Many interior and upholstery fabrics are easily repaired with basic tools and minimal experience. But mastering upholstery repair requires substantial training and practice.
In today's world of shrinking margins, shop owners and managers must look at ways to retain a greater share of waning profitability. One of the best ways to do that is to keep previously sublet repairs in house. Mechanical repairs, like front-end alignments, engine and transmission R&Is, and suspension replacement, are now commonly done in collision repair facilities. Frame and unibody repairs, once relegated to larger, better-equipped shops, are also commonplace.
Generally, labor sales are where most shops have the greatest opportunity to regain some of their lost profitability, since this is usually an area where the highest percentage of gross profit can be realized. Specialized labor, like mechanical and frame, usually are sold at a higher rate, and therefore, afford greater profit potential. Obviously, the equipment and training needed to perform these services comes at a substantial cost, however the benefits far outweigh the negatives.
One profit center that is often overlooked in the collision industry is upholstery repair. Not only can shops realize additional profit performing this service, they can save substantial amounts of money when repairs are needed to components damaged in-house. (Although that never happens, right?)Obviously, not every damaged interior or trim part can be repaired invisibly, however, a number of them can. Occasionally repairs are not 100 percent invisible, and may wear in a different manner and rate than an original piece. Consequently, you need to be sure to provide customers with a thorough explanation of this type of repair process, so realistic expectations are set prior to the work being completed.
To truly master this art, substantial training and practice are required. In simple terms, you won't be ready to offer this service without proper practice. However, many interior and upholstery fabrics are easily repairable, using basic tools, and with minimal experience.
Without extensive training, most shops can perform vinyl and leather repairs, change interior colors, repair carpets, cloth seats and headliners using readily available products from your current paint jobber.
Although this article is going to go over some basics of several of these operations, you will not be an expert after reading it. Additional study and practice will be needed before you begin experimenting on a customer's car. The time spent studying and in practice will be well spent. Great resources for information can be found at your local library and on the Internet.
Surface identification
Before beginning a repair, you must identify what type of material the damaged surface is made of — leather or vinyl? With the quality of today's vinyls, it is sometimes difficult to tell. The easiest way to differentiate between vinyl and leather is to look at the backing. Vinyl will have a white gauze-like fabric adhered to the back. Leather will not. Leather will usually be slightly rough in texture, and tan in color. As a rule of thumb, if the piece has the white fabric backing, it's vinyl. This is important to know, so that you use the proper repair technique and material for each type of fabric.Leather repairs
Leather can repaired if scratched, punctured, scuffed, burned or separated at a seam. It can be repaired if torn, however this is more difficult, and most often requires replacing the damaged panel. This type of operation is best left to the experts, since it requires specialized sewing machines, and substantial training. For our purposes, we'll stick to the easier in-house repairs.
Scuffed leather is one of the easiest fixes, provided the scratch is not really deep. With some types of leather, use a hair drier to heat the area while massaging it. Keep the hair dryer moving, as to not burn the material. (Do not use a heat gun, as it may get too hot, and damage the material.) This may bring the leather scuff out. Then apply a leather protectant over the area. On most light scuffs, this method will work. However, if the scuff is too deep, it will have to be treated as a scratch or cut would be.
For scratched or cut leather, first isolate the area of the damage. If the leather is cut, try to gain access to the back of the damaged panel. On a door trim, this will be difficult, but on a seat, you can probably remove the seat cover enough to gain access to the damaged area. To do so, remove the seat from the vehicle, and using hog ring pliers, remove the rings attaching the fabric to the seat frame. Take off only what you need to gain access.
Once you can access the repair area, apply leather repair glue along the cut seam. You only need a small amount of glue in the crack. Then using a hair drier, make the glue tacky and press together. Once the glue has dried, if there are slightly visible lines, use leather protector to soften the topcoat and help hide the repair. If the line is still noticeable, apply a light coat of color along the cut line. This can be done by spraying, or using a small brush or cotton swab.Most leathers are dyed, and not painted, so use a coloring product recommended for leather, not vinyl paint. Your paint jobber can help you select the right product for each material. If your jobber does not carry it, many leather repair dyes are available through the furniture industry, and over the Internet. More than likely your jobber will be able to help.
If the damage covers a larger area, you may have to re-dye the entire panel, or seat cover, since it is sometimes difficult to "blend in" when spraying larger areas. This is actually not difficult to do – basically it's like painting any other component. The most important part of this type of repair is preparation, as it is in most painting operations. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations, and use cleaners and prep methods compatible with the product manufacturer's systems. This will assure you of good results.
Do not mix products! This will usually get you a science project as a result. If the scratched or cut area is grained, usually you can use a sponge, paper towel or other applicator to create a leather texture pattern in the color before it dries. Easy does it here. Just a light touching of the wet surface with one of theses tools will usually impart the texture needed for the "grained" look. This method should work on most scratches and smaller cuts.
Burn holes and larger cuts
Prep the area by scraping off any burned edges and cutting off any rough/frayed particles. It is recommended that you install a "sub patch" on the underside of the damage area. This is the most critical part of any leather repair of this type. The key is getting good adhesion.
