Car Upholstery Repair

There are two options you have when you wish to repair the upholstery of your automobile. The car interiors are just as important as the outer appearance, and no one likes to have torn seat covers or upholstery at any point in time.

One way to fix this is to take the vehicle to a repair shop and have them fix it for you for a fairly large fee. The other option is to carry out the repair work yourself, and this is possible only if the damage is minor.

Car upholstery fabrics that are most common are synthetic fibers, leather, or vinyl, and there are a number of upholstery repair kits for cars that you can use in order to fix the damage. These kits are easily available at most auto shops and you can even purchase them online.

As long as you are confident that the repair work is minor enough for you to perform yourself, you can acquire these kits and follow the instructions on them.

Probably, your upholstery either has a tear or a hole on it. There are different methods of approach and different solutions for each of these problems. In case there is a tear in the upholstery, you will have to use the needle that is provided in the kit. You will then need to pick out a matching thread, and then you can sew the torn part back together.

A gel, or a kind of adhesive car upholstery glue, will also be provided in the kit and this needs to be applied over the patch that you have sewn. If you apply regular adhesive glue directly to the tear in order to hold it together, you will ruin the material that is present inside. Thus you will need to sew a patch of the same color over the torn part.

Even small holes in the upholstery can be repaired in this manner. The most common cause are cigarette butts, which almost always leave small gaping holes.

If the hole is too big you can sew over it with a patch, but if the hole is too small you can apply the special gel directly over the hold. You will need to spread it properly and then flatten it over the hole for it have maximum effect.

This is exactly the same procedure that an auto repair shop would adopt too, in case the damage is minor. So instead of shelling out a large amount of money, you can achieve the same purpose with the help of such kits. With a little bit of practice you can master the art, and make the upholstery as good as new again.

If the damage is very severe, you will have no option other than replacing the upholstery altogether. If there are many small holes or tears, this method will only make the car seat covers look very shabby and untidy. Hence you will have to give the vehicle to a repair shop, and you will be required to change the upholstery, which will be very expensive.

Here are some things that you must always remember and keep in mind.

• Assess the damage before you begin the repair process.
• Use a strong needle that is designed for this very purpose.
• Always use vinyl gel or leather gel to rub over the sewn area, and not regular glue.

• Use matching colors for the thread and for the patches as well.
• If you are not using a patch, stitch in an 'X' pattern.
• Do not use too much of the gel to rub over the repaired area, and flatten it out properly and give it enough time to settle.
• Use car upholstery cleaners from time to time to ensure that the seats are kept clean.

• Try to avoid using sharp objects that could tear the upholstery, and try to avoid cigarettes as they are the single biggest cause of car upholstery damage.
• Take the vehicle to a repair shop if the damage is too severe.

These kits are not very expensive and will cost you between $30 and $80. They can be used multiple times for upholstery repair work, so they are worthy purchases. With the right attitude and right materials, you can fix most of your upholstery damage yourself, and you will be very grateful for that.