What leather problems can be repaired? Leather that is worn, torn, cracked, dry, dull, soiled, discolored, stained, scuffed, flaking, faded, cat-scratched, dog-chewed, or mover-damaged. Custom coloring can be applied to new leather parts, such as seat cushions, to match surrounding leather. Plus, we repair the rest, including: new foam / padding, and repair of seat support and frame structure.
How is leather recolored? New leather is dyed (color absorbed deep into the leather), and most furniture leather also has a protective coating applied. This may be a light clear top coat that offers a small amount of soil resistance. But most often, it is an opaque color coating which functions as a second skin. It stretches, resists water, fading and soil, and allows a limited amount of moisture and conditioner to pass through in order to nourish the leather. This same protective color coating is used for re-coloring all leather types, except suede, Nubuck (micro-suede), and some specialized waxy finishes. The new color is as durable and beautiful as the original color coating applied by tanneries. Leather that did not have this type of color originally will feel a little slick and smoother than before.
What is the DIY recoloring process / quality? The same protective color coating applied by tanneries and leather repair professionals can be applied at home and achieve professional results. A simple sponge applicator is used to apply the non-toxic, water-based color coating. If you can paint a wall, you can successfully recolor leather. It is easy, just tedious. You cannot make a permanent mistake - any error can be easily corrected at any time. Even a 9-year-old can do this! Written booklet, DVD and phone support provided.
Leather types and how to tell them apart: Aniline, Semi-aniline, and Protected
Characteristics of Upholstery Leather Types:
1. Absorbent: = Test: A water droplet. soaks in, leaves dark spot, and may stain.
Industry terms: Aniline (dyed only, unprotected),
Semi-aniline (dyed + light protective coating)
· Feels softest / Most expensive / Approx. 15% of leather furniture in US.
· Cannot be cleaned w/ liquids
· Stains and fades easily, liquids are absorbed and dirt embeds into the leather permanently.
· Light colors may return to original color or darken when moisturizer / conditioner is applied.
· Color cannot be re-dyed, but attractive color can be restored by recoloring w/ the water-resistant type.
2. Water-resistant: Test: A droplet of water remains for 30 sec., leaves no stain.
Industry terms: Protected / Pigmented / Coated / Finished (dyed + opaque color w/ clear top coat)
· Smooth opaque coating, a 2nd skin: stretches, air / moisture pass thru slowly
· Most dirt stays on the surface and can be cleaned (see Leather Cleaner above).
· Approx. 85% of leather furniture in US / Costs approx. 2x same item upholstered in fabric.
· Maintain w/ moisturizer / conditioner
· Color can be restored if damaged, faded, or worn.
NOTE: Imitations = bonded leather, bicast leather, blended leather, Durablend, ecoleather, vinyl, leatherette, etc. Water beads up on these, too. Can look, feel and smell so similar that it can be very difficult to identify. Pls. contact us for help identifying imitations before you buy leather.
What is leather exactly?
An animal hide that is preserved (tanned), hair removed and processed in different ways for specific uses and appearance. It can be dense and tough, like a heavy belt, a sling seat or motorcycle boots, or extremely soft and supple, like kid gloves. Color can be added by dying or spray-coating. If hair is left on, it’s called a pelt or hair-on hide, not leather.
Each use has a specialty leather: upholstery, sling seats, car seats and trim, boots, shoes, gloves, belts, pants, shirts, vests, coats, hats, purses, wallets, bags, cases, luggage, floor tiles, rugs, wall decor, saddles, horse tack, chaps, whips, holsters, biker gear, lacing, baseball mitts, sports balls, industrial belting, welding aprons, washers and more.
Most upholstery leather is made from cowhide that comes from the beef food industry. Less commonly from buffalo, water buffalo, moose, reindeer, elk, or horse. Other leathers usually for smaller items come from calf, deer, antelope, sheep (lamb), pig, hog, goat (kid). Exotic leathers used in fashion include: snake, fish, eel, lizard, toad, alligator / crocodile, stingray, shark, ostrich, kangaroo and (now illegal) walrus, bear, elephant and rhino, among many others.
To make supple leathers for furniture, clothing, etc. the hide is thinned (split). For very delicate, soft leather, a younger, smaller animal like a kid goat is used.
Only the top layer is strong enough for upholstery = Full Grain (dyed color, absorbent, natural flaws show, stains and fades easily) and Top Grain (surface flaws lightly sanded off, grain pattern embossed, has supple color coating that resists water, wear and fading).
