How to Fix a Car Headliner Using Five Easy Methods

A sagging headliner can not only cause some panic to set in, and it is definitely not a good look on your car and you. The headliner may sag for a couple of reasons, including the effect of time on the car. After a while, the headliner adhesive may start to come off, and it is better to know how to fix it when that happens. While the hope is for the headliner to stick to the foam backing board during the car’s lifetime, that might not be the case. We will show you the tricks on how to fix a car headliner using tools you can get from the store right across the street.

How to Fix a Car Headliner

The methods we will show you below are proven and will solve your problem in a few simple steps.

1) Glue

You can glue the sagging headliner back to the car roof lining. This is the simplest and fastest car headliner repair that will eliminate your stress in no time. While the glue will stick back the sagging headliner quickly, it is effective against some elements like heat and humidity. Glue proves effective against time, and you will be satisfied with the results. The headliner will not sag all at once and may start sagging along the edges at first. This is the best repair time to use the glue to solve this problem.

While applying the headliner adhesive, it is better to use a spray bottle. This is because a spray bottle ensures even distribution of the adhesive, giving you better results on the hanging headliner. Some people prefer to use hot glue to solve this problem. However, you can use ordinary glue to hold the headliner when the problem is small and localized.

Alternatively, you can remove the entire headliner board from the car’s roof with the headliner and fix it outside the car. While a quick fix is always preferred, a proper fix is better. Next, remove the whole car’s headliner and the old glue to give space for the new glue. You also want a smooth texture once you are done. Finally, you want your car’s interior to be neat.

Remember the simple rule of using glue and removing dirt before gluing the sagging headliner. Use the best microfiber towels for detailing to avoid leaving behind some dust. The headliner starts getting loose where the headliner board meets the board. Pay attention to these parts, and you will save yourself a lot of time and money.

2) Pins

Using pins can be an on-the-go solution for a sagging headliner. Fixing the sagging headliner is as easy as pinning paper on a notice board. You can use many types of pins, including twist pins, thumbtacks or sequin pins. All those types of pins are effective and will work more or less in the same way.

Clear-headed twist pins are great for fixing a larger area on the car roof lining. Once the headliner starts sagging, it can come off over a large area pretty fast. Therefore, the pins can fix a sagging headliner quickly and effectively if you are short of time and need to get going. The pins are also known as saggy stoppers because they are famous for their effectiveness. The pins are also affordable and easily available in the market.

The advantage of using the twist pins is that they will not leave any holes on the car roof lining because of their corkscrew design, making them ideal for larger areas with sagging headliners. You can easily fix a sagging headliner quickly without damaging the look of your car interior with these special upholstery pins, making them the most convenient method to fix a sagging headliner.

3) Steam Cleaner and Paint Roller Combo

The headliner fabric material and the headliner board are held together using glue. You can take advantage of this existing glue by using a steam cleaner and paint roller combo without having to get new fabric and glue. If you already have these tools, your repair will be absolutely free, except maybe for the time you use to execute the repair.

The glue holding the headliner on the foam backing board melts under high temperatures. So you can use the steam cleaner to melt the glue and use the paint roller right behind the steam cleaner to help press the headliner fabric back to the backing board. This method is pretty simple and easy to carry out. A small steam cleaner will do just fine, and this method has proven effective.

Car owners are skeptical because the method may damage the material if used extensively. In addition, the method might be less effective if the glue holding together the headliner and the roof lining has dried too much. This method might pass for a temporary fix, but it can work if the glue is relatively fresh.

4) Double-Sided Tape

This method is used to repair headliners that are sagged partially. The headliner tends to start coming off around the rearview mirror or the door area, and these are the ones you want to re-install as soon as possible. The double-sided tape is specifically designed to hold on both sides, and it can hold the headliner for months. While the method is a temporary headliner repair, it can keep you going as you figure out the next course of action.

5) Stapler Gun and Hair Spray

I do not want to speculate who discovered this method, but it sure is brilliant. Unfortunately, they were probably about to leave their office. You can use a stapler gun on the headliner, but it will not last that long. This is where the hair spray comes in. Once you are done stapling the headliner, spray it with hair spray and let it dry on the roof lining. Once the headliner is dry, you can remove the staple because they do not look great and will come off sooner anyway.

You might want to consider the scent of the hair spray you are using because that might be your car’s new scent.

While these methods will come in handy to help in fixing the sagging headliner quickly, you need to avoid the situation if you can. So here are some ways of preventing the headliner from sagging.

How to Prevent the Car Headliner From Sagging

a) Stop Parking in the Sun

There are some situations where the only available parking spot is out in the sun. The UV rays are not very friendly to the car’s interior parts and you need to be aware of how UV affects the car interior. The car seats and other parts are not safe either. The heat melts the glue holding together the headliners and the roof lining. Before you know it, you will have a sagging headliner that requires repair. You may end up having to replace the whole headliner.

If you have a garage with no windows, then there is no difference with parking in the sun. Your car will heat up and the interior parts will be affected. You need to figure out how to cool a garage with no windows to protect your car as a whole.

b) Check the Headliner frequently for any Signs.

Headliners do not sag out of the blues. It starts with the small parts coming off, and the problem graduates to other parts. The vehicle will soon experience a sagging headliner because you did not catch it at the right time.

Check around areas around the rearview mirror, doors, and roof lights for signs. These areas will come off first because you will hardly find a headliner sagging from the center. Cars are not easy to maintain if you let a problem graduate to the next level. When you glue the parts that are coming off, the liner will stay in place for months or years.

c) Windshield Sun Protector

While parking away from the sun is a good idea, the earth rotates, and the sun changes position. If you parked under the only tree in the parking lot, the shadow would soon disappear. Having a windshield sun protector will save your headliner in the long run. The thing with UV rays is that it has nothing to do with direct sunlight. That is why even on a cloudy day, you might need a level of sunscreen on you.

The windshield sun protector will protect the car seats, dashboard, and headliner.

d) Wax Your Car Frequently

If you know how to wax your car, this will be an easy one. If the wax is the first layer before you get to the car headliner, you will do repairs less frequently than without the waxing. The extra layer protects the car headliner from UV rays and acts like sunscreen for your headliner. Car headliner repair will soon be a thing of the past to you.