How to Replace Car Seat Foam
by Brenda Priddy
Car seats are made from many different materials. Most car seats, however, use some kind of foam cushioning to keep the seats soft and springy. Over time, it may become necessary to replace the foam for a car seat because of spills or aging. Replacing the foam is not a difficult process, but it is important to follow the steps correctly to prevent mistakes and to help the foam contour to the original shape of the car seats and foam.
Step 1
Remove the cloth covering the car seat. Some car seats have removable seat covers, while others have the cloth sewn over the foam. If the foam is inside a seat cover, simply unzip or unsnap the cover to expose the foam below. To remove the other kind of seat cover, use a small seam ripper to rip through the seams of the upholstery fabric to expose the foam.
Step 2
Measure the thickness of the original foam. Add 1 inch to the thickness to determine how thick the replacement foam should be. Remove the foam from the vehicle and take it to a flat, clean surface.
Step 3
Lay the original foam over the new foam. Mark the outline of the original foam onto the new foam. Make the new foam 1 inch longer on each side to compensate for shrinkage.
Step 4
Cut out the foam with a sharp carving knife. Use a rotary cutter if the foam is too thick to cut with scissors.
Step 5
Glue each piece of foam to the seat with spray adhesive unless the car seat has a cloth bag for the foam to slip into. Spray adhesive will help the foam stay in place along the sides and back of the seat.
Step 6
Recover the seat in the upholstery fabric or seat cover.
References
Things You'll Need
- Seam ripper
- High-density foam
- Measuring tape
- Marker
- Sharp carving knife or rotary cutter
- Spray adhesive
Writer Bio
Brenda Priddy has more than 10 years of crafting and design experience, as well as more than six years of professional writing experience. Her work appears in online publications such as Donna Rae at Home, Five Minutes for Going Green and Daily Mayo. Priddy also writes for Archstone Business Solutions and holds an Associate of Arts in English from McLennan Community College.
