Re-gluing old vinyl headliner – tips and product recommendations?

[Matt]

I’m looking for advice on temporarily re-gluing some old vinyl headliner that has come loose and is hanging down at the corners. I’d appreciate any recommendations on:

Adhesives that work well for this kind of job (vinyl to fiberglass).

The best way to clean and prep both surfaces (back of the vinyl and fiberglass bulkheads) before re-bonding.

I’m aware this is just a stop-gap solution. Eventually, the vinyl will need to be removed and replaced properly. However, that’s a long way down the to-do list, and for now I’m just looking for a reasonably tidy, practical fix to keep it from sagging and flapping about until I can tackle the full replacement.

Any tips, product names, or lessons learned would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Keith-i]

Is it foam backed? If so it is nigh on impossible to get glue to stick if the foam is old and disintegrating.

 

[mrming]

I first scraped all the old foam off both the GRP and the back of an area of headlining. I used a plastic scraper for this so as not to cause damage to the GRP or tear the headlining,

Then I used SAF111 from Hawke House on both surfaces. Read the instructions carefully - you need a proper mask with filters and good ventilation. In my experience it’s totally possible to repair the edges, but if you scrape the foam off a larger surface and re-stick it down, you’ll see the bumpy GRP underneath and it will look bad.

 

[Refueler]

I would imagine that the number of people that have tried to re-stick headlining must be literally so many to be uncountable !

I know I tried when lining first started to sage ... I watched videos of people with hypos - injecti9ng glue ... watched cleaning - regluing ... but none worked for me ... believe me - I tried !

Finally gave in and bought 20 sq.m of Van lining along with the required number of Spray adhesive cans .... best decision ever made.

 

[MikeBz]

If the vinyl is on plywood boards you could add strips of wood screwed around the edge, if it suits the style of the interior:



If you can pull the vinyl tight then it doesn’t really matter that it’s not glued to the board.

 

[pioneer]

As others have said if the existing is foam backed that has now perished the residue needs to be cleaned off if regluing. As a temporary measure Hawkhouse also sell foam pre-glued on both sides that needs heating to release the glue. In my experience independently supporting the newly glued area whilst the glue dries helps . I used off-cuts of sheet wood tensioned in place with garden bamboo sticks. Use of the pre-glued foam greatly reduces the need for masks etc. a huge advantage IMO, having reheadlined 3 boats (one twice). Good luck!!!

 

[langstonelayabout]

Foam backed vinyl? Don't even bother trying.

My boat (Westerly Konsort) was professionally re-lined (Hawke house labour & materials) by the previously owner in 2018. For the last 2 years (since 2024) the vinyl lining in the main cabin and fore peak has started drooping.

I found some off cuts of the vinyl from the re-lining in my garage a few months ago. It had been stored in dark and reasonably cool conditions and all the foam was now dust.
I'm underwhelmed as this was £4000+ spent, and now none the better for it. It seems that the materials aren't up to the job, and Hawke House is a company supposedly reputed for doing the job properly.

There must be a worthwhile alternative that isn't removal and painting on the back of the GRP?

 

[superboots]

Like others I have been faced with this problem. scraping off the old foam was easy -its degraded to powder but wear a mask. I wanted to use a closed cell foam as a backing but this was unavailable. I ended up using a kind of polystyrene intended as underlay for laminate floors glued to the plywood base with spray glue. However the spray glue was not effective to glue the vinyl to the polystyrene. The inside face of the vinyl is porous and the glue can stain the outside surface. so its a mess. I might try again on one panel using double sided tape instead of glue and stapling the edges at the back. Its a 2 person job

 

[doug748]

CT1 will stick small areas if you clean up as much as you are able first. Blag it on and mangle the vinyl as much as you can to spread it evenly.
Cleaning off the CT1 when you decide to re-do the whole lot is another matter.

Thin strips of wood CT'onennnd to the hull and finished with capped screws through the vinyl, can also work for saggy edges.

.

 

[superboots]

If I get round to doing this again using the original vinyl I would try and seal the back side with a pva to reduce porosity

 

[Boathook]

On my previoous boat I've stuck new plain vinyl on varnished ply using bostic contact adhesive. Seem to stay on well. Insulated the topside of the ply using floor insulation normally used under laminate flooring to try and provide more insulation.
Going to look at this van fabric lining for my new boat, but may use the floor insulation first to try and keep some warmth in. Also makes it softer when hitting the head on a lower section of ceiling !