What is auto upholstery? 

This article will continue to discuss materials used in auto upholstery. I will discuss the materials and what you should consider when ordering. I won't get too technical or bore you with the details of how the materials were made. You could easily write a book about all the information.

The materials will be divided into four groups: headlining, leathers, carpets, and rolled goods. It is difficult to provide enough information so I will concentrate on vinyls and briefly touch on other options for upholstery materials.

These will be covered in more detail in the next article. Let's begin by discussing auto upholstery fabric and how they are ordered or purchased.

Ordering Material

You need to know how materials are ordered and measured before you can purchase materials. The most common rolled goods materials are ordered by yard. These would include vinyl, cloths, and velours.

These are not the only ones that are most commonly used. In upholstery terms, a yard is 36 inches long. For auto upholstery, the typical material measures 54 inches wide.

The width of a product will vary depending on its manufacturer and what it is made from. In some cases, widths as high as 60 inches have been seen.

Another important fact about cloths is their ability to stretch from side to side and corner to corner. This is known as the material bias. However, it is more likely that the material will not stretch long-wise.

You should remember that almost all materials have a nap, or material direction. An arrow usually indicates the nap direction on the back of the material. This arrow signifies that if you rub your hands in the direction indicated by the arrow, the material will become smoother. However, if you rub it the opposite way, it will usually raise the material's nap.

The nap direction for panels should be downward (the arrow will point towards bottom) The backrest nap on seats should face down towards the seat base, while the arrow should be pointed to the rear.

Unless you're purchasing a premade carpet, you can also order carpet material by the yard. If you are ordering carpet material by the yard, you will need to specify the vehicle model, manufacturer, and number of doors.

The width of the carpet yardage you purchase will vary depending on the type of carpet and manufacturer. Carpet widths range from 40 to 72 inches and 80 to 80 inches. While carpet padding is available in 36 and 72 inch widths, they can also be found in carpet padding. There are many widths available for headlining materials. The most popular being 60 inches for foam back headlining. Vinyls come in a standard 54-inch width.

The point I am trying to make is that you must know the dimensions of any material you order. These examples are only the basics of material selections, but most material dimensions are fairly consistent.

Ordering and Measuring Leather

A yard in automotive upholstery terms refers to 36 inches in length. It is usually a yard-and a half wide. Upholsterers measure everything by the yard. Leather can also be ordered in hides. They are available in full hides or half hides, and sold per square foot.

By specifying the number of square feet or inches that you require, leather can be ordered by the piece. The number of hides you order will determine the size.

Below is a conversion chart that I used for many years to convert yardage to square feet. This chart is used as a guide in the industry. This conversion can be used to calculate how many square feet you will need if you measure the job.

I have included the exact formula for converting yards to square feet. As you'll see, one yard of 54-inch material equals 13.5 sq. feet. This chart takes into account imperfections and the overall shape of the hide so that you have enough leather to do the job.

If you decide that you will need 3 yards of leather, and the manufacturer says that it is 54 feet in size, you will know that there is enough material. This allows extra leather to fix any imperfections, holes or other issues that could arise from a hide that's not perfect.

A word of caution: When ordering leathers, make sure you order enough to complete the job. It is crucial that all leathers are made from the same dye lot.

This applies to all other materials you order. It is important to order all of the materials at once. You run the risk that additional materials will not be the same color or shade if you run out of the material before the job is done. It is difficult to order materials for any job, but it gets easier as you get more experience.

Depending on whether your estimate is for a complete car interior or just a repair, it will be important to take your time and order the right tools to finish the job.

Let's Talk Vinyls

It is important to think about the application when purchasing vinyl. There are many types of vinyl, including OEM vinyls and specialty vinyls. This depends on what job or repair they are doing.

Vinyl can be made either expanded or unexpanded. The most common type of vinyl used for seating is expanded vinyl. Expanded vinyl is a vinyl that has a solid layer on top and is applied to a layer of vinyl foam. Vinyl that is not expanded, also known as solid vinyl, can crack more quickly than expanded vinyl. Examples of unexpanded vinyl include convertible top vinyl and Tonneau.

Vinyl is rated by its weight in ounces per yard. Vinyl is thicker if it weighs more than its weight. Vinyl's weight can range from 22 to 60 ounces. The most common vinyl is 27 ounces. Vinyl of a heavier weight, like 40-ounce, is used most often for equipment seating. This vinyl must be strong and durable. Vinyl that is lighter would be more suitable for automotive applications.

Cold cracking is another factor to be aware of. This is the temperature at which vinyl cracks if it is flexed. This information is often found on vinyl sample cards. It is important if you plan to cover items that are going to be exposed (e.g. snowmobile seats or outside equipment seating).

Vinyl will usually have some kind of backing attached to it. Vinyl backings can include rayon, polyester, or poly-fleece. Polyester is the most common. Vinyl that is not backed with vinyl, also known as unsupported vinyl, is used in most thermo-vacuum molded dashboards, door panels, and armrests.

Vinyl is made with what is known in the industry as "grain." It is texture that is embossed into vinyl to imitate natural animal hides.

Corinthian and Hampton are some of the most popular grain types. Alligators, Ostriches, Boa Constrictors, Stingrays, Carbon Fiber, and Aluminum are some of the specialties grains. Each of these grains can take on different appearances, with some even having specialty colors. Many of the most popular grains were used in the horse-and buggy era, and they are still being used today.

Vinyl tops are made from Landau Vinyl. Vinyl tops are not being installed by new car manufacturers, but there are still many vehicles from the 1950s to the 1980s with them.

Landau material is a non-expanded poly-fleece back with UV inhibitors. Landau material can also be moderately stretched. Landau vinyl can be made from many different grains. Both Corsica and Tuxedo are available in 60-inch widths. Elk grain is only available in 49 inches.

Convertible tops are another common use for vinyl. Convertible tops can also be made from other materials. I'll refer to these materials in the next article. Convertible vinyl tops are made from unexpanded vinyl and a black cloth back measuring 54 inches in width. Additional UV inhibitors are added for exterior use. This material is available in limited colors. Black and white are the most popular; however, white can be found in many shades.

I am only just beginning and there is still a lot of information on upholstery materials. Next article will cover carpeting, old and new cloths, leathers, exotic materials, and other options for domestic, foreign and antique vehicles.

There are many resources available on Upholstery 101. I will do my best to keep things as interesting as possible and be as detailed as possible.

In the months ahead, I will be covering many topics related to auto upholstery. If you have any questions, please reach out to me. If I don't have the answer, I will search it. Have fun stitching!