Car Interior Repairs
Within the interior of a car, there are many different kinds of material, and many different kinds of damage that can occur.
The ideal would be that there would be a perfect 'invisible repair' solution for all of them, but unfortunately this is not the case. A successful repair on something like a cigarette burn can depend on the kind of material it is on, where it is in relation to seams and folds, if it is on a high wear area or hidden away. Luckily, there is often more than one solution too, and if we can't help, we are happy to refer you to somebody who can... usually a coach trimmer or upholsterer.
On the next few pages you will see some examples of different kinds of damage and the types of repair that can be done to tackle them, however, we strongly recommend that you take some photos of the damage on your car and send them to us using the form further down the page. There is no obligation and we will advise you of the best methods of repair.
Cigarette Burn Repairs
Less than an hour from Barking, Dagenham, Romford, Harold Hill, Upminster, Hornchurch, and Chigwell.
closeCigarette burns can appear virtually anywhere on a car, but usually they do tend to end up on the seats. There is a invisible Smart Repair method for dealing with these, but it's not one we are keen on because it's not very hard wearing. On older cars a hole can be sewn up, which is hard wearing but not invisible. So if you have a cigarette burn on a fabric seat we will most likely refer you to an Upholsterer deal with, an example can be found here. However, if the burn is not in a high wear area such as the back of the seat or on the headlining, then we may very well be able to repair the area as long as the damaged surface is appropriate. Velour, tightly woven fabrics, leather and textured plastic and vinyl can be repaired. Coarse Woven fabrics, plastics with very even patterns, and suede can be far more problematic -- this is why we suggest you send us a few photos, we are happy to take a look and give you free advice. Keep in mind though, that even if we can fix your cigarette burn, it may not be worth trveling a long way to get us to do it, so you may wish to get out a needle and thread and have a go yourself! Send us a photo and we will tell you the best way to fix it.
Ripped Fabric Seats
Unfortunately, if your fabric seats suffer a rip, there is no invisible repair that can be done to fix it. Usually the best method of repair is to get a Coach Trimmer to take the seat apart and Sew in a new panel of fabric to replace the damaged one. Coach trimmers and upholsterers can work wonders, and repairs are not as expensive as you might think -- an example can be found here. However, in some cases where this is not economically viable and the damage isn't too severe, we can sew up the area in situ. Send us a photo and we will tell you the best way to fix it.
Holes in Carpets
Holes in carpets seems to becoming quite a common problem, there are generally
two causes that we see, the first is caused by high heeled shoes wearing
the area under the accelerator, the other cause is simply very light weight
carpets wearing through. The former is fairly easy to fix on any car that
has reasonably thick carpet with long unlooped fibres. It's also relatively
inexpensive.
With cars that have worn carpets, the best solution is to make up 'carpet
sets', these are basically a set of mats that are sewn in on top of the existing
carpets. Again, this is not something we do here but we can refer you to
a coach trimmer. As a third alternative, just a good set of car mats that
look like they belong will hide thinning carpets. We get our car
mats from Autostyle as they make them to your exact specifications. Send
us a photo and we will tell you the best way to fix it.
Damage to Vinyl (PVC) Seats
Fully Vinyl seats are a rare thing these days, but what most people don't
realize is that on the majority of leather interiors, only the seat faces
are leather, the bases and backs are plastic and PVC. You can repair rips
and holes in vinyl that you would never attempt on leather, because Vinyl
tends to be in low wear areas, and because it is often easier to work with.
It can be patched from behind and the face filled and repainted, often
leaving an invisible repair. The exception to this is when vinyl is passed
it's shelf life... it can 'go off', at which point it becomes prone to
cracking and tearing and then having a trimmer replace it is the only option.
However, this is something we rarely see as it tends only to happen when
PVC is used for the facings of a seat and gets lots of exposure to the
sun. Send us a photo and we
will tell you the best way to fix it.
Rips or Gouges in Leather
Leather has an inherent strength which unfortunately, once broken will never
be strong again. We can repair rips in leather but the repair wouldn't
last very long, so in almost all cases where leather is ripped through,
we would recommend having an upholsterer replace the damaged panel.
