Why repairing your leather sofa needn't cost the earth

View PDF | Print View
by: bythesea
Total views: 0
Word Count: 538
Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2012 Time: 8:39 PM
0 comments

The first time you find a rip or tear in your lovely leather sofa it can be a horrific experience - not least because professional repairs can cost an arm and a leg. By all means get a few quotes for the job but if the damage is minimal you should really consider trying to fix the problem yourself. The fact that it'll cost you significantly less to complete your own repairs is a huge bonus - but the biggest argument for doing it yourself is that, done right, onlookers will never know there was damage in the first place.

You'll need to start by picking up a DIY leather sofa repair kit; there are a number available to choose from both online and on store shelves. Your best bet is to carry out a little research in order to pick the right product for you, paying particular attention to comments regarding ease of use. It's also obviously important that you pick a kit that is designed for use with the shade of leather that your sofa is made from. While the thought of carrying out your own sofa repairs might sound overwhelming, if you pick the right kit to do the job you'll be surprised at just what a simple process it can be.

Once you've got your repair kit in hand, it's time to get down to the nitty gritty. Your first step should be to use soap and water to clean the material around the rip or tear. Once you've cleaned the area, wipe it down with a cloth dampened with a little alcohol. When the relevant area has dried, take a section of the provided sub-patch material and mark out an amount that is a little larger than the damaged area of the sofa.

When you're happy that you've marked out the right amount of material, cut it out and apply glue to the edges of the sub-patch. When it's ready, insert the material beneath the hole in the leather with the glue facing upwards and lay the whole thing flat so that the two surfaces push against each other. Give the glue around ten minutes to dry before mixing your kit's repair compound with a shade of colour that matches up with your leather.

When the mixture is ready apply it to the torn area as smoothly as possible; a good tip is to spread it a little further than necessary into the unaffected area, which can help with achieving a more natural blend between the compound and the original leather. When you're done, go back over the area and skim away any excess compound and leave the area to dry. Finally, grab the alcohol-dampened cloth from earlier and wipe down the repaired area to achieve a smooth finish.

Done slowly and carefully this simple repair job will leave the majority of leather sofas looking as good as new while saving you a packet to boot. Unless you're 100% convinced you could foul up the simplest of DIY jobs, this is something you should definitely look at taking on yourself.

About the Author

Bythesea writes in association with Furniture Choice.

---

Rating: Not yet rated

--Choose-- 0 1 2 3 4 5

Comments

No comments posted.

Add Comment

You do not have permission to comment. If you log in, you may be able to comment.