Furniture made of leather is generally more expensive than furniture made from other fabrics like cotton, acrylic, wool, or microfiber.  However, furniture experts consider leather to be the best all-around upholstery fabric.  This is because leather is extremely tough, softens and develops character with age, and is easy to clean.  It is also water-repellent and does not hold dust or smell.  But, leather isn’t perfect—it can develop scratches, holes, or cuts.  And many people are intimidated by the prospect of trying to deal with these impairments.

Repairing leather doesn’t need to be difficult, though—and most of the time it can be done at home without even expending much effort.  In fact, because leather is so easy to repair, this type of furniture can last for many years, looking better as it ages.  Here is a guide to keeping leather furniture in great shape for years to come.

Repairing Holes in Leather Furniture

Holes in leather furniture do not often occur; however, they can happen for a variety of reasons.  For example, a dog’s or cat’s nails could puncture a hole in the course of jumping onto the furniture piece.

In order to properly repair this type of issue with a piece of leather furniture it will be necessary to purchase a leather repair kit that contains patches of leather.  Even though the leather repair patch will be placed under the hole and will be only minutely visible, it is still advisable to buy a kit that matches the color of the furniture piece being repaired.  It is not a good idea to keep a repair kit at home on hand; this is because the elements of the kit can deteriorate with time and may be too old to work correctly by the time they are needed.

Follow directions on the leather repair kit, of course.  In general, though, kits will state to place a patch under the hole and then put repair compound on top of the hole.

Repairing Cuts in Leather Furniture

These typically happen as a result of an accident or from the spreading of a small hole.  With a cut in leather furniture, it is essential to keep the piece out of use until the repair has been made.  This is because if people use the furniture piece while it has a cut, the cut is likely to expand.

To repair cuts, a kit with chemical compound is needed.  The compound will be used to fill the gap; then it will be necessary to secure the cut edges together.

Repairing Scuffs and Scratches on Leather Furniture

Scuff marks occur when something with hard edges is pushed against the leather furniture; these often happen when a person is moving to a different home or when moving furniture throughout the home.  Scratches can come from any sharp object, from a haphazardly-placed metal nail file to a quickly-jumping dog, for instance.

To repair these marks, it is necessary to have the chemical compound from a leather repair kit.  Inject the compound into the scratch or scuff and blend until the marks are no longer visible.

Photo Credits: Ruth L

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Handy Man, Project, Repair, furniture