through one of the doors at some nearly impossible-to-figure-out angle. Don’t break any clips, and don’t forget how it goes back together. (Your cell phone camera and a tray for those clips are your friends to keep things organized.)
Step 2: Every larger town has an automotive trimming supply store. Drive there. (You can also find what you need online.)
Step 3: You will need a piece of headliner material–the cloth already attached to the foam. Figure about two yards–it’s about 60 inches wide–will do it. Thankfully, most headliners come in the same basic gray, white and black, so getting a near match is pretty easy.
Step 4: You will need some contact cement, either brush or spray (preferable), and a large table to lay the job out on. A roller and brushes (if you don’t use spray glue) are also needed.
Step 5: Fully strip the cloth off the backing board. Be careful not to bend the panel or break any clips. A wire brush and compressed air work well for removing the remains of the old foam. If you do not get the old foam off, the new foam will not stick. Wear proper safety gear, too.
Step 6: Find your centers, front and rear, and mark them on both the panel and your new fabric. A marker can bleed through, so use chalk, soapstone or space pen (available at sewing supply shops).
Step 7: Spread or spray your glue on half (or less) of both your fabric and the corresponding area of the panel. Let both sides dry for about 10 to 15 minutes. Wet glue can stain your new headliner.
Step 8: Once dry, you can work the new headliner into place. A roller and strong hands will help. Once the two glued surfaces touch each other, it is darned near impossible to lift the material without ruining your new headliner.
Step 9: Work your way around the rest of the headliner.
Step 10: Once finished applying the new fabric, cut holes for the sun visors, sunroofs, grab handles, etc. Use sharp shears, a razor blade or knife.
Step 11: Cut away any excess materials around the perimeter.
Step 12: As most hateful shop manuals will tell you, assembly is the reverse of disassembly.
Why get foam backed cloth? That was the problem to begin with.
The foam hides the imperfections and pattern in the fiberboard.
Ah, ok.
Two steps:
Done.
What if the fiber board is warped? Is there a way to shape it back to factory?
I don't think so. They are typically heat pressed to shape. I've never seen one warped bad enough that the roof attachments (handles and lamps) wouldn't make it work.
Duke said:Two steps:
- Take car to local upholstery shop.
- Happily pay them $200 to do it so you don't have to deal with brittle interior trim, inscrutable disassembly process, adhesive fumes, fabric wrinkles, poor adhesion, etc.
Done.
but what fun is that?
Duke said:Two steps:
- Take car to local upholstery shop.
- Happily pay them $200 to do it so you don't have to deal with brittle interior trim, inscrutable disassembly process, adhesive fumes, fabric wrinkles, poor adhesion, etc.
Done.
I tried that--the quote was $800.
Tom Suddard said:Duke said:Two steps:
- Take car to local upholstery shop.
- Happily pay them $200 to do it so you don't have to deal with brittle interior trim, inscrutable disassembly process, adhesive fumes, fabric wrinkles, poor adhesion, etc.
Done.
I tried that--the quote was $800.
I paid the $800, and they broke all the clips, messed up the sunroof cover and I had to reassemble everything myself.
DIY is the way to go.
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