Buying an authentic leather sofa is significantly more expensive than fabric upholstery options. At La-Z-Boy, we have over 90 years of experience furnishing homes.
Before making an investment in leather furniture, many of our clients ask us about potential problems they may face with leather upholstery. Before pulling out their pocketbooks, clients want to know exactly what to expect. This article will leave you with no surprises.
Read on to learn about the 6 most common problems with leather furniture, as well as tips on prevention and treatment. Before diving into the problems with leather furniture, it is important to note that leather has many redeeming qualities. There are several reasons why it is desired and enjoyed by so many furniture lovers!
Especially when it comes to the choice between fabric and leather , many opt for leather for the reasons listed below …. Leather is associated with top-of-the-line furniture products. The look, feel, and smell of authentic leather exudes class and luxury. Leather is tough but flexible allowing it to last about four times longer than fabric upholstery. It naturally resists punctures, tears, and spills. Leather provides superior comfort as it is soft to the touch and naturally adjusts to body temperature.
In fact, as the leather wears and gets broken in with regular use, it only becomes more inviting. Authentic leather gives off a rich and luxurious appearance. Each piece of leather is unique with its own natural markings, grains, and blemishes.
Finally, and most importantly, leather is easily cleanable and repairable. As you enjoy your furniture with regular use, it is going to be susceptible to wear, tear, and accidents. A key difference between fabric and leather is that many of the problems that arise in leather are either reversible or solvable.
Peter Wason is a professional leather repairman with over 35 years of experience. Throughout his career, Peter has serviced leather products for many reputable furniture retailers, such as La-Z-Boy. He also has freelance experience repairing leather. With such extensive experience, Peter has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to leather. According to Peter, the more authentic leather is to its original form the more susceptible it may be to certain forms of damage.
He explains that the most expensive leathers have not been processed because this causes you to lose the soft feel and luxuriousness of the original leather. With minimal processing and coating, the leather is less protected from external forces. On the contrary, cheaper leathers are highly processed with fillers, sanding, coating, and dye. They have been highly transformed from their original form, losing many of the authentic qualities that leather has to offer.
With that being said, this level of coating acts as protection. As you do your research and shop for leather, here is a quick guide in terminology to help identify high-end leather from lower-end leather ….
So, if you intend on buying a high-quality, authentic piece of luxurious leather furniture, some problems may arise over time. The good news is that there are ways to prevent and treat the following problems.
The most common problem to arise in leather furniture is colour loss or discoloration caused by body oil. Leather absorbs body oils and perspiration from skin and hair. Over time this accumulation of oil can darken and discolour the leather upholstery. Body oil damage is most predominant on skin touchpoints of the chair or sofa, such as the headrest or armrest. More specifically, body oil damage is more likely to occur on reclining leather products given that the neck is exposed when in a reclined position.
The more natural and authentic the leather is, the less processed it is and therefore the more vulnerable it is to absorb body oil.
As living and breathing humans, it is normal to produce natural body oils. With this, there is not much we can do to avoid exposing our leather furniture to body oil damage. Nevertheless, tending to our leather furniture is much like tending to our skin. After a long sweaty workout, we wash our skin in the shower using soap and water to prevent a rash or skin blemishes.
Similarly, regular and gentle cleaning of your leather furniture can prevent the negative effects of exposure to body oil. It is also important to remember that leather has a delicate balance between fat and water, according to Peter.
If you remove one or the other, the balance is off. When leather starts to dry out, due to lack of moisture, it will essentially want to be fed. So it will then begin to take the moisture from you in the form of body oil. In this case, Peter suggests regular conditioning of your leather furniture in addition to regular and gentle cleaning. This will restore the balance of fat and water in your leather, giving you a better chance of preventing body oil damage.
According to Peter, once body oil damage has occurred it is next to impossible to reverse or repair. Once the oil has been absorbed by the leather, it is very difficult, but not possible to get it all out. However, applying new dye to the product can be successful in providing a temporary fix.
Unfortunately, the dye will not permanently solve the discolouration problem because the body oil prevents the proper bonding of the new dye.
Imagine trying to stick a bandaid onto an oily arm. It may stick for an hour or so, but eventually, it will slide right off. Another common problem with leather furniture is colour fading. When you first purchase a piece of leather furniture, the pigment of the leather is deep and rich-looking. Unfortunately, like all fabrics, leather is guaranteed to fade over time when exposed to ultraviolet light or a heat source. The most common source of fading in leather is exposed to direct sunlight.
To avoid the fading of your leather upholstery, or slow down the inevitable, it is a good idea not to place your sofa in direct sunlight.
Refrain from choosing a leather sofa for a sunroom. It is also recommended not to place your leather furniture next to a fireplace or furnace. If your leather sofa is placed in a room that has occasional sun exposure, consider repositioning your furniture every couple of months. This will ensure that any level of fading will be equally distributed instead of confined to one area. It is also a good idea to cover your windows or close your blinds when possible.
Colour fading in leather is repairable. With this, Peter said that the potential for repair is dependent on the leather and its finish. If you are dealing with aniline leather, leather that is soluble dyed, repairing fading is more difficult. Cracking is another problem that may occur in leather furniture. The cracking of leather occurs when there are extreme fluctuations of temperature and moisture levels. Much like skin, natural leather has to adapt to its environment.
Just like our hands and lips get dry and crack as we adjust to seasons and weather fluctuations, leather does the same. The contrast of harsh winter air and humid summer smog, can eventually dry out leather upholstery and lead to cracking. Cracking can lead to peeling and pilling. Although all leather is susceptible to cracking, it is more common in combination leathers, specifically leather and vinyl.
In this case, the sit points are typically made of leather, and the outside, back, and side panels of the chair are made with vinyl. The vinyl will likely crack more easily while the authentic leather will not. Peter also suggests regular conditioning of your leather to prevent dryness and cracking. When it comes to repairing cracks in the leather, there is potential for repair. Once again, the effectiveness of the repair depends on the type of leather. Aniline leather can be repaired only by re-dying the cracks.
This does not completely remedy the problem, but it can help in restoring the look of the piece. If the leather is pigmented, on the other hand, cracks can be filled with synthetics and re-died, often bringing the leather back to its original look and feel. Filling cracks of any kind can be tedious. If your leather upholstery has suffered from a lot of cracking, Peter says it may not be practical, nor worthwhile, to get numerous cracks repaired.
Peeling can occur due to one of two things, either external influences or internal influences. Once the leather has either worn down or cracked, friction on these areas will cause the upholstery to lift up and peel off. Alternatively, leather can also experience peeling as a result of improper processing.
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There are six known Hides that are affiliated with the Knights of Saint Christopher. One of the Hides, Alpha, was missing. It was later revealed to be in the possession of Salvador Grant. The Order Wiki Explore.
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