Vehicle Upholstery Repair Services at Patrick Auto Body & Collision
What is vehicle upholstery repair?
Types of car upholstery
1.     Nylon
a.     Nylon car seats are one of the most common and universal materials used due to its affordability, comfortability, and durability. It's also heat-resistant so if it's hot outside, it won't get hot like faux leather or leather would.
2.     Polyester
a.     Polyester (or microsuede) can look and feel like suede, but it's not nearly as "luxurious". Polyester can look very attractive, but it tends to get dirty easily; however, it's fairly resistant to stains.
3.     Vinyl
a.     Vinyl is one of the best upholstery fabrics to consider. It's very durable, waterproof and easy to clean - which is always a plus! Vinyl is comprised of 2 chemicals that help with its durability: chlorine (found in regular salt) and ethylene (found in crude oil). Vinyl is resistant to both moisture and humidity.
4. Faux Leather
a.     Faux leather is also known as pleather, leatherette, fake leather or synthetic leather. It is a synthetic material that is made to mimic real leather without the animal by-products. Faux leather is easy to clean but may become hot when the weather's warm or the sun's glaring. Faux leather, like real leather, is prone to sunspots or fading as well.
5.     Leather
a.     Flexible and durable material such as leather, is created by tanning animal skin and rawhides. The most common leather comes from cattle hides (or cows). Real leather is prone to sunspots or fading, so be sure to keep in mind that the darker the leather, the higher its resistance is to UV rays.
Items that you can reupholster
When mentioning upholstery or reupholstery, many people may assume that it only refers to seats within your vehicle. This is false. It can apply to many different components and areas of your car.
Here are just a few examples:
- Interior carpets
- Seats
- Headliners
- Convertible tops & vinyl roof covers
- Dashboards
- Door panels
Can you repair upholstery yourself without having to take it into a reconditioning center?
Yes, you can. However, you will need many tools in order to perform the job correctly. You may not have the majority of the tools that are required, so it's always best to take your vehicle in to a reputable body shop for any upholstery repair.
Some essential auto upholstery tools if you're repairing your own upholstery:
1.     Material
a.     Obviously, you will need some material that you will be using in order to reupholster your car, truck or SUV. You're better off getting more material than you will inevitably need because you can always cut the material down to size and shape.
2.     Industrial sewing machine
a.     Your run-of-the-mill home sewing machine just won't cut it to sew vinyl, leather, or any other types of upholstery. if you manage to somehow get it to work, the materials won't last nearly as long as getting an industrial grade sewing machine.
3.     Tables
a.     Due to how large some pieces of upholstery are, you will definitely make sure that you have extra space to work.
4.     Cutting shears
a.     Cutting shears are nothing like normal scissors. They're meant to cut tough materials such as leather, plastic, vinyl, etc.
5.     Hog ring pliers
a.     Hog rings attach the material to the seat frame, in which case you will want hog ring pliers. In auto reupholstery, they do not staple to the underside of the seats (as they would in a couch or chair), rather they use hog rings to attach it.
6.     Hand tools/rulers
a.     Some of these items are common sense, but definitely help with the upholstery process. You will want a measuring tape, a straight edge and a carpenters square. This will help ensure that the sizing is correct, and that the material is straight. You will also want a pair of dykes. Dykes are a tool that helps remove old hog rings from the seat frame.
7.     Industrial steamer
a.     You will want an industrial steamer, as it helps alleviate any wrinkles that your material may get throughout the reupholstery process.
8.     Staple gun and a compressor
a.     If you're working on upholstery other than seats within your car, truck or SUV, you'll want both a staple gun and a compressor. Generally, staple guns are used for smaller trim pieces such as door panels and headliners.
Feeling overwhelmed?
Make sure go to a reputable and trustworthy auto body shop and reconditioning facility. Patrick Auto Body & Collision in Schaumburg, IL has the expertise to get your upholstery repair done correctly the first time! It'll save you time and money, and you won't have to worry about having it done right.
Be sure to schedule an appointment at our Schaumburg location for a free estimate or try our free online estimator tool.Â
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