Almost every car owner, while operating his car, sooner or later is faced with the need for partial or complete replacement her salon covering. There can be many reasons for this - from normal wear and tear of the material to a simple desire to change the interior of the vehicle.
However, given the high cost of such pleasure, car enthusiasts are increasingly thinking about reupholstering the interior themselves. And for good reason.
Hand-made car finishing allows you to significantly save on work and also opens up unlimited space for self-expression with color and texture. But before enthusiastically proceeding directly to reupholstery, it is necessary to carry out preliminary preparatory measures, approaching the issue with maximum responsibility.
The entire process of finishing the interior of a car is very painstaking and requires certain skills from the master, as well as a considerable amount of time.
Therefore, it is worth assessing your real capabilities in advance, creating a clear action plan and preparing the necessary material base.
Interior tuning equipment
It is worth recalling that special upholstery is used for car interiors, which in its technical characteristics is fundamentally different from any other, for example, furniture. Therefore, you need to buy material for the interior of your car exclusively in specialized auto stores in accordance with its main criteria - aesthetics, convenience, practicality and functionality.
The modern car market offers a huge range color range and types of finishing materials. This significantly expands the interior capabilities of the car, giving way to variability. Therefore, it is not at all necessary to tune the interior in a single color. On the contrary, different combinations of textures and shades will look more interesting and stylish.
The main thing is that all materials are harmoniously combined and complement each other. A short video on how to reupholster a car with Alcantara with your own hands.
The most famous and in demand among car mechanics today are:
- Alcantara or faux suede. Composite material. Properties - softness, comfort, wear resistance, reliability, resistance to external influences, ergonomics. Combination - artificial leather, vinyl, eco-leather. Application: seat center, ceiling, pillar, rear shelves.
- Almara or artificial alcantara . Qualities - softness, velvety. Combination - eco-leather, vinyl, genuine leather. Use: pillars, door cards, ceiling.
- Genuine Leather. Eternal classic! Properties - strength, durability, aesthetics, resistance to mechanical loads and temperature changes. It is compatible with all types of coatings and can be applied to all elements of the car showroom.
- Automotive leather. Combination - perforated leather, Alcantara, leatherette. Use - dashboards, handles, steering wheel, gearbox, hand brake, door cards, headrests, armrests, seats.
- Leatherette or vinyl. Properties - budget cost, strength, waterproofness, wear resistance. Combination - Alcantara, genuine leather, auto fabrics. Application: side surfaces of seats, armrests, doors, dashboards, car covers.
- Eco leather. New generation material. Properties - resistance to bending, various loads and temperatures, hypoallergenic, airtight, wear-resistant. Absolute combination with all types of coatings.
- Automotive fabric. Properties - functionality, wear resistance, fire resistance, ease of processing complex reliefs. Types - retro fabrics, tapestries, pile, jacquard, ceiling fabrics, etc. Applications - ceiling, seats, doors, racks, trunk, shelves.
However, when decorating yourself, it is best to use Alcantara as a convenient and inexpensive material.
In addition to upholstery material, for upholstery of the interior you will definitely need:
- keys;
- screwdriver;
- glue;
- knife or scissors for linoleum;
- special elastic threads;
- sewing machine - industrial or regular;
- construction hairdryer
Now that the entire tool base has been assembled, you can safely begin tuning the car dealership.
Constriction technology
From this video, you will learn how to reupholster a car interior with leather with your own hands. Enjoy watching!
Whatever the interior decoration, complete or partial, you simply cannot do without dismantling the required elements. Moreover, the amount of work will depend entirely on financial opportunities the car owner, the degree of need for tuning and the expected results.
The most common segments for upholstery are seats, door frames (cards), door inserts, ceiling, steering wheel, gear knob. Despite the difference in the dimensions of the parts and their functional purpose, the re-upholstering technique is the same for all automotive elements and consists of a certain system of actions.
- Dismantling a part that requires reupholstery.
- Cleaning the element from old casing and any dirt, dust, or rust present on it.
- Creating a segment pattern in strict accordance with its contour, while maintaining a 10-centimeter margin of edges for further gluing.
- Sanding the surface of the part and then degreasing it special means, gasoline or gasoline mixture.
- Coating the element with glue at the point of contact with the finishing material.
- Carefully gluing the material to the surface of the automobile segment using a hair dryer. Wherein Special attention is given to the bends of the part.
- Securing the edges by pulling tightly and gluing along the perimeter of the element.
