How to reattach fabric to ceiling?

[mrblotto]

Greetings everyone,

The other day I noticed the 'fabric' or whatever it's called coming down on the ceiling on the '01 Jeep. I can push it back up there and it will stay......until like the next day lol.

I'm kind of at a loss figuring out how to permanently reattach it tho. Get some sort of goo in a syringe and shoot it up in there and spread it around? Remove the plastic cover things around the doors so I can get to the edge of the fabric and try from there? Magic? Rough-talk the fabric into cooperating?

Thank you as always! I know I can google it, but this is way more fun and educational IMO

blah-toe

Edit: found out it's called a 'headliner' lol

 

[Jumpem]

Most people I have seen will use staples to hold it up. Otherthan that, you probably have to order a replacement.

 

[arrfep]

It's called the headliner. I'm not sure there's a good way to reattach it that will look good. If you go with any kind of glue, it will probably seep through the fabric. That felt or whaterver is commonly used is pretty porous. You might try some spray adhesive, if you can figure out how to spray it on the ceiling panel, let it get tacky, and then rub the fabric in.

I'd also like to hear if anyone's had success with any particular method, because mine is drooping in a few places.

 

[Gillbot]

Spray Adhesive

You spray the hardback ONLY, allow it to tack up then press it the fabric onto the hardback. It'll stay if you do it right and won't "seep through" as others claim. You don't need to use that much adhesive for it to seep through.

Any decent auto parts store or reputable paint shop should have it and be able to instruct you on it's use.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

Spray Adhesive

You spray the hardback ONLY, allow it to tack up then press it the fabric onto the hardback. It'll stay if you do it right and won't "seep through" as others claim. You don't need to use that much adhesive for it to seep through.

Any decent auto parts store or reputable paint shop should have it and be able to instruct you on it's use.

the absolute key is the tack time.

 

[Bartman39]

the absolute key is the tack time.

This...:thumbsup: (in relation to temp and humidity which should also be on the can)

 

[JulesMaximus]

Spray Adhesive

You spray the hardback ONLY, allow it to tack up then press it the fabric onto the hardback. It'll stay if you do it right and won't "seep through" as others claim. You don't need to use that much adhesive for it to seep through.

Any decent auto parts store or reputable paint shop should have it and be able to instruct you on it's use.

Get it wrong and it won't look right but this really is your best bet short of replacing the headliner completely.

 

[mrblotto]

I'm guessing the 'hardback' is the foam? I'll be fixin to go to Autozone/PepBoys/Advance then to see if they have any of that spray adhesive goo then.

So pretty much:
-Make sure wife is taking a nap or otherwise busy
-Take out headliner (screws and whatnot) via the back
-Take off fabric
-Clean up loose foam and whatnot
-Spray adhesive goo
-Let it get tacky
-Reattach fabric (pref in a neat fashion lol) starting from center
-Put headliner back on/in

Thx again!

 

[Gillbot]

I'm guessing the 'hardback' is the foam? I'll be fixin to go to Autozone/PepBoys/Advance then to see if they have any of that spray adhesive goo then.

So pretty much:
-Make sure wife is taking a nap or otherwise busy
-Take out headliner (screws and whatnot) via the back
-Take off fabric
-Clean up loose foam and whatnot
-Spray adhesive goo
-Let it get tacky
-Reattach fabric (pref in a neat fashion lol) starting from center
-Put headliner back on/in

Thx again!

The hardback can be made of many different materials, it depends on the car. I've seen foam, cardboard, fiberglass and even metal.

 

[thomsbrain]

Car Talk also said to use spray adhesive when someone asked this question, but they suggested just making a tiny slit in the fabric to do it rather than bother taking it apart.

 

[marvdmartian]

Failing the old spray adhesive trick, ask around, and do some research, on people that replace headliners in your area.

When I had my Nissan Frontier, the headliner started coming down at about 4 years of age. I mentioned it to a friend, who turned me on to a private individual who did it on the side, and who did a really nice job. For $75, I got not only my headliner, but my visors re-done, in matching material. That job lasted until I got rid of my truck, at 11.5 years old. :thumbsup:

 

[bobdole369]

In my 89 Firebird - I had some black/white checkerboard fabric my wife had laying around - and took the entire headliner backing down too. I removed all that I could (the flaking junk and any remaining headliner) from the cardboardlike backing, used staples and "retainers" along with a healthy amount of spray adhesive (think craft store stuff).

It lasted the 3 years until a soccer mom t-boned me running a red light at 45mph while talking on her cell phone with 2 little kids in her car.

Adhesive by itself will also fail.

 

[Pulsar]

3M spray adhesive. Has the small spray tube much like WD-40 for pinpoint applications. You can put a miniscule hole in the headliner and squirt very SHORT squirts in different places.

Applied correctly it will NOT fail. In many cases it's used to hold marine headliners up in power and sailboats. In fact I've used in both my cars and boats.

Do a test first and see how long it takes to get to the sticky-but-not-liquid stage so you don't soak through. Thin is better, less is more.

The problems you'll run into are that the fabric has stretched. When you're putting it back up, it'll be tough to do it without having folds in it. Working upside down is a bitch.

The best way is if you can peel off more to get about half the head liner peeled down, all the way to one side, front, or back. Then you can spray onto the foam, let it dry, and stick it back up while working slowly toward the edge to eliminate any folding from stretchy fabric.

 

[Raizinman]

I've done a few of these. I'll make a tiny hole with a razor blade. Then use the 3m headliner adhesive. I'll get a long spray tube like form a Gumout can or such. Stick the hose through the hole and spray about 15" in all directions from that little hole. I'll wait a minute or two for the adhesive to start to get very sticky, and then push the fabric as best as possible back on. Yes, sometimes you will get a wrinkle or crease, but who really examines the headliner? You basically don't want it flopping on your head or blocking your rearview mirror. When was the last time you really examined your headliner? Last time I was restoring a vehicle and needed the headliner done perfectly, an interior shop charged me about $185 to do a custom headliner.This should get you by.

 

[slashbinslashbash]

If it's just in a small place or two, get some sewing pins. Push them in at an angle into the backer board. You can get the small pins that just leave a tiny silver dot showing once it's all the way pushed in. Note, you don't have to push it all the way in to the backer board -- just all the way in through the layers of fabric and foam. If you do it at an acute enough angle, then you don't really even have to force it at all. Takes all of 5 minutes and a couple of cents' worth of pins. If you have major sag problems then it's worth it to look at the more major repair options and remove the whole headliner from the vehicle. This can be a pain in the ass if you're dealing with a large number of lights/overhead console/AC vents/etc.

 

[mrblotto]

Thanx for all the suggestions guys. I'll try to get a pic, 'cause I KNOW you're all dying to see what the sagging headliner looks like lol!

No, but seriously, thank you ALL!

Blah-toe