In an area where it is difficult to hold the patch together, you can again use a hair drier to make the glue tacky and then hold the leather repair together until it bonds. Also, a piece of tape will help hold the area together. Using a small piece of scrap leather, (you can usually cut a small piece from the underside of the seat, where it won't be noticed) apply the leather glue to the patch and the repair area. Let it get tacky, and then apply the patch from the underside of the repair area.On the topside, apply a thin coat of leather filler material, a product again available through your jobber. Do not fill the void with thick coats; rather use several thinner coats to build the surface. Once the surface is level, you can apply the color to the area. Again you may have to replicate the surface grain, before or while coloring. This can be done with a spray on grain, by spraying several light coats over the repair area before the color has dried. This product will make the color coat wrinkle and look like a leather grain design in a few minutes. Or you may want to use a graining tool that heats the repair material and forms a grain pattern in it while it dries. The graining tool usually comes with several tips that replicate many of the different leather and vinyl grains in use today. This tool is again available from your jobber.
Another method to apply leather texture is to use a mold compound to make an impression of the actual leather grain of the piece you are repairing. Taking the impression, apply it over the leather repair and use a heat process to transfer the leather grain impression into the repair area. This process is time consuming, and expensive, but very effective. Once the grain is repaired, you can color coat the repair area.Seam repair
Leather that is separated at a seam can be quickly repaired by again, first removing the damaged panel enough to gain access to the seam on the back of the piece. If the separation is slight, glue will usually repair the split sufficiently. Slightly larger splits will need glue, and sewing. These smaller splits can be sewed by hand, much the same way as you sew a seam separation in a pair of pants. First glue the seam, and hand sew the area, using a leather needle and thread, staying as close to the original seam line as possible. Long splits (over an inch) should be sewn on a machine. Consequently, you won't normally be able to fix this type of damage as easily as others.
Color loss/wear
Leather colors fade over time and lose their luster. Leather protectant will help restore the sheen to some leather. If the leather has not been properly maintained or has had heavy usage, the color coating will have to be restored. The task is not hard, but you will need the right products and equipment to do the job correctly. Always test your coloring idea before you start the job. With a little practice or trial, you can achieve very professional results. Again, consult with your jobber concerning the correct products for this process.Vinyl repairs
Vinyl repairs are done similarly to leather, however the materials used are slightly different. Again, leather is usually dyed and vinyl is painted. Vinyl can be repaired if scratched, punctured, scuffed, burned or separated at a seam, like leather. Follow the same basic rules as you do with leather for each type of repair, however you will top coat with a different product. Graining and filling are done in the same manner as well, again using different products.
Vinyl is easier to repair on items with no access to the back of the piece, such as a door trim panel. Vinyl filler is slightly easier to use, and since it's painted over after the repair with a slightly thicker coating, it's a little more forgiving on larger repairs, allowing for better results with less training.Velour, carpet and cloth repair
Many upholstery fabrics and carpet can be repaired and re-colored as well. This process is a little more difficult however. Many seat fabrics have a pattern or grain in them that needs to be addressed during repair.
Seam repairs in material are easily done from the back of the piece, just like leather and vinyl repairs. The damaged seam can be glued, and then sewn along the repair area and re-installed on the vehicle. Smaller repairs can be sewn easily by hand.
Burn holes in fabrics are repaired by gluing small bits of the actual upholstery fiber in the damaged area. By scraping a razor blade, vertically on an inconspicuous spot on the repair piece, you will be able to build a pile of "fuzz" from the fabric of the piece. This "fuzz" is what is used as the repair material, to be glued in the damaged area of fabric. Since it is taken from the actual fabric, it will match the color very well. Professionals in this process have specialized tools that apply static electricity to the mix as well, raising the grain of the repair area to match the original fabric perfectly. Good results can be achieved by dropping really fine, very small amounts of "fuzz" into the glued area, slowly filling in the hole.
Fabrics also can be re-colored, by spraying a special coating on them. This coating is really a fabric dye, and can be used to completely change colors of the fabric, or to spray over a repaired area, to make it less noticeable. Dying fabric is more difficult than dying leather or painting vinyl. Improper materials and technique will result in a readily noticeable repair and may stiffen the feel of the fabric.
Since this type of repair takes more practice and requires specialized tools for an invisible repair, I recommend that seam repair and only minor hole/tear repair be attempted in most shops. Major damage should be sublet to an upholstery shop, unless you gain the tools and expertise through practice to perform them to perfection.
Dying carpet is fairly easy, but can be tricky in certain instances. Carpets must be clean and completely dry before dying. If any foreign material is not removed from the carpet fiber, it will show up as a discoloration in the finished product. For heavily stained carpets, consider replacement. Check with your jobber, or a local carpet supplier to purchase the materials needed to dye the carpet.
You can, however, repair smaller holes in carpet, in a similar manner to cloth repair. Clean the repair area around the hole, and remove any loose fiber. Then, from an area under a seat, cut a small amount of carpet fibers for your repair. Just as in the fabric repair method, apply glue to the damaged area and insert the cut fabric pieces into the repair area to fill the hole. Be mindful of the pile of the carpet, and position the carpet filler to match the height of the surrounding repair area. Keep the glue in the repair area and do not let it touch the carpet surrounding the hole to be filled. Once dry, brush the entire repair area lightly to blend it in. Do not patch large holes in automotive carpeting. Usually it is difficult to do without ending in a very noticeable repair. In these instances, the carpet should be replaced.
In general, smaller interior repairs can be fairly simple, and can offer a good source of added income to your shop. Since most of the process involves the sale of labor, and the repair material cost is recoverable and not extremely high, adding this additional profit center to your repertoire of services is really a no brainer. Take the time to train and practice and you and your customers will be pleased with the results.
