Why do interior shops charge so much?

[rbridges]

Answer:  it's a PITA  

I changed the headliner because a few of the areas were not looking so great.  It's not a difficult job, but it's definitely trying to the back and finger tips.  I plan to get a redo at some point once the panel is completed, but I just couldn't stand the headliner any more.  

I'm pretty happy with the results, but I don't think Aerocomfort or Hector need to worry about me putting them out of business.  

 

[Missile=Awesome]

Looks great. Labor intensive work and skilled employees warrant a good wage. Small market with expertise so price point is higher. We did our own interior update on our E. Headliner was not to bad. Windlace is a pain though. 

[David Lloyd]

I agree, looks great.  One low end interior did not last but a few years.  Next time around did Airtex did an install in my Bo. It was an $8k interior in a $80k airplane.  It was appropriate and looked great, gave good service. I did Airtex myself in the current airplane and am very satisfied.  Especially for about $5k.  A friend had a shop do a $20k+ interior in his late model A36.  Went well with the $20k+ paint and new windows done at the same time. Quality-wise it was head and shoulders above my Airtex job, but it should have been.

Oh, and the windlace is a pain!

[carusoam]

Doing the windlace... is an entry level project!

It draws you in deeper.... 

RB, Hectors job isn’t the concern... as much as the Mooney Company...

Look like you built a brand new plane..!

Fantastic!

Thanks for sharing the pics...

Best regards,

-a-

[Missile=Awesome]

7 hours ago, carusoam said:

Doing the windlace... is an entry level project!

It draws you in deeper.... 

RB, Hectors job isn’t the concern... as much as the Mooney Company...

Look like you built a brand new plane..!

Fantastic!

Thanks for sharing the pics...

Best regards,

-a-

Windlace skill shaming me -a-   I was into the interior....We removed and refurbished all interior plastics, removed and replaced windows, removed and re-installed new headliner.  Removed existing insulation and replaced.  Painted the overhead air and center console IN THE PLANE.  Removed and had seats rebuilt and re-covered.  Of ALL these things the windlace was...a pain (as it is secured with screws and finding screw holes is...a pain....also removed the baggage door cover and refurbished.  Took weeks over the winter in a cold hanger.  The hours of labor are EXTENSIVE.  It is either “do it yourself”, buy it the way you want it, or pay someone with skills to complete.  I totally understand why interiors are expensive.

[PT20J]

Bruce Jaegar came up with an idea that makes the windlace installation easier. He applies double sided tape to the “fin” to hold it in place while you find the screw holes with an awl. 

But worse than windlace was replacing the weatherstripping on the doors. Getting all that old glue off - now that was miserable. 

Skip 

[RLCarter]

1 hour ago, PT20J said:

But worse than windlace was replacing the weatherstripping on the doors. Getting all that old glue off - now that was miserable. 

Skip 

the glue on mine was like rings on a tree......multiple layers ranging from probably 1965 to a few years ago, it was an all day event

[47U]

What I learned during my headliner replacement was, maybe after you do three or four, you’ll start to get the hang of it.  The round-window Mooneys have that strip of sheet metal around the cabin and baggage doors with the blind upholstery fasteners.  It’s a real challenge.  Hanging it from the bows is only the beginning and was the easy part.  As a one-time project, it’s difficult to get it right the first time.  Sure, it will almost certainly look better than what you took out (my headliner was the original), but I think it’s worth it to pay someone experienced to get it right.