If the leather is gouged, scuffed or scratched but still retains it's strength,
then it is an ideal candidate for repair. The method is to fill the damaged
area using a flexible filler, and then re-colouring the whole face of that
seat. This is especially useful for seats that have been damaged by buttons
and buckles. Send us a photo
and we will tell you the best way to fix it.
Worn Leather
It's amazing how quickly certain areas of your leather upholstery can wear.
It's not unusual to see the driver's door-side bolster begin to look tatty
after only 6 months! On a car that does lots of mileage, it's not unusual
to see the leading edge of the seat base worn after a year. In such cases,
it is usually only the colouring wearing off and this can easily be rectified
by recolouring the seat.
On older cars, the leather, and often the stitching begins to wear through
weakening the leather. It can become dry and cracked and the leather panel
required replacement at a Coach Trimmers. Send
us a photo and we will tell you the best way to fix it.
Damage to Dashboards and Door Cards
This would be a far easier subject to address if there wasn't so many different
materials involved with dashboards and door cards!
Normal plastic dashboards can usually be repaired unless they have intricate
uniform textures or printing, such as polka-dot, in which case the finish
is impossible to replicate by hand. Rubberised coatings are also problematic
as are printed areas of plastic with logos or graphics on them - luckily
these areas are usually removable inserts that can be replaced with new parts.
PVC and leather is usually repairable as a smart repair. There are specialist
companies that can refurbish walnut panels on dashboards and doors... unless
they are actually screen printed plastic in which case replacements are a
better option.
Scuffs, scratches, gouges, holes and wear are usually repairable, but cracks
caused by shrinkage on sun damaged dashboards are not... unless it is a last
resort! A replacement dashboard is preferable, but on some vintage cars where
spares are in short supply, it can be done but goes beyond the realms of
just 'smart repair'. Send us
a photo and we will tell you the best way to fix it.
Head Lining and Fabric Hoods
On modern cars, headlinings can be made of many different materials, coarse weave nylon, velour, vinyl, printed cardboard or hard plastic to name just a few. Unfortunately, some of these are virtually impossible to repair, even to make an improvement. But as the cost of a replacement is hugely expensive, a smart repair is always preferable. As for Fabric hoods, there was a time when coach trimmers were happy to deal with them, but as the mechanisms that make them work have become so complicated it has become too labour intensive to dismantle them for repair unless it is something you specialise in. Unfortunately, the do get damaged and they can suffer from wear, especially the stitching coming apart and the rear windows falling out. Send us a photo and we will tell you the best way to fix it.
Note: What is the difference between a 'Coach Trimmer' and a 'Vehicle Upholsterer'? Absolutely none at all! Those within the motor trade tend to use the former label, while the general public tend to use the latter.
]We have assembled a panel of experts from across the industry with a combined experience of over 200 years. You can find out about the experts here, and read the code of conduct they follow here.
Any questions sent to us are posted in the Q&A area of our site so that they can help other people... We do strip out any personal information but please put your e-mail or number ONLY in the correct fields so we can keep them hidden. Once we have answered your question, we will email you.
IF YOU DON'T HEAR FROM US AFTER A
COUPLE OF DAYS... it
may because our email to you ended up in your spam filter or was blocked
by your mail server. You can always look on our Q&A section to see if
your answer is there. We
don't work Sundays or Bank Holidays, and it can take us a couple of
days to catch up with enquiries at the beginning of the week. If you
are in a hurry, you can always give us a call.
If you don't have
a photo don't worry, you can still send us your question, just be
aware that we may not be able to give you a good answer if we can't
see what we are being asked about. If you can't supply a photo, please
give us a description. You can also send us your photos and questions
even if you have no intention of using our services. We don't mind
at all!
Photo Tips - Try to get one good close up of any damaged
area, and then one shot which clearly shows the location... try and
get in the nearest 'landmark' like a wheel arch or headlamp. When taking
photos of dents, try taking them from a distance and zooming in. Use
the reflection of a wall or fence to help show the dents. If your camera
has problem focusing on chips or scratches, stick a piece of tape next
to the damaged area and focus in on that, this will also help us get an idea
of scale. When sending us photos of wheels, send us examples of the
worst of the damage and one full picture of the face of the wheel so we can
see what kind of finish it has.
The more information we have, the easier it is to answer! So you can
include information such as the age of your car, and even your location
- after all we might be able to recommend somebody closer.
