Couches are often the most important furniture in a home where you spend time lounging, watching TV, or talking to other family members. If you own a leather couch, you might see that its surface peels off after a period of time. This problem can make it look out-dates and decrease your living room’s aesthetic appeal. So how to repair a peeling leather couch?
You have come to the right place. In this post, we’ll make a detailed discussion on the reasons why the leather peels and solutions to fix your peeling faux leather couch. Without further ado, let’s dive in.
Why Is My Leather Couch Peeling?
Before treating the peeled areas, it’s important to identify the exact “cause of the disease.” Here are some of the main reasons:
Poor Quality Faux Leather
Many lines of extremely good quality industrial leather sofas are comparable to that of real ones. However, there are still some fake leathers that are of inferior quality.
They have low thickness and weak bonds between the PVC layer and the underlying texture. Therefore, the tensile and frictional strength is also worse than other industrial leather lines.
The purpose of creating this industrial leather is to serve groups of customers with low income to save costs when buying leather chairs and furniture. After a period of use, you definitely need to handle cracked leather sofas because they will have the phenomenon of peeling very quickly.
Improper Maintenance
Use and care are two uncompromising factors in prolonging the durability of couches. Exposed leather seats, in addition to poor quality, are also caused by careless preservation and use.
Here are some cases that might lead to a peeling leather sofa:
- Leather sofa exposed to a place where temperature changes frequently, the humidity is too high or too low.
- When used incorrectly, using a poor quality cleaning solution.
- The item is subject to the attack of external agents. For example, spilled water, drinks such as tea, coffee, soft drinks, milk, food, even children peed on the chair. Or animals that use sharp nails to scratch.
Can You Fix Peeling Bonded Leather?
Bonded leather is a combination of real and faux leather. So it is not unusual for your bonded leather furniture to peel or flake after just a few years.
Unfortunately, the majority of bonded leather furniture on the market cannot be repaired. If the damage is so serious, it is really difficult to fix it. In case your leather has recently peeled off, you can remedy this issue by improving its appearance.
Leather paint is one productive way to repair a bonded leather couch. Firstly, you clean the surface by removing all peeled pieces. Simply take off the bits with your fingertips and be careful not to tear off anything else.
Dip a paintbrush into an acceptable color of paint and paint it uniformly over the portion you just peeled. To ensure that the whole surface is filled, use horizontal, long strokes.
How Long Will a Bonded Leather Sofa Last?
The better the material, the longer the time to use the sofa and vice versa. Because it is bonded leather, it can’t be as durable as the real one.
However, a bonded leather couch will last as long as two to three years with careful treatment and gentle use. Remember that leather sofas have a long or short lifespan depending on many different factors.
Best Ways to Repair Your Peeling Faux Leather Couch
If the couch is out of life, we can do nothing but replace a new one. The leather seat has reached its maximum life when cracks appear on its surface. If it is due to human factors, it can be handled.
Check for Cracks in the Couch
The peeling sofa will initially appear with small, branch-like cracks. If you don’t pay attention to the sofa or don’t clean it regularly, you won’t recognize them. This easily leads to larger damage over time.
When you find out that the leather sofa is cracked, it’s necessary to quickly find a way to fix it as this will help prolong the life of your furniture. Procrastination can make leather seats more damaged.
Make Preparations Before Repairing
The most essential and minimum way to help customers handle a cracked leather sofa by themselves is the glue for the leather and the full repair kit. Before repairing a cracked couch, remember to clean the surface with water or alcohol.
You can pour some water or alcohol onto a soft, clean towel and wipe over the surface. Pay attention to remove all remaining stains on the surface of the couch, such as grease or dirt to ensure higher aesthetics.
Proceed to Treat Peeling Leather Couches
Case 1: For Small Cracks
For small cracks, you can treat the sofa using a specialized moisturizer. The first thing you need to do is dry the sofa, wait about five-ten minutes.
Then, apply this specialized moisturizer over the entire surface of the crack. At this point, the cracks will gradually disappear, and the seat surface becomes more even.
Case 2: For Small Scratches
You can also treat the minor scratches using a special cream, olive oil, or milk, or gently rub on the scratch. Then, use your hand to massage evenly in a circle shape. Just do this continuously, and scratches will gradually disappear quickly.
Case 3: For Big Cracks, Scratches
In this case, big cracks will be more difficult. This is the time to be meticulous and persistent. There are two common ways you can use to fix your peeling leather sofa:
Method 1: Use Leather Paint
Step 1: Clean the Couch and Remove any Peeled Pieces of Leather
Step 2: Apply the Paint
In order to add the paint, you dip the paintbrush into the bottle. Then apply the paint to the peeling part of the sofa. It’s better to start with the back and sides of the sofa, then go on to the sitting.
Step 3: Wait for The Paint to Dry
The paint takes about 30 to 40 minutes to dry completely. If you want to paint multiple layers, remember to wait for 20 minutes between each session to make sure the paint won’t blend. This can bring a more desirable outcome for your couch.
Step 4: Add a Leather Finish
When you have finished applying the last coat of paint, you can add a leather finish to the couch to make it look newer and more luxurious. And bear in mind to use horizontal strokes so that brush lines will be left in the final layer.
Then, allow the finish to dry for 20 to 30 minutes. You can also add from two to three layers of the finish if necessary.
Method 2: Use Leather Filler
Another way to stop faux leather from peeling is using a leather filler under the crack.
Step 1: Eliminate torn leather
Step 2: Put the filler into holes on the couch
To apply the filler, you will need a putty knife or a flat spoon. Add the filler to every crack on the couch glue down the tear’s edges to the cloth patch.
Step 3: Wait for 20-30 minutes
If you want to speed up, you could use a hairdryer. If you do so, remember to hold it so that the air is blown across it rather than pointing inward. Then, you can add extra layers of filler in case you still feel the unevenness on the surface.
Step 4: Repaint the Couch (if applicable)
To make the couch look aesthetic, you can repaint it to add a new appearance. If you choose to do this, make sure you paint the sofa after the filler dries totally.
Note:
- When buying a couch, make a wise decision. Ideally, it is advisable that you invest in a high-quality couch. A high-class sofa meets the value of use, aesthetic value, and longevity. From there, it helps you feel more secure and assured during use.
- Before dealing with cracked and peeling leather sofas, you need to clean them up.
- Make sure you know how to repair the damage properly. Dealing with a peeling leather sofa incorrectly with the wrong tools will cause further damage to the surface. So when you buy any items for your repair, read the instructions carefully as well as the manufacturer’s warning.
- In the absence of experience, ask qualified people (couch repair service) for assistance. Do not do it yourself!
- If the crack is too large, you cannot treat it at home.
Conclusion
Leather couches currently dominate the furniture market and are loved by many consumers. However, bonded leather is not a durable and high-class material, so after a period, it will start to peel. These peeled areas will detract from the sofa’s aesthetic and will certainly make you very uncomfortable. Therefore, it is better to invest in a real leather or fabric sofa; otherwise, be prepared to deal with your peeling sofa.
However, if you don’t know how to fix a peeling faux leather couch, calm down and reread our article. These effective ways will help you deal with that problem and bring back the aesthetics of your sofa.
