Salon decoration is truly amazing: people move away from the traditional methods of manufacturers, buying low-cost cars, preferring to trim them under presentable models of luxury foreign cars. Leather interior in any era was considered the peak of prestige, a sign of a noble estate, high status and well-being. How can I make leather an inexpensive car or replace an old coating that has become unusable?
A little bit about the benefits of hauling leather
At the first “date” with a brand-new car, the buyer casts his eyes on the upholstery, and if the skin is trimmed, at a reasonable price, he instantly makes a choice in favor of this “steel horse”. The use of durable material not only enhances the quality and prestige of the brand, but also makes movement comfortable. Sitting on leather seats is comfortable. Why did the manufacturer decide to offer this style to customers?
- Leather is much more durable than textiles, it is easier to wash. Compared to the leather upholstery, the textile finish is cheaper, but over time it rarely needs to be replaced, except with cuts, scratches. It practically does not lose its original properties for almost the entire time of operation of the car with careful care and care.
- Ashes accidentally dropped from a cigarette or spilled coffee for cladding does not matter.
- The material does not cause difficulties in cleaning; putting it in order is much easier than fabric.
- Leather material, whether substitute or natural, does not absorb odors.
We have to warn about the shortcomings. Reasons to refuse leather trim:
Sometimes you should not get carried away with the idea of ​​leather trim if the driver does not have a Jaguar or a Bentley. Almost everything depends on the quality of the materials. When you turn to cheap leatherette, which at first glance seems expensive, you can be sure that after a couple of months of intensive use there will be no trace of the old attractiveness. Another thing is leather trim for branded vehicles, it has been around for decades.
Do not get involved in hauling, provided that the children often have to drive in a car. This option for interior decoration is not suitable for drivers who often transport pets. Not everyone will appreciate the expensive finishes. Careful care is inevitable, so if a car enthusiast is willing to spend money on professional cleaning of seats, you can use this finish. On chairs without lateral support, there is a high risk that it will be slippery. You just have to get used to it. In regions with a hot climate, the upholstery of the skin will make people sweat pretty literally. When using cheap leather, dermantine from artisans will be almost unbearable. A reasonable question arises: which skin to choose?
Materials Tricks
In theory, a motorist can expect upholstery from exotic animals, in practice, almost always, the skin of a car’s interior is made from cattle skins, with a characteristic of meat productivity. These are cows, bulls with impressive body weight. Pork and sheep skins are not used in this case, according to assurances of auto experts. The larger the animal, the higher the cost of decoration. What skin types can be distinguished?
Aniline skin and its features
Aniline products for car interior trim are treated with dyes, resulting in products that can absorb moisture well. Minus - poor light fastness, abrasion. Absorbed areas with spilled coffee, tea or water are difficult to mask.
Pigmented skin banner
A common option for car interior trim is pigmented leather with a partial preservation of the natural pattern. This gives increased resistance to wear, to repeated bending. How is work done?
Step-by-step briefing on hauling chairs
To cover the interior with leather with your own hands, you will need a clear calculation and the following scheme. All work cannot be completed in one day.
The close-fitting of the seats begins with measurements of the height, width of the backs, head restraint. Patterns are made on paper in size. The resulting products must be put on chairs and chalked with a margin of 3 cm. Parts are cut into patterns with scissors. Before sewing with a machine, it is better to flash manually. To give softness, you can sew additional mattress covers and cover them with seats. Then you need to attach both options and, in case of coincidence, proceed to the line on the typewriter. At times it will be more convenient to work with a removed seat.
Secrets of the ceiling banner
It is easy to process it, despite its rather large area:
- All elements are dismantled in the order described in the vehicle manual.
- Old glue with a hard sponge or rag must be removed.
- Grinding is required for better adhesion of the adhesive and surface.
- You need to start gluing from the center of the ceiling, pressing a new coating and smoothing with a rubber spatula.
- On the remaining areas, the adhesive is applied after 15 cm. It is important to pull the material and smooth it well to avoid wrinkling.
- After pasting, it is better to use a hairdryer. The edges are wrapped on the back side and glued.
Highlights for hauling doors
Patterns are cut as follows. You can use this tactic in your own interior trim when pasting all surfaces. Masking tape is taken, and its lap strips are glued to the door, the windows must be marked with a felt-tip pen, these places must be cut out. Then leather is cut out along the patterns. The work is carried out in stages:
- plastic parts are sanded, degreased;
- gluing starts with glass: the material is glued along a line along the glass border;
- hot air flow should be directed to the skin, gradually pulling over the entire surface of the door;
- a rubber spatula should be used in the work.
External upgrade gearbox switch
The process does not take much time, of all the manipulations this is the easiest job. The handle is wrapped with cling film. On top of this device you must apply masking tape in several layers. Marker should mark areas of future seams. Next, a scotch tape is cut with a clerical knife and templates are cut again, according to which it is easy to make a leather update. There are two parts in the standard production of the handle; they are stitched and glued.
Valuable guidance from the pros
There is no shortage of sewing machines. The main thing in this matter is to choose the right foot and needle to sew multilayer materials. Before repairing the interior trim, it is important to rinse and clean the interior from dust, sand off, degrease surfaces, and use high-quality glue.
You can’t rush: it is necessary to let the glue dry, it is not forbidden to use a hair dryer. Due to large bends and indentations, the adhesive sometimes does not adhere well. The way out is to apply the putty, after drying it, sand it. An alternative to it may be a polyester resin.
When treacherous folds appear, they have to be peeled off and re-manipulated, cleaning the coating from the previous layer of adhesive. Do not be afraid of leatherette, according to reviews, they do a good job of giving an aesthetic, beautiful image to the interior.
Reliability, the choice of competent means are characterized by specialized salons that provide services for “facing”. For skin lining the interior of the car itself you will need some experience or a clear idea of ​​the procedure system. Using genuine leather, it is better not to save on small details, using dermantine. Over time, he will give himself away, and again have to spend money. Glue is selected according to the type of leather raw materials. Conventional adhesives dry in 20 hours. To give the desired shape, it is better to soak the raw materials in warm water, not in boiling water. This is done within three hours.
When contacting professional workshops, you can ask to show the workshop where the update is taking place and ask about the types of leather used by employees. Too low a price for finishing from natural raw materials should alert. Each car owner and specialist has their own secrets, so it’s worthwhile to thoroughly study the material beforehand, then proceed with the update.