Roof and Floor Covering Felts Used in Vehicles

In this article, we will talk about the felt used on vehicle roofs and floors, and how you can renew your car’s headliner using felt. As is well known, felt is a very practical and versatile material. For this reason, it is used in many different fields, and once you decide what you want to use it for, it is quite easy to find the right type of felt for your needs. As the use of felt becomes increasingly widespread, it is now possible to see felt in almost every sector. Felt used in floor coverings has also become very common. At the same time, floor covering felt is not used only for automobile floors; it has a wide variety of applications. For this reason, roof and floor covering felts attract great interest.

The advantages of roof and floor covering felts can be listed as follows:

• Felts with a hydrophobic structure are water-resistant.
• They provide thermal and sound insulation in the area where they are applied.
• They can be bent and shaped easily.

Another advantage of roof and floor covering felts is that they are easy to install on your own after purchase. Especially some floor felts used in automobiles are reinforced with a protective layer against scratches and abrasion. You can also choose and use floor felts with this protective layer. Now that we have talked about floor felts, we can move on to how you can replace your car’s roof lining.

If your vehicle’s headliner is old, sagging, and you are thinking of replacing it, how about doing this renewal using felt? In the rest of this article, we will explain how you can renew your car’s roof using felt.

Start renewing your vehicle’s roof by removing all the tools and accessories that hold the headliner board in place. Then you can remove the existing headliner and replace it with the new felt headliner.

Remove seat belts, interior lights, grab handles, and other accessories. You can remove the accessories attached to the headliner using a screwdriver. Place the removed accessories aside together with their screws or bolts, as this will make reinstallation easier later.

Carefully lift and remove the panels. The side trim panels are the plastic covers located just below the headliner. You can use a screwdriver or your hands to lift the edges of the panels. Slowly pull the headliner until it comes out of the clips. Remove the front, rear, and side panels of the vehicle.

Be careful while pulling the trim panels, as their connectors can break or snap easily and may be difficult to replace. Set the panels aside and keep them organized so that you can reinstall them properly after placing the new felt headliner.

Pull one end of the headliner board out from above the panels. Look for a folded edge where the headliner board meets the side of the vehicle, just above the panels you removed. Use your hands or a screwdriver to lift one side of the headliner so that you have a grip point to pull it down.

Remove the headliner from the vehicle. Use both hands to pull the board downward from the loosened side. Take the board out of the vehicle and place it on a flat surface such as a table or the floor. Rotate the board so that it can pass through the vehicle door.

Remove the old headliner fabric from the board. Grab one end of the fabric and carefully pull it off. The foam backing on the board may stick to the surface as you remove the fabric, but continue pulling until all of the fabric is removed. Pay attention to how the fabric is wrapped around the board so that you can cover it with felt in a similar way. Do not pull too fast or unevenly; if the fabric tears, it will be much harder to remove.

After removing the fabric, you can scrape off the remaining foam using a wire brush. Be careful not to apply too much force. You can also use sandpaper to remove smaller foam residues.

Vacuum the headliner board to remove small particles. Use the hose attachment of a vacuum cleaner and go over the entire surface of the panel. This will help the new felt adhere better.

Choose felts that are suitable for vehicle headliners. Make sure you are using the correct felt for the best fit and bonding.

Place the new headliner felt onto the panel and smooth it so that the fabric lies flat.

Fold half of the felt back onto itself.

Spray adhesive onto the exposed part of the board and the felt.

Lay the felt back onto the panel and smooth it out. Use your hands to eliminate wrinkles or bubbles between the fabric and the panel, ensuring a smooth and even surface.

Repeat the same process on the other side. Do not overstretch the material. Cut the felt with scissors, leaving 2–3 cm hanging over the edges. Fold the fabric over the sides of the headliner board. Use scissors to trim off excess material.

Cut holes in the felt for the accessories and reinstall them.

Once the accessories are back in place, your headliner installation is complete. You can also renew your vehicle’s roof covering by using felt.