How to Fix Sagging Headliner, Five Quick Ways

Having this car feature to sag is a real reason for annoyance and discomfort when you drive. It can get in the way of your view, but most especially, it ruins the interior look of your car.

The fabric will soon sag due to the glue holding it in place disintegrating over a certain period. It could be that your car is really old. Also, the disintegration can become faster due to weather conditions that caused the glue to become wet and lose its potency.

One instance is when your car is being exposed to the heat of the sun for a long time. This condition produces moisture, deteriorates the glue, and causes the headliner to sag.

At particular points, it will be just one side of the sagging headliner that will come off, but it will already become a problem. You can buy a new headliner, but it is not really a practical decision because it is very expensive. Some actually are at the price of a new car.

Thankfully, there are ways to fix sagging headliner without putting that much big of a whole in your pockets.

How to Fix Sagging Headliner

Auto shops can professionally do the work for you. However, if you want to do it immediately and on your own, you can certainly do so. Here are quick hacks to help you get on with it:

The sagging of your car’s headliner usually starts on one side or around the edges. In this case, without having to remove the headliner, you can use hot glue to do the trick. However, for the best results, you should use the specialized headliner adhesives to stick it up. The ones in spray cans are the best to use to spread the glue squarely.

Also, for long-lasting results, you can remove the headliner from the car and get rid of the old glue sticking out of the panel. In this way, the new glue that will be used can really stick through.

In using these specialized adhesives, what should be taken note of are the instructions, especially on how many minutes you should wait before sticking the surface into the backing board.

This offers a temporary fix to your sagging headliner. What is needed is the staple gun, not the one that is used to staple paper together. It will never do the work for you.

To fix sagging headliner using this method, firstly, staple the headliner to the backing board. Secondly, shower the hairspray on areas of the headliner that you stapled. This will melt the glue that was previously used to attach the headliner to the backing board. Let it dry before you remove the staples for the last step.

This will work effectively if the headliner sagged on the edges. To fix sagging headliner, the steam cleaner will melt the old glue that once held the headliner to the backing board.

This will help refasten the headliner to the frame. The steam cleaner will be followed up by the paint roller to remove any wrinkles in the fabric.

Pinning can also hold the headliner up. It’s not a permanent fix, but it’s an effective quick fix. Sequin pins and tacks can be used as a designing feature. You can create patterns any way you want it.

However, what could be better to fix sagging headliner is to use the Clear Headed Twist Pin. This is also called, “saggy stopper” and is used for upholstery. Its nickname speaks for itself as a very useful tool to fix sagging headliner.

As you push it, you need to twist the head so that the pointy end can stick to the backing board of the headliner. 

These pins also do not damage the material by creating a hole in the surface of the headliner or the backing board material.

The double sided tapes are like the glue that you could use to stick the headliner back in place. Like the clear headed twist pin, this material does not create lasting damage on the headliner.

This will possibly be effective if the headliner has only come off on around the edges.

Also, you have to make sure that it is not those weak ones that can only carry lightweight materials.

Among these different ways, what should be thought about thoroughly is what could be the best method to use for your car. Another thing to consider is if your unprofessional hands are up for it.

Other than the method of using the steam cleaner and paint roller, the other methods could not guarantee that the headliner will not have those creases or wrinkles afterwards.

It will be up to you on how to do the fix, which is not just up to fix sagging headliner. It should also revive the headliner’s smooth surface and not show much of the damage.

If all is well with these considerations, then you are off to independently fix the sagging headliner of your car.

These are all practical and perhaps cheap ways to fix sagging headliner. However, most of these are temporary fixes. When exposed to the same conditions that damaged the headliner in the first place, the headliner will soon come off again.

It might also be good to consider saving up for its permanent repair once this damage is observed.