If you’ve recently noticed that your car headliner is sagging or drooping, it may be time to replace it. But before you go out and buy a new headliner, consider using car headliner glue instead.
What You Need to Know
Car headliner glue is a simple and cost-effective way to secure your headliner back in place without buying a replacement.
Here’s everything you need to know about car headliner glue to make the right decision for your car.
What Is Car Headliner Glue?
As the name suggests, car headliner glue is a special adhesive formulated specifically for car headliners. It is designed to securely attach fabric material to various surfaces, such as foam backing materials and other textiles commonly found in vehicles.
Depending on the brand, some car headliner glues are water-resistant and heatproof, making them ideal for long-term use in cars that experience extreme weather conditions.
How To Apply
Applying car headliner glue isn’t overly complicated, but it requires patience and precision. Use a pair of scissors or an X-Acto knife to remove any loose pieces of fabric around the area where the sagging has occurred.
Then apply the adhesive directly onto both surfaces (the back of the fabric and the foam surface) until they are fully covered with an even layer of glue.
Press firmly on both surfaces for 10-15 seconds, and then wait 24 hours for the adhesive to dry before driving your vehicle again.
Types
Several types of adhesives are available for use on car headliners today, including vinyl adhesives, contact adhesives, aerosol sprays, spray guns, and heat guns.
Each type of adhesive has its advantages and disadvantages
- Vinyl adhesives provide strong bonding power but take longer to apply than aerosol sprays or contact adhesives
- Aerosol sprays offer quick application but don’t provide as much bonding power as vinyl adhesives
- Contact adhesives provide strong bonding but require more time and effort
Which type of adhesive you choose will depend largely on your budget and preference.
What’s the Best Glue to Use on a Headliner?
The headliner is an important part of your vehicle, and keeping it in good condition can help keep your car looking its best. So, let’s look at what type of glue is best for the job.
Types of Glue for Car Upholstery
Knowing what kind of material you have is important before deciding which glue to use.
When it comes to adhesives, there are several different types available on the market. Some popular choices include contact cement and spray adhesive.
- Contact cement works well with most materials and can often be found at your local hardware store or auto parts store.
- Spray adhesive is also widely available and can be used on many surfaces. However, it is important to ensure the surface is completely clean before applying any spray adhesive, as it can easily ruin any surface if not applied properly.
In addition to these two types of adhesives, some more specialized adhesives, such as neoprene-based adhesives and polyurethane-based adhesives, are specifically made for certain materials such as plastics or fabrics.
These adhesives are often found at specialty stores such as boat supply stores or online retailers like Amazon or eBay.
How Much Does it Cost to Get a New Headliner?
If you’ve got an old car, you might consider replacing your headliner. But how much does it cost?
Cost of Materials
Depending on your type of material, prices range from $30-150 per yard, but most are between $50-80 per yard. This means that depending on the size of your vehicle, it could cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several hundred dollars just for materials alone.
Labor Costs
If you’re taking your car to an auto body shop for installation, expect to pay around $300-400 for labor.
If you’re hiring an experienced mobile installer or DIYing it yourself, you may get away with spending as little as $100-200 in labor costs.
Additional Costs
Additional costs may be associated with getting a new headliner installed, such as tools needed for installation and any miscellaneous fees charged by installers or auto body shops.
All these expenses should be considered when estimating how much money you need to spend on getting a new headliner installed in your vehicle.