For greater effectiveness, the joints of materials or the edges of the upholstery can be finished with hand stitching using a “Cross” or “Pigtail” seam.
- When using contrast stitching, you must carefully monitor its evenness. Since a floating seam or any other flaws will be very noticeable. Without the ability to make a straight line, it is better to abandon this idea altogether.
- It is preferable to use nylon and synthetic threads on already taped (static) seams, since in this option the stretching of the material is minimal.
- If gluing the surface is difficult, the plane must be treated with a thin layer of automotive putty, polyester resin, or a combination thereof, sanded and try to glue the segments together again.
- To create a smooth, stretched surface with a seam that does not protrude, before stitching, the material can be glued from the sides and carefully beaten through the board. Then put a line on it.
- If the material used is thin and there is a danger of glue seeping through the fabric, 1-2 layers of aerosol glue should be applied to the material. The film formed during drying will protect the skin from impregnation.
- If wrinkles or bubbles form, they must be carefully cut and glued end to end.
Thus, by adhering to the rules and advice of specialists in reupholstering a car interior, the result is guaranteed to meet all hopes for its enchanting transformation.
Sometimes the attachment of car enthusiasts to their property and the desire to “tune” their car simply reaches the point of absurdity. One thing expensive cars, the “upgrade” of which only increases their cost and improves appearance, and it’s completely different when a VAZ “Six” - the same age as your parents, the red price of which on a good day is 20-30 thousand rubles, is equipped with electric windows, spoilers, or forged wheels for the price of the entire car. Agree, this is already too much.
The sphere of entrepreneurship, one way or another connected with cars, be it the sale of spare parts or the provision of repair services, brings fabulous profits to businessmen today. We can say that this is an almost win-win option for your small business, starting which you can have no doubt of success. Opening, for example, a mobile tire service, a seasonal tire storage point, or selling car stickers will not require large investments. The same goes for organizing a car interior reupholstery service. It is this business idea that we will tell you about today.
Brief business analysis:
Costs of setting up a business: 700 000-1 200 000
Relevant for cities with the population: from 100,000
Industry situation:the market is not saturated
Difficulty of organizing a business: 3/5
Payback: 1.5-2 years
What is car interior reupholstery?
Tuning a car - changing its external and structural parts and elements is divided into external and internal. The first includes, for example, car painting liquid rubber(you can find out about this business idea here), and reupholstering the car interior is just that internal tuning. Each car owner reupholsters the seats, steering wheel, dashboard, roof and doors with new materials from the inside and replaces the floor covering for his own reasons.
As we have already said, reupholstering the interior of a car significantly increases the selling price of a used car (there is no point in reupholstering the interior of a new car). In addition, a purely aesthetic aspect plays an important role - improving the appearance of the interior, which after reupholstering looks like new. Finally, some people, when buying a car on secondary market, they simply disdain to sit on worn out, wrinkled seats, or sit in a cabin saturated with the persistent smell of tobacco.
Determining the category of clients
Among the customers there are different people, and deal with the owners domestic cars And budget foreign cars, such as “Daewoo”, “Kia”, etc., and something completely different - with those who drive cars whose cost is “off the charts” for several million rubles - “Infinity”, Lexus”, etc. Often the inflated demands of such customers are not able to satisfy even large car services that have modern, expensive equipment at their disposal.
In addition, a beginner re-upholstery service needs some time to thoroughly study design features cars for quality work. After all, it is simply impossible for any master to know immediately how the interior of any brand of car works, so experience will often be gained in the process of work. This is exactly how they work in most reupholstery services.
What will you need to start a business?
One of the main points of organizing a business is searching suitable premises. A spacious garage will be suitable for your purpose (by the way, at this link you can find out what other business you can open in a garage) with an area of at least 50 sq.m., in order to be able to work with several cars at the same time and organize something here like a small office in which you will take orders and discuss with customers the nuances of their wishes.
Perhaps the only requirement for the premises is its cleanliness, since the specifics of the work require maintaining order. You will also need special tool and equipment:
- Firstly, this locksmith kit – various keys, screwdrivers, etc.
- Professional Sewing machines for stitching different parts of materials.
- Equipment for removing and installing airbags , which most modern cars are equipped with.
- Good vacuum cleaner for cleaning the interior after reupholstery.
Another important point is Consumables.