Biological structure is a dense 3-D web (matrix) of long collagen protein chains, bundled into microscopic hair-like fibrils, bundled into long fibers, which are interwoven and interconnected. Broken collagen proteins, micro-fibrils or fibers = permanent weakening. The purpose of routine leather care is to prevent or slow breakage and maintain surface beauty for as long as possible
Top grain and Full grain upholstery leather consist of the outermost 1/8” to 1/10” which has 2 layers: dermis (fiber matrix) and epidermis (thin, dense layer of flat cells, like armor) The dermis layer is most of the hide. It becomes gradually thinner and weaker (younger) the farther from the surface it is.
Like rope, it’s strong because the fibers work together.
It’s flexible and strong in all directions because the fibers run in all directions. There is no direction of weakness like most fabric or paper has.
Leather can stretch without tearing up to a point. It does not return to the original size. This is due to a structure within the fibers, like a ladder with loose joints, that can be distorted but stay connected. When pulled hard enough, the structure can hold as it becomes longer and thinner. Certain thick, dense leather types can be stretched farther without breaking fibers if soaking wet, allowing it to be formed and then treated to hold the shape, like boots, saddles and holsters.
Overstretching happens when too many fibers break in an area, causing general weakness and allowing the matrix to widen out. Overstretched leather is thinner and develops bagginess, extra folds, and finally tears.
How to identify imitations
Imitation leathers of all kinds can be so convincing, even experts must check carefully to tell the difference. When buying new leather, ask for “top grain” and insist that term is in writing on the tags, labels or receipt. If the seller can’t do that, and still calls it leather, it is almost certainly bonded or bicast. Check price: Top grain leather has to cost approx 2x fabric in same style / quality. Many of the cheapest imitations are stiffer and shinier.
Leather Match is a general term for any imitation leather used on furniture made with top grain leather on the parts you touch and a matching imitation on the rest.
1. Vinyl / leatherette (in 1970’s, Naugahyde) - Made from a supple plastic, usually vinyl, sprayed onto a strong fabric. It’s less durable than leather, but the better versions can last as long as good fabric. Usually less supple than leather, but some are excellent in feel and looks for many years. With age it becomes brittle and stiffer, then cracks in straight lines - a tell-tale sign - and may flake off. Less common than before 2005. But it’s much more durable than the currently most common imitations: “bicast” and “bonded” materials. T
2. Bonded and Bicast “leather” are the horrible hybrids made of imitation leather laminated to weak leather. By including weak leather, which you don’t see or touch, it’s legal in the U. S. to sell bicast and bonded materials as “leather” without explanation – even though most people will wrongly assume it’s as durable and strong as “top grain” or “full grain” leather. They fail in ways that can’t be prevented, slowed or fixed and are not worth reupholstering. (see separate page and photos on this website)
Bicast “Leather” = Polyurethane sheet laminated to split leather (weaker leather from the layer below full or top grain) so it has suede on the inside. Usually priced the same as fabric, but can be higher or even same as top grain leather.
Can be very hard to tell the difference from top grain leather, but the cheaper versions are a bit stiffer, like vinyl. Upholstery is usually smooth and not soft and pillow-y. It will look almost new w/ minimal creasing and no stretching, until it fails in one area. The typical problems are ugly and distinctive:
Problems: Very prone to cracking, delamination (peeling in sheets, flaking over large areas), tears easily, has spontaneous ruptures along seams, in center or corner of seats. Once torn, tears grow quickly from inches to feet long. The leather is weak, so it stretches and flexes which fights the stiff, non-stretchy polyurethane on top.
Durability: Very Poor – problems often start within a few months to 2 years of normal use. Rarely it is more durable, but same problems occur
Bonded “Leather” (Eco-leather, Blended Leather, Duro-leather) = Polyurethane laminated to plastic sheet containing leather pulp filler (15 to 17%). Some have fabric backing. Used on all low-priced “leather” and many that are priced same as fabric.
Problems: Very prone to cracking, delamination (peeling in sheets / flaking over large areas), progress quickly from inches to feet long.
Durability: Very Poor – problems often start within a few months to 2 years of normal use.
3. DuraBlend (Ashley Furniture) - Polyurethane laminated to fabric. Looks and feels like vinyl.
Problems: Very prone to cracking, delamination (peeling in sheets / flaking over large areas)
Durability: Very Poor – problems often start within a few months to 2 years of normal use.