When it comes to buying, selling, or even driving the car, there is no doubt that one of the biggest eye sores imaginable, is a car roof lining that is barely holding on – the saggy car roof liner. The large puff of material drooping from all angles of the roof is so prominent that there is no hiding it from sight. And to think that it could be easily concealed behind a few thumbtacks or nails, you will be surely in for quite the disappointment. If your car is looking aged with a dull looking liner that has reached well beyond its young years, chances are, you are in deep need of a car roof lining repair. According to car roof lining technicians, Schmicko, they find that the saggy liner tends to happen commonly across cars aged at least 10 years or older with some degree of water damage i.e. cars fitted with a sunroof.
Not only does a saggy roof liner devalue your car’s resale value, it also presents the driver with a distracting hazard blocking their vision and for those with a severe case, it is overwhelmingly annoying as it sits on your head.
Why does this happen?
Sometimes it can be due to 1 reason and at times, most of the time, a combination of a few causes that include
- Humidity
- Age
- Physical Trauma
- Sunroof/DVD unit
Humidity and moisture can get trapped underneath the liner and can be at times due to having a sunroof or a recently installed DVD unit. This exposes air and under fast speed limits, causes it to weaken the glue that holds the roof liner intact. This is one of the main reasons why using too many cleaning agents on the roof liner during a car detailing session is forbidden or highly advised against, due to the risk of that saggy roof finish.
Why you should perform a car roof lining repair
- Insulates the interior – temperature regulation.
- Aesthetically pleasing – a saggy roof is such an unpleasant view.
- Maintain your car’s resale value – a saggy roof makes your car look unreliable and old, this will be a make-or-break point for those looking to sell their car.
- Soundproofs the car against external noises eg. Trucks, traffic and birds and so on
However, this result tends to gravitate towards age, the older the car is, the more likely it is going to develop a case of saggy roof in combination with all the other factors listed there.
How to fix the roof liner
- Using the right screwdriver and planks, remove the surrounding screws, bolts, brackets, and pillars. It is best to take caution as some of these parts can be wedged in requiring quite a bit of force to uninstall. Be certain to place the nuts and screws in a safe area that you can easily locate afterwards. You do not want to finish the job and realise you are missing some screws. Older vehicles tend to be more brittle and so there is a possibility that some frail and brittle parts may break upon contact and pressure (you may not have a choice).
- Safely remove the canvas and peel off the old liner, which may require some pulling pressure to completely remove. Depending on the condition of the canvas, it can be very fragile, so care and caution must be taken. Most of the time with a saggy roof, the canvas tends to be soft and brittle too due to water damage.
- Use a tough brush to remove all the old glue – this will present you with a fresh canvas to work with.
- Apply the new glue adhesive to the canvas with a nice distribution.
- Roll on the new car roof lining material and press gently with your hands so that it fits onto the canvas snug. If you have a sunroof or DVD unit, then that definitely throws a spanner in the works. You will need to consider this during the fitting phase to have a cut out hole to fit around these areas. Using a Stanley knife or blade can be simple way to cut out your insert.
- Once ready, tuck in the roof liner canvas back onto the roof and inserting it along the car brackets so that you can adjust it into place via the screws, bolts and pillars collected.
- Now that you have a freshly new lining installed, it is time for a final inspection to see if you have left any fingerprints or grease marks on the surface. Especially on the beige car roof liners, it is easy to dirty and contaminate, so always come equipped with an upholstery cleaner to touch up any dirty spots. The entire process should only take a couple of hours to perform, but will take longer for those with a DVD unit, sunroof, large surface area or brittle canvas.
So, there you have it, how to perform a car roof lining repair so that you can treat your case of ‘saggy roof liner’ right away. If you are like many out there who lack the time or resources to do this as DIY project or just do not want to risk further damaging the roof, then seeking professional assistance would be ideal. Typically, an upholstery repairer or car roof lining technician are what they can be searched as otherwise your local car detailing store or upholstery fitter may offer some advice.
