Leather Sofa Repair

Leather sofa repair can be done at home provided you have the right kind of kit needed for this purpose. This article will provide you with proper guidance needed for repairing a leather sofa.
A leather sofa is an asset for your interiors. It has several advantages for which more and more people like to make such a huge investment for this piece of furniture. It is comfortable and can last for several years. It is easy to clean and does not require much maintenance. Most importantly, its stylish appearance can enhance the look of the interior designing of the house. If the leather sofa get damaged, it is bound to make you upset as it look distorted. Do not feel disappointed as leather sofa repair is possible without much hassles.

How to Repair Leather Sofa?

Most of the time, cracks, tears, holes or scratches are the common forms of damage found on the leather sofa. These damages can be fixed with the help of a leather repair kit which is available at the local furniture stores. These kits consist of all kinds of solutions for leather cleaning, repair solutions, adhesives and tools that are needed for the repair job.

Preparing the Surface
No matter what kind of damage your leather sofa has sustained, the first thing that need to be done to prepare the leather surface. The leather used for manufacturing sofa has a protective coating on its surface in order to make it last longer. Preparation work mainly involves removal of this coat and cleaning the dirt and grime from the leather. For this purpose, use the leather cleaning solution of the kit hat can remove both the dirt and the coat. Otherwise, you can use a fine sandpaper to clean the leather coat. Then dip a cotton ball in alcohol and rub it on the sanded area with a gentle hand. The damaged edges of the leather often tend to get curled up in the outward direction. These edges have to be trimmed with a pair of scissors to get a smooth finish at the end.

Repairing Scratches on Leather Sofa
Scratches and cracks are considered as minor forms of damage. This kind of sofa repair is done with the help of the leather filler found in the kit. Take some filler on a palette knife and apply it over the scratched or cracked area in such a way that the dent get totally covered up. Let the filler dry up thoroughly and then sand the area with a sandpaper to make the rough edges of the filler even. There is one scratch repair solution in the kit which is then applied with the help of a scratch repair cloth. It should be left untouched overnight for thorough drying. Next day, clean the area with leather cleaner and then seal up the area with the leather protector.

Repairing Cracks and Holes
This involves use of a leather patch to cover up the hole. Most of the time, the manufactures provide with a spare piece of leather and is usually attached below the sofa. You can use this piece for your patch work. Measure the size of the hole or crack and cut the leather patch half inch larger than what actually is required. Insert the patch into the hole in such a way that it goes beneath the hole. Now take some adhesive and apply it over the underside of the edge and press it so that the patch sticks well with the rest of the leather. The adhesive will require a few hours to dry up completely. After that, sand the area with a gentle hand to smooth up any rough edges of the adhesive. If the color of the patch is different from the color of the sofa, then you can use a dye of suitable color that can match well with the rest of the area. Finally, use the protective coat to seal the repaired area.

Leather sofa repair cost will be minimum if you are doing it yourself. However, you need to have a good amount of patience to carry out the task. When extensive damage is caused to the leather furniture, then it is advisable to hire a professional. The repair cost is often different for each contractor. Therefore, you should consult more than one of them before taking the final decision on hiring them.
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Published: 4/7/2010
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