Headlining

[tr7v8]

Help, my Draco cabin is trimmed in what can only be described as foam backed teddy bear fabric. Eg. it's cream and fluffy and has a 1/16inch or so grey foam back. It's been fine over the summer, now first visit now it's got colder and I find half the ceiling bit laying on the floor.
Firstly any ideas on gluing it back? I've tried spray glue but it looks like the backing is seperated completely so won't glue up.
Or what can I replace it with? It currently glues straught to the GRp, am I better putting up thin ply or hardboard linings and sticking something to that?

Jim
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[Strathglass]

The problem with foam backed materials is that the foam deteriorates inth a powder.
You have several alternatives.

Lowest cost
Scrape all the foam out, vacuum everything clean and restick the fallen headlining back in place using contact adhesive and PLENTY of ventilation.

Next option
Remove the original headlining and replace it with marine wall carpeting again usinf contact adhesive and plenty of ventilation.

Third way
Remove headlining and cut 4mm ply to fit, cover ply with material of your choice then screw ply panels into place.

Iain

 

[colinroybarrett]

If you do decide to replace the foam, see this link,

http://www.kahawi.co.uk/rooflining.html

- as we have already 'been there & done that'. There are links to the supplier we used as well.
It's not an impossible task and can look very good when completed.

Best of luck!

Cheers,
Colin & Urszula Barrett
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.kahawi.co.uk>http://www.kahawi.co.uk</A>

 

[PaulAG]

Westerly boats regularly suffer from this problem. In my Centaur we stuck/screwed battens to saloon ceiling and screwed ply panels, covered with foam backed vinyl, to these battens. Worked very well and boat seems warmer in spring/autumn and now winter. Previous professional re-lining of forecabin was OKish, but some drooping apparent after ca. 3 years. Spray adhesive hopeless; use contact adhesive from tin.

PaulAG

 

[Lofty]

I have had this problem on a Westerly Pageant and on my Macwester 27. I have found that I can get the remains of the foam off the back of the material with a wire brush. To stick it on, a cheap silicon mastic works a treat. Just spread it on the surface with a paint scrapper or a plastic spreader of the type you get with body filler, then push the lining onto it. A roller makes the job a bit easier. Unlike contact adhesive if you get it in the wrong place then take it off again. Don't use an oil based mastic. It stinks the boat out for weeks.

Have fun.

 

[DavidGrieves]

Where can I buy headlining?

Thanks
Dave

 

[extravert]

Toomer + Hayter Ltd
74 Green Road
Winton
Bournemouth
Dorset
BH9 1EB
Tel: 01202 515789
Fax: 01202 538771

 

[VicS]

Hawk House Marine in Fareham, 01329 668800. Also all the adhesives, a useful leaflet on fixing headlinings and very importantly a mask to protect you from the solvent in impact adhesives. If you stick to plywood panels then a water resistant PVA glue can be used.

Seriously the solvent (toluene) in impact adhesives is very hazardous but the 'Organic vapours' mask is excellent although good ventilation is still necessary. When I first fitted out my boat I count myself lucky to have got out one evening while doing the lining, but when I renewed it all 20 years later I used a mask and really couldn't even smell the stuff.

 

[petery]

I found to my cost that unless you sand or grind off all trace of any previous contact adhesive, any new contact adhesive will not bond and you get droopy headlining again within a few days.

The supplier of the new headlining fabric emphasised this to me - but I thought I knew better.

 

[tr7v8]

As regards suppliers, cousin shopped around and found the cheapest place, best service was M & M Dorrington on 01775 640423, no website but apparently V Helpful. The other place is Woolies near Peterbrough but they are expensive, do have website though.

Jim
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[richardandtracy]

Buy Headlining at...

I've found a good one at "The Van Shop" in Sittingbourne, Kent. The bloke sells car seat fabric (velour etc). It's great for headlining & matching seat covers... It's about £8/metre for 54" wide stuff. He does other accessories for recreational vehicles that're also useful inside boats, get a catalogue. No web access though.

The address is:-
The Van Shop
Unit 12, Church Road Industrial Estate,
Church Road
Sittingbourne
Kent

Tel & Fax 01795 472906

He does mail order. Be warned - if you visit, he loves to talk.... Not even taking the kids along will stop him.

Regards

Richard.

 

[webcraft]

Re: Buy Headlining at...

Is there any specific reason why carpeting can't be used as headlining?

- <font color=blue>Nick</font color=blue>

 

[Guest]

There was a post somewhere on one of these forums from someone saying that the dust formed by the degraded foam backing is very poisonous and should not be inhaled.Don't know if its true but might be worth some research.I had major problems with the headlining on my 17 year old boat so it is being professionally replaced at a cost of £2140 inclusive of VAT materials and labour - this is for a Kelt 850 sloop - to give you some idea of possible costs.

 

[tr7v8]

Re: Buy Headlining at...

Must admit I'd been thinking of carpet as well. It's what Peter Caplen used when he refurbed the Coronet in Boat Mart a year or so ago. Needle cord carpet is actually very flexible. The other advantage of carpet is that areas of the Draco are fairly flat and the density of carpet could stop drumming of the panels.

Jim
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[webcraft]

Re: Buy Headlining at...

A friend's Moody that I've done a few miles in has needlecord carpet lining the hull in the forepeak and it seems to be excellent for the job. Don't know if it's an original Moody fitment or aftermarket . . . certainly cuts down on condensation.

<font color=blue>Nick</font color=blue>
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.bluemoment.com>

</A>

 

[richardandtracy]

Carpet Headlining

None that I know of.

I've been fitting some felt backed cord into a house recently - it'd do very well in a boat, all acrylic. Stick it down using a carpet spray adhesive. It comes in at £3/m^2, so shouldn't break the bank, and it looks pretty good too.

Regards

Richard.

 

[charles_reed]

Re: Carpet Headlining

Lasts 13 years (>52N), then the foam backing parts company with the carpet and the whole lot falls on your head with several buckets of nasty crumb.
Disintegration is quicker where there's sun.

Foam back carpet makes an easy, cheap short-term headlining.

The best is to use 2mm (difficult to get) marine ply backing with a good woven headlining overedged to the back and kept up by T wooden lathes screwed @ 600mm centre into the glassfibre deckhead.

 

[ponapay]

My Nich 38 headlining was stretched taut over hoops and clipped into tracks, it failed after 27 years.

I took it all down made plywood patterns and glued cream PVC material on to the ply. Then I fitted the ply by inserting it into pre-made and fitted T pieces in the centre and L pieces at the edges.

It all looks very smart, tight, secure and is easy to remove for maintenance or to fit cables above it. The air gap helps to keep down condensation too.

Total cost for three cabins £108.

 

[seahorse]

Hi all, I screwed 25x6 mm battent to the roof of my Centaur to cure the droop & it's lasted 3 yrs. Nevt year (when the weather gets warmer) I'm replacing the saloon & fore cabin linings with timber cladding, a bit heavier but I'm not a racer. I saw a Centaut on an American web site that had been don & it was really nice1