What is Car Interior Upholstery?
Your vehicle’s interior needs much more care and attention than its exterior. The reason is quite obvious. We spend much more time inside the car, and hence our physical contact with the car eventually takes its toll.
Every interior detail of your car is susceptible to dirt and possible damage when not looked after correctly. And naturally several car interior surfaces become affected by wear and tear.
When talking about car upholstery usually your car seats and coverings come to mind. But car interior upholstery also includes your car’s headlining, door lining, floor carpets as well as your front and rear dashboards.
If you currently need to reupholster vehicle seats it may be a good opportunity to consider something other than your car’s current upholstery fabric. For instance you might be interested in upgrading your seats from cloth to leather. Among the various fabrics used for car seat upholstery, you will also find vinyl and several other combinations of synthetic materials.
Car Re-upholstery is quite an involving process: There are a few expenses to worry about when repairing your car’s interior. In addition to the costs of the right fabrics and materials, you also have to look at the labour involved in completing the project, and also how well your ‘new’ car seats will be able to hold up to the test of time. These are the most important factors to keep in mind when reupholstering car seats.
The Risks involved in performing DIY Car Upholstery
One of the main drawbacks of attempting your car’s upholstery yourself or seeking the aid of an amateur – is you have no idea how long the project will take. It will most likely take up more time than expected, as opposed to hiring a professional who will probably be able to give you a fairly accurate time estimate.
The other disadvantage of undertaking such an important project yourself is that you are likely to make mistakes that will do more harm than good to your finished car upholstery. Experts in the field of car seat repair are more likely to work with accuracy ensuring the perfect quality finish you are looking for.
Using the right tools for the job is always necessary. You have to ask yourself if you have the particular tools and equipment that is normally used for vehicle upholstery. And could you afford them in addition to the materials you need for your car’s interior?
The Benefits of using a Professional Reupholstering Service
One of the key advantages of hiring a professional to re-upholster your car is that they will back you up with guarantees and after sales service. So if anything needs attention after the re-upholstery process, you can be sure they will be willing to fix any problems that arise without any further cost to you.
Also remember that professional reupholsters have the proper tools and specialized equipment necessary to perform intricate upholstery work. This ensures the highest quality and longevity of your re-upholstery.
The pros obviously have expert training and years of experience behind them and are dedicated to giving your car seats the best upholstery treatment available. And even though they take their time to do the job properly, you will still experience double the results in half the time.
Finally you know exactly where to source the highest quality and grades of fabrics that you can use for your car seat upholstery.
How to maintain your re-upholstered car seats
Reupholstering your car’s interior is a huge investment, and one that invariably increases the value of your vehicle. So having borne the cost of reupholstering, you want your car seats to remain in tip top condition.
It’s important to know how to look after your upholstery now that it has been redone. This matters whether you are planning to sell the vehicle any time soon, or are hoping to get many more years of service out of it yourself.
Here are some basic maintenance steps you can take to ensure your re-upholstered car interior stays in good shape and remains looking new over time.
The first and most neglected tip is that of protecting your car upholstery from the harmful rays of the sun. Extended hours left parked in the sun eventually takes its toll on your dashboard and seats upholstery. Now is a good time to get one of those Sun Shields for your car’s windscreen if you haven’t been using one previously.
It’s always a good idea to do a spot check on your seat frames every now and then to see if everything is still securely in place. Take the time to tighten any loose bolts you may find.
Make it a point to protect your car seats from sharp objects or anything that might cause ripping or tearing of the car’s upholstery. If you absolutely have to load the backseat with goods of any kind use a protective layer. A blanket comes in handy and will at least avoid unforeseen scratches from taking place. The better long term solution would be to have car seat covers fitted to protect the seat’s surface.
And lastly treat your car seats with some TLC every time you wash your car by making sure to vacuum and remove any dirt and debris that might cause harm to the upholstery.