If the ceiling in the car has lost its attractive appearance and dry cleaning no longer cope with this problem, then the most optimal way out of the situation is to stretch the upholstery. All work on replacing the upholstery can be done independently without contacting specialists.
The appearance of the car's interior directly depends on the condition of the ceiling: burnt out, worn upholstery, keeping fingerprints, having scuffs makes a depressing impression and needs to be replaced. Despite the seeming laboriousness of this procedure, you can pull the ceiling in the car interior with high quality and at low cost with your own hands, without resorting to specialized services.
Dismantling the ceiling
The process of updating the ceiling upholstery begins with the dismantling of all fastening elements, devices and accessories: visors, handles, shades, plugs, sensors. In addition, all electrical connectors must be disconnected. When dismantling ceiling elements, it is recommended to memorize or write down the order of removal of parts and their location in the fixation points, because assembly must be carried out strictly following the reverse sequence of actions.
After dismantling the ceiling elements, the old upholstery is removed: you need to bend or remove the decorative panels, under which the edges of the fabric are folded and carefully pull the material out from under these panels. Often, to maintain its shape, the material is attached to a dense base - cardboard or foam rubber, in which case the fabric must be disconnected from the substrate. It is also recommended to remove the underlay from the car interior and carefully clean it from traces of glue and residues of decorative material.
Padding upholstery
The material removed from the ceiling will be used as a template for making a pattern. On top of the new fabric, the old upholstery is applied, fixed with tailor's needles or masking tape, chalk or an erasable fabric marker, the contours of all slots for handles, lamps of salon lighting and other technical openings are applied. The holes are cut with a sharp knife, with a distance of about 3 cm from the edges, so that the edge of the fabric can be folded to the wrong side and secured with tape.
Pasting the substrate with new material begins from the attachment points of the visors, clockwise. The glue is most conveniently used in spray guns - it provides a uniform layer, good fit of the fabric and greatly facilitates the process of upholstery tightening. If the car interior needs additional sound insulation, then a layer of foam rubber can be glued between the fabric and the backing.
Ceiling stretching work should be carried out in a well-ventilated room, but without drafts, otherwise the upholstery may stick with bubbles and irregularities. Installation of the ceiling is carried out only after the glue has completely dried, when it is possible to make sure that the new upholstery material is glued without sagging, distortions and folds.
If the car ceiling does not have a backing, the new fabric is secured with steel rods in the side ceiling slots provided by the manufacturer. The upholstery is then pulled at the rear of the passenger compartment and secured with tight clothespins. After that, the canvas is pulled tightly in the front and side parts of the cabin and is also fixed. If the upholstery has lay flat, without deformations and distortions, then it can be glued around the perimeter of the cabin. All work is best done with the help of an assistant.
