Installing Removable Cabin Headliner in a Boat

X-HT-200490

If your removable cabin headliner needs revamped, this is the DIY for you. In today's video, we're going to show you how to give your cabin interior an upgrade with new vinyl-wrapped headliner panels. Watch the video to see how the process is done. This is a very easy DIY and a great way to revitalize your boat cabin with an updated, modern look. Let's get started.

Materials List:

Headliner Vinyl Fabric – we used Nauga Soft 54" Vinyl Fabric
Seamstick 3/8" Basting Tape for Canvas – #129
Dura-Skrim^® Patterning Material 74" – #103134
3M™ General Trim Spray Adhesive 18.1 oz. – #73211
3M™ Specialty Adhesive Remover 32 oz. (Quart) – #108984
Adhesive Backed Nylon Hook White – #102221
Adhesive Backed Nylon Loop White – #102222

Tools List:

Gingher^® 8" Scissors – Right Handed #19104 or Left Handed #19105
Measuring Tool, Marking Tool, Sander, Permanent Marker

Removing and Preparing Headliner Panels

The first step is to remove the headliner panels. Your furring strips are now exposed. You should sand down the furring strips with a sander to remove any debris or dried glue from previous use. If your panels are in bad shape, you can create new ones with laminate. Use Dura-Skrim^® Patterning Material and double-sided tape to tape up pieces of Dura-Skrim to pattern your new laminate panels from. This process is also shown in the video.

The primary goal when installing new headliner is to first insulate between each plywood furring strip and then cover the insulation with vinyl for a beautiful cabin interior. We’re using Nauga Soft vinyl fabric to wrap our panels. Nauga Soft is a great choice for boat cabins. It offers great durability with the look and feel of real leather. It’s also UV and weather resistant with superior tear strength. So no matter where you set sail, Nauga Soft is well suited for every boat interior.

The final step of our cabin headliner project is to add hook-and-loop tape pieces to the panels and the furring strips. Attaching the panels with Velcro will provide a strong hold and will also allow for easy removal of the panels for quick access to the bolts that secure the deck hardware.

Need Help? We're Here for You!

If you have any questions as you get started on this project, we’re always here to help! You can call, email or online chat with us and we’ll get you back on track so you can get your boat back on the water where it belongs! Thanks for watching and happy sailing!