Cabin Headliner Repair

SSfan · Aug 21, 2011

I have a 1996 Crownline 210 CCR, and the fabric on the headliner in the cabin is dropping away from the foam ceiling. I've tried two types of spray adhesive (Loctite and 3M) and neither will adhere the fabric back to the foam. Can anyone tell me the best way repair the interior?

oops! · Aug 21, 2011

Re: Cabin Headliner Repar

Re: Cabin Headliner Repar

hi....welcome to iboats !

ok....what type of repair did you do?...did you pull the headliner down? completly un staple it and remove the foam from the fabric?

what type of fabric was it...a vynal attached to the foam from the factory or was it just vynal wrapped foam?

i use 3m foam glue....and 3m auto trim glue...

but...if the vynal was attached to the foam....i would just replace the vynal, glue it on a flat surface...staple the vynal back on the backing plate.....let cure with the vynal yp....than after cure ...re install.

oh...by the way...read the instructions on the can....a lot of foam type glues are more like contact cement where they have to sit for a while....but in any case...let it cure before re installing

SSfan · Aug 21, 2011

Re: Cabin Headliner Repar

Re: Cabin Headliner Repar

Its not vinyl, but sort of a velvety fabric. It was glued or adhered to the foam on the ceiling, but is pulling away. I tried 3M and Loctite spray adhesive, but neither worked.

SSfan · Aug 21, 2011

Re: Cabin Headliner Repar

Re: Cabin Headliner Repar

The fabric is sort of velvet. Its not vinyl, and it appears it was adhered, but is falling away from the foam.

SSfan · Aug 21, 2011

Re: Cabin Headliner Repar

Re: Cabin Headliner Repar

And, it wasn't stapled or tacked - it was glued somehow.

oops! · Aug 21, 2011

Re: Cabin Headliner Repar

Re: Cabin Headliner Repar

im not sure of the fabric you mean......but did you totally dis mantle it and try to repair it...or what was the repair process....

dont take this the wrong way...but i am sencing warning bells about the method of repair rather than the glue.

oops! · Aug 21, 2011

Re: Cabin Headliner Repar

Re: Cabin Headliner Repar

but it was stapled to the backing board right?....or was it just glued directly to fiber glass?

SSfan · Aug 21, 2011

Re: Cabin Headliner Repar

Re: Cabin Headliner Repar

There's foam glued to the ceiling of the cabin, and the fabric was adhered to the foam. There's no way to pull the headliner out. I tried spraying adhesive and pressing the fabric back onto the foam, but it won't stick.

oops! · Aug 21, 2011

Re: Cabin Headliner Repar

Re: Cabin Headliner Repar

i think you are going to have to replace the foam that is glued to the fiberglass....

the old glue is preventing a bond from glue to glue.

but in a last ditich effort.....3m makes a foam glue that is like contact cement......spray it on both foam sides.....wait for 10 mins then apply.

if not.....find a new headliner material and start from scratch bud....

you will have to grind/sand the old foam glue off the fiber glass. and clean with acetone or it wont bond

SSfan · Aug 21, 2011

Re: Cabin Headliner Repar

Re: Cabin Headliner Repar

Wow, thanks. Not what I wanted to hear, but I think I agree. The spray adhesive is just not working with the existing foam. Thanks for the help. I appreciate it.

For the short term, I hear you can get headliner "tacks" that have barbs in them. You push the tack thru the velvet into the foam and the barbs hold the tack. Ever heard of that? Might make it managable until this winter when its cool enough to work in the cabin for long periods of time?

Thanks again.

Scott Danforth · Aug 21, 2011

Re: Cabin Headliner Repar

Re: Cabin Headliner Repar

try a convertible top company locally, they may have some adhesive that may work

SSfan · Aug 21, 2011

Re: Cabin Headliner Repar

Re: Cabin Headliner Repar

Good idea. There's a Fisher Body (GM OEM) franchise here, and they're pretty good. They fixed my covertables' back window with some special adhesive when the dealership wanted to replace the whole top.

Worth a call. Thanks to both of you.

Cabin Headliner Repair

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