Selecting materials for reupholstering the car interior
Samples of material and photographs of reupholstered interiors - a kind of your portfolio - should always be available to provide the client with a wide choice. Let's consider several main types of materials, their advantages and disadvantages, which are used in interior renovation:
- Carpet . This is a dense carpet material that serves to cover speaker systems, but precisely because of its strength, it has found application in interior reupholstery. The advantages of this material are its inexpensive price, “obedience” in work, it takes almost any shape of interior elements, serves as additional sound insulation, and in winter - thermal insulation. Carpet reupholstery is often ordered by owners of domestic cars.
- Alcantara . The increasingly popular material successfully competes with leather. Alcantara feels soft and pleasant to the touch, like suede. Its advantages are wear resistance, good appearance, and almost complete “non-flammability” - in an Alcantara-upholstered interior, you don’t have to worry about the appearance of burnt holes due to fallen ash from a cigarette.
- Vinyl . Used when processing all plastic elements salon Widest choice films of various colors allows the customer to create exclusive interior decoration for relatively little money. The advantages of vinyl are its ease of installation and dismantling.
- Flock – fleecy material applied by spraying. Relatively cheap. Attractive in appearance, easy to use.
- Velours . A material that is becoming a thing of the past, but still finds application in car seat upholstery.
- Well, and finally leather – “capricious”, expensive material. But the appearance of the car interior changes dramatically after reupholstery. The cost of leather upholstery work is the highest; in this regard, the material is the most profitable.
A little advice: always try to purchase material for reupholstery only from trusted suppliers. It is better if working services recommend purchasing channels to you.
Who to hire?
To get started, it will be enough to have an experienced fitter on staff to work on removing and installing car parts, and 1-2 specialists in the actual reupholstery. By the way, women – professional seamstresses – can also successfully engage in this business.
How to arrange everything
In conclusion, we would like to say that those readers who want to learn more about any business idea can send their wishes to the author of the blog on the page “
According to market experts, among all types of tuning, interior tuning is the leader. What does it include?
Reupholstery of seats, steering wheel, ceiling, gear shift knob;
Replacement of door trim and floor coverings;
Manufacturing of inserts.
“Salon decor,” as market participants themselves call it, is a very popular item and is in steady and, what is important, increasingly growing demand. Apparently, this is not a whim of current fashion. The demand for this type of service is growing not only in connection with the growing demand for cars as such. A person buys new car or a used one - he will always have arguments why he wants to reupholster the interior.
Many people don’t like what the factory offers because they want individuality and comfort. And some, without thinking about aesthetics, are simply forced to turn to reupholstery specialists when preparing the car for sale. Others who buy a used car simply disdain to sit on seats that have been wiped by other people's backs... This gives a constant influx of customers for tuning services.
The most grateful client turns out to be a kind of tuning fanatic - if you attack such gold mine, then the client base is ensured. There is a lot to retighten in the car - up to 90% of the interior can be changed! Such people update the interiors of their cars (and the transport itself) no less often than a wealthy fashionista updates her wardrobe. Note that there is also a fashion for this or that upholstery and, like any fashion, it also changes.
Now even large car dealerships are exploring this segment. But experience shows that the natural leader in this format is still a small studio. According to immodest estimates, you will have to invest from 10 to 50 thousand dollars in the studio. But our people are good in that they always fit into an amount much less than that set by experts. This is understandable - they should invest their own funds, and not theorize in specialized media. The main thing is that such a managerial approach does not affect the quality of the business being undertaken.
A few words about quality. This is food for thought. The kind of business you actually start depends on whose position is closer to you.
All players are divided into so-called “omnivores” and “exclusiveists”. What does it mean? This means that smaller players are taking over the interiors of cars of any brand. And they know how to do it. But more advanced aesthetes believe that this approach is somewhat careless. They prefer to master one or two models and specialize only in them. This makes it possible to standardize patterns, that is, it simultaneously simplifies the life of the master and improves the quality of his work.
In addition, specializing in one or two regular models implies specializing in one or two models specifically in the premium segment. That is, only BMW or Mercedes are reupholstered. Each brand of car has its own characteristics and therefore, while asking a lot of money for your work, you must provide the client with the best quality.
Until recently, the only players in the market that were in the lead (and in general were) were professional aesthetes working for aesthete clients who could charge from three to seven thousand dollars for their work. This is all their philosophy. But the time came when tuning became a boom, reaching “sevens” and “nines”. When “in the area” they began to tune things that would be more appropriate to be scrapped, the market “met” those same “omnivorous” players, and they dropped prices so that they fell almost threefold.
