• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Forum
  • Design Studio
  • Upholstery Jobs
  • Newsletter
  • Sponsors

The Hog Ring

Auto Upholstery Community

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Every Trimmer Should Share this Article

September 16, 2014 By Nadeem Muaddi

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - ASM Auto Upholstery

With the rising popularity of DIY kits, it’s not often that an automotive journalist pens an article about why drivers should take their cars to professional trim shops to have their upholstery repaired. However, that’s exactly what Tom Moor of Angie’s List did in his latest piece titled “Reupholstering your car can be well worth the cost.”

The article is geared toward lay people, so it’s a bit elementary for us. However, it’s definitely the type of press our industry needs and should help promote. Here’s an excerpt from the piece:

Having a professional auto upholsterer reupholster your car can fix rips, tears or stains. You can even reupholster your entire vehicle to give it a new look, such as switching from cloth to leather seats.

Finding a reputable upholsterer is key.

“It’s just like any trade,” says Mike Zalewski, owner of Young’s Upholstery in Norfolk, Virginia. “You expect to get a job that reflects the fact that we do this for a living. We make sure your seat looks right, your carpet looks right and your headliner doesn’t come down.”

Types of reupholstering

Auto reupholstering is the process of repairing or replacing your car’s seat covers, carpet, headliner, door panels, vinyl roof covers and dashboard.

Highly rated upholsterers tell us the most common job they receive is for ripped or damaged seats, especially seat bolsters. Zalewski says bolsters, which are the curved area at the edge of seats, receive the most damage because people use their weight on them to get in and out of vehicles. An upholsterer can add additional foam to the bolster for support.

Experts can remove and reupholster just the bolsters without reupholstering entire seats.

“They slowly wear down from people getting in and out,” Zalewski says. “Replacing just the bolster saves you money.”

The cost to replace one bolster is $250 to $295, Zalewski says. Kevin Kent, owner of Kent Auto Upholstery in Indianapolis, says he charges $175 to $185 for new bolsters. [read more]

Best of all, the article wasn’t just published on Angie’s List — but picked up by California’s The Sacramento Bee, North Carolina’s News & Observer, Idaho’s Idaho Statesman, Georgia’s Telegraph, and Washington’s The Bellingham Herald, among others.

Please give the article a read, and share it with your followers on Facebook and Twitter.

[Photo: Alex at ASM Auto Upholstery]

Filed Under: Archive, Interesting Read Tagged With: Auto Trim, Auto Upholstery, Car Interior

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. free proxy says

    May 8, 2019 at 10:25 pm

    Hi there,I read your blog named “Twitter” on a regular basis.Your writing style is witty, keep up the good work! And you can look our website about free proxy.

Primary Sidebar

THR Sponsors

NC Sewing Machines
Miami Corporation - Right Rail Ad 3
  • Douglass Interior Products
  • Keyston Bros
  • Hyde Leather
  • OEM+ Banner Ad - The Hog Ring
  • MasterTech Expo 2026
  • Albright's Supply

THR Favorites

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - SideEffect Ltd - 1971 Pontiac Firebird

1971 Firebird Interior by SideEffect Ltd

In need of some inspiration? Check out this … [more] about 1971 Firebird Interior by SideEffect Ltd

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - 1974 Lamborghini Espada

Lambo Stitching with Brent Parker 2

Earlier this month, Brent Parker of Brent … [more] about Lambo Stitching with Brent Parker 2

5 Items to Hang on Your Shop’s Walls

Most auto upholstery shops have front offices … [more] about 5 Items to Hang on Your Shop’s Walls

Start Charging What You’re Worth

It’s time to stop preparing estimates with … [more] about Start Charging What You’re Worth

Why I Build Miniature Car Seats

For the past few years, I’ve been … [more] about Why I Build Miniature Car Seats

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Bentley Motors Leather Shop

A Visit to Bentley Motors’ Leather Workshop

We know that Bentley Motors creates some of … [more] about A Visit to Bentley Motors’ Leather Workshop

Categories

Footer

Recent Articles

  • Nexus Fastening Co. Introduces Solid Gold Hog Rings for Luxury Cars
  • Everything We Covered in March 2026
  • WyoTech Taps Dominic Olson for Upholstery Program, Installs New NC Machines
  • MasterTech Expo 2026 Draws Global Crowd and Raises the Bar Again
  • Free SEMA Webinar: How to Start Your Own Auto Shop

Recent Comments

  • Edward Munday on Hidden Mouse Nest? How to Charge for the Extra Dirty Work
  • Jack on Keyston Bros. Acquires DLT Corporation
  • Brodie Smith on Aston Martin Just Introduced a New Convertible DB12
  • THE CAPTAIN on 6 Tips for Turning Callers into Customers
  • Dmei on Star Wars Seat Covers are ‘So Wizard’

Advertise With Us!

We're always looking for companies to collaborate with. Watch this short video about the benefits of sponsorship and then email us to say hi.

Copyright © 2026 · Magazine Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in