Even if you use your car carefully, you still won’t be able to protect the interior from unwanted pollution, no matter how sad it may sound. With the help of modern chemical cleaning of the car interior, you can get rid of any stains and debris. But some of them, like stains on the ceiling, are extremely difficult to remove. Sometimes even an innovative chemical cleaning product cannot cope with this purpose.
Transporting things or some pieces of furniture can lead to mechanical damage to the interior. In this case, it becomes necessary to update the ceiling. Is it possible to carry out such a procedure and reupholster the ceiling with Alcantara with your own hands and what materials will be required for this?
The upholstery of a car's roof is the main component of the interior design. That is why the selection of material, its shade and the quality of the work performed are so important. These factors contribute to the formation of a good mood while in the car.
Selecting material for reupholstery
Before buying upholstery for the ceiling, make sure that it matches the overall color scheme of the car's interior.
It has always been difficult to choose one material, especially today, when the market is overflowing with all kinds of offers. There is only one rule: to purchase quality material, give preference to specialized stores. Although in such establishments the prices are slightly higher than on the market, in return you get a high-quality licensed product.
When reupholstering the ceiling with their own hands, craftsmen limit themselves to the three most recognized options: leather or carpet. But the most popular is covering the car ceiling with Alcantara.
Types of Alcantara
There are several popular varieties of Alcantara. It is worth taking them into account so that the chosen fabric is ideal for solving your problems.
| Pannel | Fabric without backing. Used for pasting the dashboard and ceiling. |
| Cover | Alcantara on fabric backing for seats. |
| Soft | Alcantara with a foam backing, used for pillars and ceilings. |
We offer a large selection of Alcantara in a wide range of colors: from classic pastel to rich and bright colors.
Alcantara and auto
In Moscow, reupholstering the ceiling with Alcantara is the most common option for updating a car interior. Today this is the most popular material for car ceiling upholstery.
Externally, Alcantara looks attractive, and even a beginner can cope with the installation of such a “roof”.
This synthetic coating will cost more than leather, but in fact it will be more practical, since it has the correct shape. It is presented on the market in the form of long and wide rolls. The assortment is extensive: a free range of models with different shades.
The texture of the material is somewhat similar to nubuck, reminiscent of heavily worn leather. Characteristic differences include high strength and wear resistance. The inner layer and the front side are distinguished by their color fastness, therefore, having covered the ceiling with Alcantara, you don’t have to worry that the material will soon succumb to fading.
The use of such a coating has an advantage over leather, because it is durable, which is guaranteed due to its thickness and structure. The manufacturer manages to achieve a phenomenal effect of distributing fibers with the same strength characteristics over the entire area of the material cut for upholstering the ceiling in a car.
The entire surface of the car ceiling takes one solid piece, cut to size, without joints or cuts.
Features of Alcantara
Faux Alcantara is dense. It has a low, soft pile, giving the material a characteristic “marble” pattern). The material is easy to care for: it is easy to clean, does not fade when exposed to sunlight, does not change temperature regardless of seasonality, is resistant to physical wear and has good breathability. Installation of Alcantara is by far the best way to upholster seats due to the excellent performance of this material. Thanks to special treatment, it has increased resistance to wear and chemicals.
If you decide to cover the interior with Alcantara yourself, you can personally see the advantages of the material:
- it is resistant to negative environmental influences;
- wear-resistant, lasts a long time and does not lose its attractiveness;
- minimum consumption when cutting;
- it has uniform thickness and strength;
- The material is very easy to process.
Getting started
Before cutting a piece of material for upholstering the ceiling with Alcantara, be sure to make a template.
To carry out all stages of work efficiently, prepare a complete set of tools and materials for upholstery. You will need:
- alcantara in selected shade;
- glue;
- brush or roller;
- construction hair dryer;
- masking tape;
- scissors;
- knife;
- screwdriver set;
- fasteners for the canvas and decorative plugs for them.
What is Alcantara and where is it used in the automotive industry?
