Leather Tear Repair

Leather is an ultimate symbol of rich and multipurpose material. However, just as it has a rich and glamorous look, it is equally expensive. In addition to that leather needs special care and maintenance, which is sometimes difficult in our packed daily work schedule. So sometimes, there is a possibility that any leather item, like a couch or a jacket or the likes may get a scratch or tear. In this case, taking it to an expert may prove to be really harsh on your pocket. What you can ponder over here is mending the problem yourself, in short do the leather tear repair at home. This will save a buck or two for sure and you will get an immense satisfaction of having done a good job. Are you ready then to know how to do that?

How to Repair Leather Tear

Supplies
For repairing leather you need a pair of scissors, leather repair kit, water, oil-free dish detergent, leather conditioner, rag and a spray bottle.

Method
The Beginning: Preparing the surface by cleaning it is the most essential thing before you actually repair the leather. Leather cleaning aids in making the leather bond well with the adhesive and the patch. For cleaning the surface make a solution of water and detergent and fill it up in the spray bottle. After you spray this on and around the torn surface, wipe it off clean with a rag.

Get Teary: Now, continuing with the first step, once you are done with it, to ensure that the repairing endeavor is a success, you need to tear the torn piece a bit further and make it even. It has to be precise for a proper repair. A pair of scissors will be needed to trim the torn leather. Make the tear as clean and straight as you can on that piece of leather furniture.

Brace the Leather: What you have got from the earlier process is a clean surface. It will now accept the adhesive and the repair work well. Check out the leather repair kit and you will find sandpaper and alcohol. Take the sandpaper and scrub the leather around the torn area gently. Avoid letting the leather to dry out as it can become brittle. To ensure that, dip a cotton swab in alcohol and wipe it in the area scrubbed by the sandpaper. The same thing has to be done with the patch which you will find in the leather repair kit.

Patch it Up: Once you find the patch given in the leather repair kit, check out if it fits the size of the patch. If it is a fit, use the whole patch. If it does not, it has to be trimmed to that purpose. While trimming though, take care that you do not cut it to fit perfectly. Cut it in a way that it is slightly bigger than the tear would actually need. After this, take the adhesive, apply it to the edges of the patch, and then place it under the tear. For the patch to be fixed properly apply a little pressure. You are almost done with the leather repair tear. Let's see what is the final step in this repair.

Final Touch: The leather kit will have colors, though you might not get the perfect match. But you can mix colors to get the right colors. To help you further, there is also a color matching guide in the kit. By checking that out, you will get an idea. After that, just apply it to the patch and edges and blend the color as well as possible. Let that dry and then apply a leather conditioner.

As you can see, repairing leather tears is not a big deal. If it is a major tear, then repairing it at home would not be feasible and it would not be durable even if that can be done! Eventually the cost may be cut down considerably if done at home. This is where I sign off!