As a matter of fact, the yard boys who tune their rattles and those of their friends are not your competitors. Because: a) you won’t earn much from this - it’s rather “attraction is a kind of illness”, b) they won’t let you earn money - this is their own party and, finally, c) today the car is crammed with very complex electronics. And almost everyone who even thinks about the driver’s lifestyle already has such cars.
A little more detail about the third point. To tune a car, you need to disassemble it. The machine is dismantled by professional fitters. One clumsy movement and the airbag, for example, is broken. A car stuffed with electronics is not your grandfather’s Volga. Few people today would entrust working with their machine to a guy of dubious qualifications in dirty sweatpants. But even if you put on clean pants and put on a smart face when communicating with a client, this will still not be enough.
- 1. What you need is in detail
- 2. Hack Warning
- 3. and not only skin
- 4. flock studio
1. Guarded premises. This implies a garage for three to four cars, an area of 40-60 square meters.
2. Equipment for dismantling airbags.
3. Professional sewing machines
4. access to direct contacts with leather manufacturers for car dealerships (so that there are no intermediaries)
5. Drawing up a clear, understandable and attractive catalog of samples.
6. Qualified master (preferably several)
Today the market is filled with the best offers from reputable leather suppliers - German, Austrian and Italian. A meter of high-quality “automotive” leather costs from 50 to 120 euros, Alcanatra will cost from 90 to 130 euros. Half of the cost of the entire order is the cost of the material. An average order for leather upholstery will cost a businessman between $1,200 and $1,500. If you receive an exclusive order, then multiply by 4.
There is an uninvited guest on the auto-tuning market - fake leather. This is leather not intended for use on car interiors. This is usually furniture or shoe leather. It costs several times less than a car. Because automotive leather should not be prone to stretching, have a durable color and much more. If you reupholster the interior with the “wrong” leather, the deception will be revealed in two months. This is another one compelling argument, in favor of working directly with the manufacturer of imported leather without intermediaries.
Your main craftsmen are the seamstress and the fitter. The fitter must disassemble the car and then reassemble it without damage.
Salon margin ( average 25%) will remain unchanged, even if you meet the consumer halfway and do semi-tuning, which will cost him only 8 thousand rubles. This is when one thing is covered with leather, and the rest is matched to match, being made from inexpensive but wear-resistant materials. The time standard for work is from four to ten days. The best (large) volume to reach is 300 cars per year.
There is an economy class tuning option, which is incredibly popular abroad, but for some reason is barely developing here. But this niche is empty only because we are talking about a new product, and our new products are a little slow to come by. However, the offer is worth taking a closer look at.
Flocking, flocking, flocking technology. It came to us from the English-speaking world, translated as “spraying”. Flock turnover in the USA is more than 800 thousand tons, in Russia – 100 tons. What is it? This is a process by which you get a fleecy (“velvet”) coating. A source of electrostatic field (flocator) and forced raw materials (flock) are used. This dust, flying out of the sprayer, lies in an even layer on the surface treated with glue - glass, plastic, metal, wood, leather. The result is a beautiful, aesthetically perfect panel in the required color. This know-how has taken root best in auto tuning. The fact is that the prices here are immeasurably lower than when working with leather or alcanatra.
Working with a machine using flock technology costs from $500 to $1000, and never more. Those who order such services in Russia prefer an “upgrade” domestic auto industry. They don't think skin is needed there. What's stopping you anyway? to the Russian consumer love this technology “with a human face”, a special anti-crisis move?
They think that the velvet surface is fragile, but it is not. It can be washed with any detergent without damaging the image of the interior. That is, people simply do not have enough information. Therefore, when opening a flocking studio, do not forget to include expenses for powerful advertising impact. If it were a really bad technology, it probably wouldn’t be so popular in the West, where everyone counts their money and doesn’t spend it on “show-offs”?
To start a business you will have to shell out from 10 to 20 thousand dollars. Half of this money will be spent on purchasing equipment - a flocator, a drying chamber, etc. You will spend the rest of the amount on training craftsmen, purchasing raw materials and rent. For those who just started this business in a complete vacuum, using unprofessional equipment, it took two years to break even and then start making money. Everything should go easier for you. The profitability of such a business is from 20 to 30%.
The main thing is that you invest much less than when working with traditional leather. Moreover, in the leather tuning market prices are set clearly and you can only fight competitors by providing a unique, exclusive quality product. By the way, there are already offers on the educational services market. Some companies train young specialists in flocking techniques for 500 rubles per hour.