Alcantara (in English - Alcantara) is a material that has gained incredible popularity in recent years. It is increasingly used in vehicle interior decoration - rear shelves, dashboard, ceilings.
An important advantage is the combination with leather when sewing covers for vehicle seats.
The advantages of Alcantara include durability, wear resistance, resistance to various influences and unpretentiousness.
Based on the strength of the product, it is even higher than that of leather.
A wide selection of colors deserves special attention, allowing you to choose a shade to your liking.
In recent years, Alcantara has been increasingly used in car restyling. It is used when tuning the car interior for pasting the following elements:
- ceilings;
- panels;
- torpedo;
- doorways;
- visors for sun protection.
The material is pleasant to the touch, has an original appearance and unique quality.
In addition to the automotive sector, Alcantara is used for covering tablets, laptops and other equipment.
Stages of reupholstery
Important! You can use old upholstery removed from the ceiling of a car as a template.
To reupholster the ceiling with Alcantara efficiently, follow these instructions:
- Prepare a template for cutting out new upholstery. Use old removed trim for this. Remove dust and dirt from it, carefully apply it to the purchased fabric - Alcantara.
- Secure the edges of the prepared pattern with the canvas using masking tape.
- Having placed the material on the pattern evenly over its entire area, cut out all the holes provided for by the design of the ceiling area of the car. Use a sharp utility knife or trimming scissors for this so as not to damage the material.
- Make a backing for covering the ceiling with Alcantara. For this you can use various types of materials. But no matter which one you choose, first clean it and degrease it using a special composition suitable for the type of material you have.
- Coat the substrate with glue. Use a brush or roller to apply glue from the center to the edges of the piece. Special attention is paid to the edges: they are covered on both sides to ensure reliable fastening of the material to the substrate.
- After applying the adhesive composition, the substrate is left for a short time, from 30 minutes to 1 hour, to dry (depending on the ambient temperature).
- When the substrate dries, the Alcantara is carefully placed on it, and the substrate is glued to the ceiling of the car. The procedure is carried out by performing actions from the middle of the roof to its edges. In this case, the surface is additionally heated using a hair dryer. This manipulation allows you to increase the plasticity of Alcantara and smooth it evenly along the entire perimeter of the ceiling.
As you can see, the process of reupholstering the ceiling with Alcantara is not complicated, and by following simple 7 steps, you will get an updated car interior that is impressively beautiful.
Recommendations for installing self-adhesive Alcantara on a car ceiling
When applying self-adhesive Alcantara to the ceiling of a car, it is very important to follow the recommendations for its installation. They will allow you to avoid mistakes and not spoil the material during the gluing process.
- Disassemble and remove the ceiling. You can carefully dismantle it using a special elephant disassembly kit.
- Remove the old trim, clean the surface with sandpaper and degrease (In some cases, you can not remove the old trim, but glue Alcantara on top of it. But this is only if you are sure that your standard trim fits securely and will not move away from the base of the ceiling during the first dry cleaning)
- It is strongly recommended to apply an additional layer of glue to the ceiling surface! You can select and buy glue in our store by clicking on the link. After applying the glue, you need to wait a little until it dries, but at the same time retains its adhesive properties. Drying time depends on the brand of glue. It should stick slightly to your fingers, but not be liquid, so as not to soak through the Alcantara onto its outer front side. If the glue bleeds through, the appearance will be ruined by the stain.
- Carefully apply Alcantara to the ceiling surface and smooth it with a squeegee. In this case, it is necessary to try to place it in difficult places with as little tension as possible.
- Fold all edges
- Allow time for the glue to dry completely
- Mount the ceiling back onto the car roof
Perhaps many will think about the question: why do we need additional glue if Alcantara already has a self-adhesive base? The fact is that on the ceiling the Alcantara is glued from below to the surface, and not from above. Under its own weight, from vibrations when driving or after dry cleaning the interior, it may come off in some places. This is especially true for those places where there was tension in the material during installation. It is almost impossible or very problematic to glue it later. Therefore, it is better to play it safe and do a high-quality installation of the material on the car ceiling the first time. It is also necessary to glue the ceiling if you decide not to remove the standard trim and glue it on top of it. The adhesive layer applied to Alcantara adheres very poorly to fabric and fleecy surfaces. Therefore, there is a very high probability that the material will come off.
