How to Repair a Tear in Leather Furniture

How to repair a tear in leather furniture

Here at Lakeland Furniture, you might be well aware that we stock a wide collection of faux leather furniture. From bar stools to leather office chairs, the leather imitating material has become one of our favourites. It looks stylish, it's affordable and it's much better for animal lovers. However, it's not indestructible. Whilst we promise to stock the highest quality of products, we can't always say for certain that things will last forever. After many years of heavy wear and tear, faux leather can often crack and become damaged. In today's blog post, we'll explore what to do when you spot a tear in faux leather and how best to fix it. Whether you've got a huge corner sofa made of the stuff or a simple dining chair, this method will help.

What you'll need:

• Leather repair kit

OR

• Fine-grit sandpaper
• Rubbing alcohol
• Soft cloth
• Small, sharp scissors or cutting blade
• A piece of canvas (big enough to cover hole/rip)
• Repair adhesive/leather glue
• Heavy filler
• Palette knife
• Tweezers
• Hairdryer or alternative heat source
• Scrap piece of faux leather

 

The method:

1. You should start by preparing then cleaning the area that is damaged. Use the sandpaper included in your kit, or supplied by yourself, to rub down the surrounding area and remove any oils and fibres from the surface. You will end up with a smooth surface, ready for repair.
2. To clean the area, use the cleaning solution in your kit or, alternatively, rubbing alcohol. Use a soft cloth to clean the damaged surface but don't overdo it - alcohol is drying and can further crack your faux leather.
3. Once you have a clean surface, you need to cut away any overhanging bits of leather around the rip or tear. If any faux leather is sticking upwards, trim it with a sharp pair of scissors or a cutting blade. Then, take your spare piece of canvas and cut it so that it's slightly bigger than the hole - if the hole is really tiny, you won't need to use canvas. Taking your tweezers, place the canvas inside of the rip and flatten so it looks inconspicuous.
4. Now it's time to get sticking! Take your glue/adhesive and squirt a little around the rip, underneath the edges. The canvas should now stick to the tear and look natural. Hold and press until everything is firmly in place.
5. If the tear in your faux leather is deep, you should fill it with heavy filler and then apply a heat source (such as a hairdryer) to secure. Once the surface is level, sand it down.
6. Skip the above step if the hole isn't too deep. You should now apply a second layer of glue/adhesive and quickly smooth around the edges as you go, making sure the end result is seamless and not sticky or messy!
7. Using a scrap piece of faux leather, press over the repaired area to create a patterned impression.

Extra tips

• You can attempt to prevent cracking and tears in leather by regularly moisturising/conditioning. Purchase a leather conditioner to keep your furniture in good shape!
• If you desire, you can purchase colourant kit to colour over the repair so that it perfectly matches your existing faux leather.
• Although similar in look, faux leather and leather are different materials so make sure to read the packaging of any products you buy to ensure they are compatible.