How to Fix Your Car Roof Lining Without Removing It
Sagging car roof linings can be fixed with glue, double-sided tape, sequin pins, clear-headed twist pins, or by using a steam cleaner and paint roller.
You can fix your car roof lining without removing it in one of four ways: gluing it back in place, pinning it to the car’s roof, applying double-sided tape, or using a steam cleaner and paint roller.
If your car roof lining is sagging, there are some DIY fixes you can try using glue, sequin pins, double-sided tape, or steam cleaner.
If your sagging roof is affecting your visibility, you might need to replace the headliner completely.
Professional repairs can cost $150 or more, meaning you could save money if a DIY method proves effective.
A car’s headliner, or the upholstery that covers the roof, is made up of three distinct parts:
An outer layer of fabric
A sturdy inner substrate
An inner foam backing
It helps insulate the vehicle and improve your car interior’s visual appeal while also dampening sound and vibrations.
Depending on how your vehicle is upholstered, this outer fabric material may be vinyl, leather, or cloth. The inner substrate may consist of either fiberglass or a thick cardboard.
Causes of a sagging headliner
Like most things in your vehicle, the roof lining ages. Over time, the outer fabric layer may come loose or separate from the backing board, in which case it will sag and droop downwards.
This is often due to one of the following:
Poor maintenance: If you fail to take care of the interior of your vehicle, the upholstery, carpet, and roof lining can all suffer premature wear and tear.
Glue failure:Another common reason for the headliner to sag is glue failure, where the original adhesive holding the lining in place loses its stickiness over time.
Extreme heat and humidity:If your vehicle is regularly subject to high temperatures, humidity, and other unsavory weather conditions, it can cause the glue securing the lining to melt or dampen, thereby reducing its ability to hold the headliner in place.
UV exposure:Oftentimes, the area where your headliner meets the windshield near the visors is the first place sagging occurs—this is largely due to the fact it receives the most sunlight and therefore the most UV ray exposure.
If your car roof lining starts to sag, comes loose, or becomes otherwise damaged, there are a couple of ways to fix the lining without having to take it off or remove it from the roof entirely.
How to fix a sagging headliner without taking it off
If you’re looking to repair your sagging car headliner at home rather than paying someone else to do it, try one of the four DIY methods listed below.
These car headliner repair methods are often quicker, cheaper, and require less expertise than a full headliner replacement, making them perfect for repairing minor damage or wear.
Option 1: Use glue
If your car’s headliner has started to sag along the edges or at a corner, the easiest way to repair it is with glue, specifically a spray-on headliner adhesive made for attaching car roof lining—though hot glue can work in a pinch if you don’t have the professional spray adhesive.
Option 2: Pin it to the car roof
You can also fix sagging car roof lining by pinning it back in place. Simply take a few pins (pushpins, sequin pins, clear-headed twist pins, etc.), push them through the fabric layer into the foam backing board, and your headliner should look as good as new!
Option 3: Use double-sided tape
Another option for repairing a sagging headliner, especially on edges and corners, is by taping it back in place with double-sided tape.
Be aware:Out of all the methods listed, this is probably the least effective. Tape loses its stickiness faster than glue, so it should be treated more as a temporary fix than a permanent solution.
Option 4: Use a steam cleaner and paint roller
You can use a steam cleaner and a paint roller to reattach your sagging headliner fabric—all you have to do is apply the steam cleaner to the liner, let the original adhesive melt from the heat, and use the roller to smooth out any creases in the fabric so that it sets up evenly.
Headliner repair or replacement cost
Here are the average costs of repairing or replacing the headliner depending on the details of the required service:
DIY repair:About $20 to $50 for the materials/tools to perform one of the fixes listed above
Auto shop repair: About $150 to $500 (depending on the extent of the damage and whether you’re replacing the headliner entirely)
Roof lining replacement at the dealership: $500 to $900
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FAQs
How do you reattach a roof liner in a car?
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If your car roof liner starts to sag, you can reattach it with glue/spray-on adhesive, double-sided tape, pins (sequin pins, clear twist pins, etc.), or by using a steam cleaner to melt the lining’s original adhesive and then smooth it out with a paint roller.
What are the benefits of repairing a car headliner?
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Generally speaking, the biggest benefit of repairing your car’s headliner—whether via the DIY methods listed in the article or at an automotive repair shop—is that it is going to be much cheaper than replacing the headliner altogether.
How do you replace a headliner?
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If you decide to replace your headliner rather than repair it, you’ll need to cover the interior upholstery with a drop-cloth, remove all trim pieces and accessories with a plastic pry tool, peel away the old headliner, rip off the headliner fabric, brush off all of the old glue, measure and cut the new headliner material, apply adhesive to the headliner board and stick the fabric to it, let it dry for 24-hours, and then reinstall the headliner on the roof of the car.
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