After reading this article, someone may have doubts about the quality of the adhesive layer applied to the back surface of Alcantara. We want to dispel these doubts. This article provides recommendations for installing Alcantara specifically on the ceiling, as well as on fleecy and fabric surfaces. Alcantara adheres perfectly to plastic and metal without the use of additional glue. On relatively flat and hard surfaces you will not have any difficulties in gluing. However, sometimes it is necessary to take into account the complexity of the surface topography for pasting and the strong tension of the material in hard-to-reach places. When artificial suede is stretched, the density of the adhesive layer applied on the reverse side decreases, which leads to a decrease in adhesive properties. In this case, you will again be helped by pre-gluing the surface where the Alcantara will be glued.
If you follow these simple recommendations, you will be able to independently and efficiently install artificial suede. In this case, it will last a long time and will delight you and your passengers with its appearance and pleasant soft surface.
Is there self-adhesive Alcantara?
To simplify installation, self-adhesive Alcantara is used, which has shorter pile and density.
The material consists of polyester (80%) and polyurethane (20%).
Pros: unpretentiousness, ease of cleaning, no fading in the sun. In the warm season, the material does not accumulate heat, but in winter it retains it.
Self-adhesive material has a number of other advantages:
Pasting a car ceiling with Alcantara
There are a number of reasons why and why it is necessary to cover a car ceiling with Alcantara. There are plenty of options here, but the most common cause is damage to the ceiling upholstery. This can happen either after a long period of use or due to careless handling of the machine.
How to cover a car ceiling
Important! The technology of the main types of work is practically no different from re-upholstering ceilings with other materials.
Initially, you will have to remove the upper ceiling surface to prepare for sewing. The condition of the previous upholstery is determined. If it is in good condition, then Alcantara can be applied directly to it. Italian material can be covered with a special adhesive solution. After applying the product to the surface, you need to wait until it dries. Then the procedure is repeated again. As a rule, this product is applied as a primer to provide additional adhesion. Next, the adhesive solution is applied to the fabric itself, after which you can begin the main process of reupholstering.
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When carrying out this procedure, you must generally pull the material onto the surface. If bubbles, folds, creases or other defects remain, it will look unsightly. Therefore, it is very important to read the manufacturer’s instructions before performing work.
Material care
A positive feature of Alcantara is its ease of maintenance. To keep the coating clean, all you need is water and soap.
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Regular wet cleaning using a damp cloth soaked in a neutral soap solution is recommended at least once a month. This fabric does not shrink or stretch because it is not susceptible to water.
Bright and rich color will remain for a long time. The fabric is offered in a variety of colors, ranging from neutral shades to ultra bright colors.
Self-adhesive film and Alcantara fabric: similarities and differences
Currently, there are two materials that are similar in appearance, but fundamentally different in their manufacturing method and characteristics. We are talking about comparing self-adhesive Alcantara and velvet-coated film.
Distinctive properties of self-adhesive film and Alcantara fabric
The basic material for the Alcantara film is ordinary vinyl, the same as that used in glossy or matte car vinyl. A velvet layer is applied on top of the base, which makes the film look like Alcantara. This material has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages include low price. In addition, Alcantara car film stretches well.
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There are also plenty of disadvantages. The lint on the surface of the film wears off very quickly, leaving smooth vinyl at the site of frequent exposure. The service life is several times less than that of self-adhesive artificial suede. The choice, as always, remains with the buyer: pay a little more and get durable material, or save money, knowing that the service life of the film is several times shorter.
Recommendations for caring for the material
Note! Caring for Alcantara does not require much effort. The material can be washed in a washing machine. Over time, the fabric does not lose its attractive appearance. Each car owner can remove stains or clean dust on their own. Professional cleaning is recommended 2 times a year: at the end of winter and after the summer season to remove sand.
