How to Upholster a Car Door?

Humidity, heat or the passage of time itself and the wear and tear that this causes due to use, can cause the deterioration of some of the parts of a car. One of these elements is the upholstery of the doors; and although many vehicles currently use materials that do not need upholstery, there are still cars that require it.

The upholstery of the doors is suffering and losing its best appearance over the years, which is due to different aspects such as pollution, dirt, humidity and temperature changes. All of them are factors that can cause the upholstery to present different damages and even to drop from its position.

Instructions for upholstering a car door

If you want to know how to upholster a car door, you need to follow the instructions below:

1. First of all, for the upholstery of a door of your vehicle you must start by disassembling the door panels. You must bear in mind that depending on the vehicle, the procedure may be different, since each manufacturer has a way in which they fix the panels, and they may also vary between models of the same brand. In this way, you may find that it has been fixed with staples, screws…
2. Then it will be time to disconnect the connectors of the electrical components that you find while disassembling it. In this way, you will find yourself needing to disconnect the controls for the electric windows, the control units or the speakers, among others.
3. The next step is to uncouple the metal rod or cable from the door opener interior handle. You must be very careful, since the plastic support is usually made of plastic, and it could break if it is pulled with excessive force.
4. Once you have the door panel disassembled, it will be time to go with it to the workbench. There you can work on the piece in a more comfortable way.
5. Next you will have to remove the upholstery in poor condition. To do this you will have to proceed to remove the door controls, as well as the rest of the elements you need. In some cases, manufacturers adhere the upholstery to the door panel with plastic elements. In that case they will have to be carefully cut with the appropriate cutting tool.
6. In addition, you may have to remove, on some car models, the handle, an element that can be attached by welding or with screws.
7. Once you find that the door panel is insulated, it’s time to remove the faulty fabric. When doing so, be sure to clean any leftover debris with a product suitable for removing traces of dirt from a piece. It is important that you do this before using another adhesive on top.
8. When the panel is completely clean, it will be time to prepare the new fabric, applying glue so that it is glued to the panel.
9. Once the time recommended by the manufacturer has passed, you can proceed to glue the fabric. In this sense, it is preferable to do it from the center out, taking special care not to leave wrinkles, since it will be difficult to get rid of them later. As you reach the ends, it will be important that you have the fabric stretched to achieve the best result. Depending on the upholstery, it will be preferable to leave the handle already in place or to install it later.
10. Already reaching the final steps of the upholstery of a car door, you will have to cut the excess fabric with an appropriate tool for it.
11. Finally, you will only have to start the assembly of the panelstep by step in the reverse direction to which you disassembled it, making a final assembly by coupling the door opener cable and the rest of the elements and connections.

Tips for upholstering a car door

If you are interested in knowing how to upholster a car door, it is important that you take into account a series of basic tips, which are the following:

• First of all, before proceeding with the upholstery of your vehicle’s door, it is recommended that you consult the manufacturer for the different instructions regarding the assembly and disassembly of the panels, as well as the rest of the elements. This way you will avoid making mistakes.
• You must follow the safety regulations regarding the use of equipment and tools at all times. Although in principle it will not be a dangerous task, it is necessary to be aware that there are some operations that may involve some complexity. This occurs, above all, in the event that welding processes have to be carried out.
• Finally, you must make sure to use the appropriate fabric and glue. Following the indicated steps, it is essential to use high quality products, since otherwise the final result can be seriously affected. Thus, it must be clear that you have to bet on specific and quality products.