What else is important not to forget when starting your own business? Here the advice will be traditional, but no less important - creating and promoting your website will provide you with fame.
Nazarenko Elena
*The article is over 8 years old. May contain outdated data
Expert opinion agrees that interior tuning is a “gold mine” for entrepreneurs and this is not surprising, since men simply adore their cars. Interior tuning includes: reupholstering the seats, steering wheel, ceiling, etc., changing the door trim, as well as the production of floor coverings, which are not “fashion”, but are a necessary and in-demand item. “Interior decor” will forever remain the “most popular” thing, since any car enthusiast will say that there is no limit to perfection.
Every car enthusiast wants a unique car interior and, once in this area activities, you are guaranteed an inexhaustible flow of clients. Few people know that at least 90% can be changed in the salon. Car dealerships cannot maintain leadership in this market, since preference is given to small studios. Experts say that investing in a studio will require at least 20 thousand dollars, but in reality the amount is much less.
Regarding quality, you need to remember that specializing in several models guarantees high quality, which means the key to success is guaranteed to you. Wide specialization in this business is fraught with low-quality products, and consequently, dissatisfied customers. In addition, it is worth specializing in premium models, that is, BMW models or Mercedes. The features of these brands guarantee a high fee for the work, but, of course, subject to high-quality services provided.
We all remember the “fashion” for tuning, when any car model was subject to tuning. This tuning took place not in a specialized studio, but in garages, etc. It is worth remembering that this type of tuning is not competitive and does not bring high income, since reupholstering the interior of a premium car brings from 5 to 7 thousand dollars. This type tuning is more of a hobby that brings nothing but pleasure.
It is worth remembering that tuning a car involves disassembling the car and in order to disassemble the car you need to be a professional fitter. There is no need to neglect this point, as this is fraught with irreparable consequences that can lead to the death of the car owner. Premium cars contain a large amount of electronics and that is why car owners do not trust tuning to non-specialized people.
In order to open this business, you need to pay attention to the following details, namely, you need a secure premises designed for 4-5 cars with an area of at least 60 sq.m., equipment for dismantling, specialized sewing machines, contact with leather manufacturers for a car dealership, catalog of samples, as well as the presence of at least two qualified craftsmen.
On this moment the leather market for car dealerships is filled only with best offers, including German, Italian and Austrian leather. Best options This leather costs from 60 to 120 euros per meter. It is worth remembering that more than half of the order cost will be spent on the necessary material, while giving an average income of $1,300, but if you have an exclusive order, feel free to multiply by 5.
Don't forget that you must guarantee the quality of your products, so the leather must be "real". Therefore, do not try to save on material by replacing it with “artificial” one. This leather is not intended for use with car showroom, since defects will be revealed in less than a month. By working directly with the supplier, you will ensure quality and reliability. Don’t forget that the main specialists in our atelier will be the seamstress and the fitter. One will disassemble and assemble the car, and the second will do the rest of the work.
The average work rate is 30%, despite the amount of work done, since there is an option that you will have to sheathe one thing and it will cost you about 10 thousand rubles. The work time will take from 5 to 10 working days, which leads to a figure of 400 cars per year.
There is a niche in this service market that is not occupied by anyone because it is not as popular, unlike in the West. Flock technology abroad amounts to 900 thousand tons, but here we have no more than 100 thousand tons. This technology consists of covering with velvet (fleecy) material. To do this, you need a flocker and flock, which give the necessary beauty and color to the panel. This “new product” is in demand abroad because it costs several times less, since work with this coating does not exceed $1,000.
Flock technology has not caught on with us due to the lack of information on caring for it, since caring for such a coating does not require much effort and any detergent. If you are interested in this technology, then do not forget that the advertising campaign should be aimed at changing opinions about velvet coating and popularizing it.
On startup of this business the necessary expenses will be 15-20 thousand dollars, since half will be spent on necessary materials and equipment, as in the first case. The rest of the amount is needed for training masters, renting premises, etc. Don’t forget that unprofessional equipment only guarantees bankruptcy and going into the red. That is why high-quality materials and equipment are needed that will help bring profitability to high rate, namely 40%. The advantage of such a business is the smallest financial investment, unlike traditional works tuning.
Also, the least competition will help the car dealership become a leader in the tuning market. The cost of flock training is from 600 rubles. at one o'clock. When starting your own business, it is worth remembering that advertising is the engine of trade, which is why business promotion needs to start with a good PR company. Good luck in your endeavors and all the best!
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