How to make door upholstery yourself using leatherette

The door is important not only to restrict entry into the home for strangers. Over time, its aesthetic function has become no less important. The door has been in the apartment for many years. Over time, its appearance deteriorates. However, it is not necessary to replace it. If the doors are upholstered with leatherette, they will acquire a new look.

What to look for when choosing a door trim kit

Leatherette is used for door upholstery. The name of this fabric is translated as "material that can replace leather." The basis of such fabric is cotton fabric, which has a nitrocellulose coating. It can be either on both sides of the material, or only on one.

This leatherette has important features, due to which it is used for upholstery:

• It is important that such material has a long service life.
• Throughout the entire period of use, leatherette retains a respectable appearance.
• It is moisture resistant. The fact that it does not absorb moisture contributes to its strength and durability.
• This material is not vulnerable to rotting, fading from sunlight, temperature changes. Doors covered with leatherette will not change their appearance even if they are located outdoors.
• It can be cleaned using specialized household products.

In addition to leatherette, the following can be used for this purpose: PVC film, vinyl or genuine leather. However, the material in question combines affordable price, high quality and durability in the best possible way.

Foam rubber is the best option for a budget insulating layer. For upholstery, a layer of 1-2 centimeters is enough. Felt can be used for this purpose.

If you need glue, you can use "Moment" for this purpose. You will need no more than 100 milliliters for one side of the door leaf.

Tools and consumables

In order to make door upholstery with your own hands, you need to prepare the necessary tools and materials. Before this, it is important to measure the area.

If we are talking about the design of wooden doors, then the area of ​​the upholstery canvas corresponds to the size of the door. Additionally, 15 centimeters will be required on each side. For metal doors, in addition to the area equal to their surface, an additional 10 centimeters of leatherette will be required.

When working, you will need rollers. They should be located along the edges of the door and are designed to close the gaps that may form when closing.

The choice of insulation is important. If the product's service life is longer than the insulation's service life, it may rot. Below is a brief overview of the options.

Izolontape is a modern material used for this purpose. Its service life is 60-75 years. Its joint use with foam rubber is not excluded.

The following tools are required:

• scissors to cut off the required amount of material;
• in order to remove the excess, you will need a sharp knife;
• screwdrivers and pliers are the tools you will need to remove locks;
• using a stapler, the door will be covered with insulation;
• To attach materials to a metal door, you will need glue;
• using nails, the leatherette will be nailed to the base;
• Decorative nails will be needed to apply a beautiful pattern to the surface of the door.

Once the preparation is complete, you can begin to upholster the door.

Preparatory work before covering

Before the leatherette upholstery is applied, preparatory work must be carried out. To do this, do the following:

• It is recommended to remove the door from its hinges before starting work.
• Before covering, you need to remove the locks, handles and peephole.
• If there was an old coating, it must be completely removed.

Then you can proceed directly to the tightening procedure.

How to upholster a wooden door with your own hands

The situation is considered when the door opens into the apartment.

To cover the doors with leatherette on the inside with your own hands, you need to do the following steps.

1. First, the roller is installed along the edges of the base. It should protrude 4 centimeters beyond the edges. Its installation is performed in the presence of a mortise lock from the upper corner of the part where the hinges are installed. If a surface-mounted lock is used, then the installation begins from its location.
2. Strips of foam rubber must be secured along the edges of the door leaf.
3. Now we need to prepare the insulation material. It should fit on the base surface inside the foam strip frame. A gap of no more than 1 centimeter is allowed between them.
4. Inexpensive insulation is attached using a stapler.
5. The prepared sheet of leatherette is laid out on the surface. Its edges should be folded in such a way that they overlap the roller a little. The material is nailed with decorative nails at a distance of no more than 7 millimeters from the edge. First, they are driven in at opposite corners, while stretching the canvas.
6. Then nails are driven along the sides of the door leaf at a distance of 10-12 centimeters from each other.
7. At this stage, finishing is done by creating decorative patterns on the surface of the door.

Now here is a step-by-step instruction for covering the outer side of the door leaf:

1. The door is closed and the edge of the door frame is drawn on it.
2. The work is carried out in a similar manner, but no rollers are made on the top and sides.
3. The insulation and leatherette are attached so that they are located inside the door frame.
4. The edges of the material are folded inward before nailing.
5. A bolster is made on the lower part of the door leaf.

If the leatherette has changed its appearance over time, it can be painted. Acrylic paints are suitable for this. If you buy a set of several paints, then by mixing you can select a tone that most closely matches the color of the leatherette.

Sometimes, to restore the appearance, it is enough to re-upholster it.

How to choose a method of covering a metal door

First, we will consider a budget option for decorating an iron door.

If you need to cover a metal door, glue is used to attach the material. First, the entire surface is coated, then the insulating material is glued to it. It is necessary to make holes in it for the peephole, handles and lock.

After this, the foam rubber is glued, and then the leatherette. It is necessary to make a detailed inspection and remove the excess with a knife.

Gluing is done starting from the top of the door leaf.

Examples of work by door upholstery masters

You can do the leatherette upholstery work yourself. However, if it is done by a professional, the result can be pleasantly pleasing.

Here are some examples.

In order to get a good result when doing upholstery, you need to try to do the job very carefully. It may make sense to contact a specialist to do the upholstery.

By upholstering the front door, it not only gets a new look, but also improves its quality. After this procedure, noise insulation is enhanced and heat is retained better.