The 3 Best Headliner Adhesives (Headliner Glues) to Fix your Sagging Headliners
Don’t let a sagging headliner ruin your otherwise perfect car. Here are the best headliner adhesives to fix it.
A sagging headliner doesn’t just make your car look messy—it can be quite uncomfortable to sit under. If you don’t fix this problem immediately, your headliner may eventually tear away from the roof completely, and then you’ve got a much bigger problem on your hands. Luckily there’s an easy fix – use the best headliner adhesives to reattach the headliner fabric back to your car ceiling. With the right type of headliner glue, you will have your car looking like new again in no time.
What is the best Glue to Use to Reattach a Car Headliner?
You want a high-quality headliner adhesive that is specifically designed to fix damaged headliners. Standard glues will not suffice, because they lack the temperature tolerance, durability, and bonding power required to repair a headliner.
We found you the best spray adhesives for headliners. Want to know why we chose each one? Scroll down for more helpful info, plus tips on how to fix a sagging headliner.
- Best glue for headliners: 3M Headliner Adhesives
- High-strength headliner adhesive: Permatex headliner adhesive
- Quick-dry headliner spray adhesive: LOCTITE headliner glue spray
- The 3 Best Headliner Adhesives (Headliner Glues) to Fix your Sagging Headliners
The 3 Best Headliner Glues for Cars Review
3M Headliner Adhesive
If you want professional-level results, you should pick this 3M spray adhesive for headliners. It comes in a 19oz aerosol can that sprays the headliner glue evenly on your car’s ceiling and fabric. Once the glue is tacky (in about 5 minutes), mate the two surfaces with firm, uniform pressure.
The 3M headliner repair kit does a neat and wrinkle-free repair job, with zero glue bleed-through. Besides, the adhesive is resistant to humidity and heat and works great in both hot and cold environments. This versatile headliner adhesive spray is also useful for bonding carpet, foam, and other materials in your car and home. Overall, one of the best adhesives for headliner repair to restore your car’s interior.
Note: Can be messy, so be sure to cover all surrounding surfaces that need to be protected from this headliner glue spray using masking tape and drop towels.
See the latest price of the 3M Headliner Adhesive at Amazon
Pros:
- Strong headliner adhesive that bonds heavy materials
- Spray application and adjustable nozzle dispenses a controlled, even layer on surfaces
- 60 minute quick dry formula and withstands heat well
Cons:
- Quick dry means it may dry too fast to allow repositioning or adjustments
- Sometime the nozzle may get clogged.
You might also like: Custom Accessories, a non-adhesive headliner repair kit with 8 pins to hold up your headliner fabric. A handy temporary solution to sagging headliners, this is a good solution if you’re not a fan of messy glue or staples on your headliner.
Permatex Headliner Adhesive Spray
Permatex is a solid headliner adhesive repair product that, if well applied, lasts for a long time. Other than fixing your headliner, you can use this professional headliner adhesive to repair loosened carpets, trunk linings, and inside door panels. When applied correctly, the spray can will dispense a controlled, even layer of adhesive on surfaces, leading to a clean, wrinkle-free repair job. For best results, you want to let the Permatex car headliner glue bond set for at least 24 hours at 70°F(21°C). The result is a high-strength repair job that handles extreme weather well. We also like that this adhesive allows the repositioning of the fabric within the first few minutes (2-3), so be sure to smooth out any errors as soon as possible.
See the latest price of Permatex headliner glue spray at Amazon
Pros
- Holds up even in extreme weather and climate conditions
- Versatile – bonds well with all sorts of surfaces
Cons
- Not much time for repositioning
- Spray can nozzle may get clogged
Read also: Best Halogen Headlights
Loctite Quick-Dry Headliner Adhesives Spray
If you want quick results, you might want to go for this quick-dry headliner spray adhesive. Loctite offers a quick and easy repair of your car upholstery by forming a strong, instant bond within 3-5 minutes of application.Plus , we also like it dries clear and neat, which makes it great for other projects in your car or home. Beyond headliners, you can use Locktite car adhesive for headliners to fix trunk linings, carpets, door panels, and trunk linings. Be sure to tape off any area that might get overspray as the glue is super sticky.
See the latest price of Loctite Quick-Dry headliner adhesives spray at Amazon
Pros
- High strength glue for headliner
- Easy to use;- good spray nozzle dispenses even coat
Cons
- Not as long lasting as others on this list
- Strong odour when first used.
Read also: Best Car Dashboard Cleaner and Polisher
Polymat Spray Adhesive Headliner Glue
Polymats is a super-strong headliner and fabric glue that offers heavy bonding of all types of surfaces, including metal and fabric. It’s water resistant, so it can also be used in marine settings. It’s tacky and dries quickly, making it ideal for projects where you need to move fast. Work in a ventilated area as the spray fumes are rather strong.
