How To Repair Leather Chair/Furniture Tears?
There can be two types of tears on leather furniture either it will be very small or a little larger in size and in order to fix both the tears, there are separate procedures mentioned below:
Small Tear
If the tear on leather furniture is smaller in size, the user needs to follow these steps:
- Cleaning:
The First step will be to clean the torn area by applying rubbing alcohol with a soft rag. The user can also use an alternate substance to alcohol but it should not condition the leather and should be able to remove greasy stains. - Gluing:
After that, the user needs to apply super glue to the underside of the flap. If the leather is bonded or vinyl, it is better to use leather glue for better results. The user can apply the glue by a toothpick or a large needle and scrap a thin layer of glue underneath. - Reattaching The Flap:
The third step will be reattaching the flap by pressing both the sides together while the glue is still wet. The flap should be aligned so that none of the materials underneath the flap is visible. The user also needs to wipe out excess glue from the leather by removing it with a paper towel while the glue is still wet. - Sanding:
After that, the user needs to sand the super glued area very gently in the direction of the crack until the surface smoothens. If the user has applied leather glue on the crack, he can skip this step. - Color Matching:
If there is a color difference between the repaired area and the rest of the furniture, the user can apply the leather dye on the repaired area with a damp sponge and wait till the dye dries up. - Applying Finish:
The user can also apply a leather finish on a dyed area if the dyed area looks matte or dull. - Drying Naturally:
The last step would be allowing the glue dry up naturally before putting it to use. It is not recommended to use a hairdryer in order to speed up the drying because it can damage the leather.
Large Tear
The large tear on leather furniture cannot be corrected by applying glue on it rather it needs patching for which the steps are given below:
- Make A Sub-Patch:
The first step to repairing a large tear will be to make a sub-patch of leather. The sub-patch should be slightly larger in size than the tear and make it round in shape so that it can be easily inserted underneath. - Put The Sub-Patch Inside:
Then, the user needs to insert the patch inside the tear using a pair of tweezers. It is necessary to flatten out any folds or wrinkles and place the patch in a way so that it will cover the tear completely. - Gluing:
After that, the user needs to glue the sub-patch with a toothpick or large needle and make a thin layer of it on the patch. Then press the torn parts on the sub-patch and together to the original shape. The recommended glues are leather glue, flexible fabric glue, and super glue. Also, the user needs to wipe out the excess glue before it dries up using a paper towel. - Press The Object On It:
The next step will be to place an object such as a wood block or a book that will cover the whole repaired area and press it down till the glue dries up. Check the glue label for instructions. - Cleaning:
Then the user needs to clean the repaired area using leather cleaner by lightly dampening a clean rag with it and then cleaning the surface with it. - Cutting Loose Fibers:
The next step for the user will be to cut down any loose fibers from the edges of the tear so that the leather filler can create a flush surface. - Applying Filler:
The next step will be to apply a leather filler if there will be a gap between the edges of the repair. The filler can be applied by the flat side of palette knife and the user needs to wait till the filler completely dries up. - Dye & Finish The Repaired Area:
The last step will be to dye the repaired area with leather dye before letting the dye to dry up. The user can apply the leather finish on it once the dye dries up completely.