What glue to stick headliner fabric with?

mrtask

Well-Known Member
I have a bolt of unused 'salt and pepper' headlining cloth. I was thinking about re-covering the front section of headlining, the foam covered board through which the sun visors and interior mirror are attached. What kind of glue should I use to stick the fabric in place with? I thought I would just add a new layer over the old one.
 
Hi Mrtask.
Ive used evostick contact glue which is similar to what the factory used with good results.
Regards.
Clive.
 
Most PVC 'fabrics,' or Vinyls as they are better known are backed with a cotton scrim or flock. These can be bonded using evostick 528 contact adhesive if nothing else is available. Better to use Alpha 1358, or 178 as these have a much better heat resistance. Don't use aerosol adhesives.

Non backed vinyls are more difficult and are either bonded using Polyurethane or Nitrile contact type adhesives, or VAE emulsions if one side is porous (e.g. bonding vinyl to hardboard).

Bonding a new sheet of vinyl over an old one is notoriously difficult. Personally, I wouldn't do it.

The problem you get is that the plasticising agents (phthalates) used to make your uPVC (unplasticised Poly Vinyl Chloride - the stuff your windows are made of) into the flexible PVC headlining, tends to migrate into the glue line. SBR glues are the worst for this (Most aerosols) followed by polychlorprenes (e.g. Evostick 528). The hotter they get, the quicker they migrate. So a very cold country, you may get away with it, but get a nice hot summers day and the amount of plasticiser migration can actually turn the glue line back into a liquid, and the whole lot falls off leaving a sticky residue.

Richard
 
So that's why my job looks so crap 2 years later! (Overlapped joins on vinyl headliner around sunroof)
Always good to read a lucid explanation from a professional - thanks Richard.
John
 
Thanks for your advice guys. I hadn't realised it is a vinyl, to be honest. I had assumed it was a woven fabric. Might just try cleaning up the old stuff first!
 
Thanks for the input guys. I hadn't realised it is PVC and not a woven fabric. Perhaps I'll just try cleaning the old stuff up to start with!
 
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