See the latest price of Polymat Spray Adhesive Headliner Glue at Amazon
Read also: Best Halogen Headlights
Things to consider
Here is a couple of things to consider when deciding on what adhesive to use for headliner repair;
Temperature Resistance
Before buying a car headliner repair glue, consider your environment. If you live in hot climates like Florida, it’s a good idea to buy the best heat-resistant headliner adhesives if you want to keep your fabric intact. You also want to steer clear of rubber-based adhesives as they are likely to melt in extreme heat. Be sure to buy the right product to avoid having to do the job all over again!
Liquid adhesive or aerosol spray?
There are many types of car headliner repair glues on the market to choose from. However, they come in two forms: aerosol can (spray) and liquid. The headliner glue spray type is favored among the DIYers for its quick-dry and easy-to-use features. However, if you are skilled in handling adhesives or have a larger area to repair you may want to use the liquid adhesive for headliner. Both headliners adhesives work in the same way to bond your fabric to your car headliner.
Repositionable car headliner adhesive or not?
This feature allows you to correct any alignment errors when fixing your headliner. You will appreciate those extra minutes you get when working with repositionable glues to straighten wrinkles and align your fabric – before the glue sets permanently. Look out for this feature if you want your job to look professional!
Strong, permanent hold
As mentioned above, you want the best headliner adhesive that won’t come undone even in hot environments.
Fabric compatibility
If your car ceiling fabric is light-colored, then a strong-colored headliner repair spray will probably leave ugly stains on your headliner. Another thing to consider is the fabric material. It is a good idea to scan the car headliner glue label to ensure that it is compatible with your headliner fabric and any other surfaces you may want to bond.
How To Fix a Sagging Headliner With Adhesive Spray
Fixing a faulty headliner is fairly easy and quick. But if you are worried about doing it yourself, you can have it done in a body shop. Here is how to reglue headliners:
Step 1. Prep your work area by using masking tape to cover all surfaces that need to be protected from this headliner glue spray. The glue may attack some plastics or painted surfaces. The masking tape should be removed immediately after application.
Note: If your headliner only has a small tear or is sagging a little at the edges, fixing it may only involve detaching a small section of the fabric. Removal of the headliner may even not be necessary in some cases.
Step 2. Remove the headliner fabric. Start by detaching the attachments holding the fabric in place, like the lights, roof handles, clips, etc. Gently peel back the fabric from the car’s ceiling to expose the metal. For partially damaged headliners, you only need to detach the area that needs repair.
Step 3. Make sure that both surfaces to be attached together are clean, dry, and free from contaminants like dust, water, or loose debris.
Step 4. If using an aerosol can adhesive, shake before use. Turn the nozzle to select the spray pattern width on low, medium, or high. Then, holding the headliner spray glue can 6-8 inches from the work surface, apply the car headliner repair glue directly to your ceiling board. Carefully follow the instructions given on your adhesive as to how many coats to apply as well as the prescribed drying times.
Note: Some headline adhesives contain toxic elements that can be harmful to your health. It’s a good idea to wear protective gear like a mask, gloves, and goggles when fixing a headliner. Also, keep your car’s windows to improve airflow, and work on a well ventilated area.
Step 5. Once the headliner repair glue dries or is tacky, position and press the fabric to the headliner board, eliminating air pockets and wrinkles as you go along. You can use pins and tape to keep your headliner up as it dries.
Step 6. Leave the bond to set or cure. Some adhesives take up to 24 hours at 70°F(21°C) to fully set, while others are ready to go in just 30 minutes or less. Follow the instructions on your chosen car headliner glue to find out accurate drying time.
Be careful not to spray too much spray adhesive for headliner on the headliner board. Excessive headliner glue may damage your fabric. Instead, apply evenly across the surface.
How To Fix Sagging Headliner With Liquid Adhesive
Fixing sagging headliners using liquid adhesives pretty much follows the above steps. However, the application method differs. Instead of spraying the adhesive using an aerosol spray can, the liquid adhesive uses a sponge, paintbrush, or other applicators to uniformly spread the adhesive on the surface.
Final Thoughts
While there are different types of headliner repair kits on the market, our favorite pick is the 3M headliner adhesive spray, a quick-drying strong adhesive that is also resistant to heat. The easy-to-use spray adhesive will dispense an even coat of glue for a wrinkle-free bond. We also liked that this multi-purpose adhesive is useful for bonding fabric, plastic, and foam to metal.
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