How to Repair Scratches on Leather Furniture

Identify the type of leather that your furniture is made from., Call the manufacturer of your leather furniture when you notice a scratch., Assess the type of scratch.

3 Steps 2 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Identify the type of leather that your furniture is made from.

    You can do this with a close inspection of the furniture piece.

    Since different types of leather are repaired differently, it’s important to begin by identifying your furniture’s leather type.

    The three types of leather used to make furniture are: “pigmented” (or “finished”) leather, “aniline” leather, and “bicast” leather.Most leather furniture (about 85%) is made from finished leather.

    This leather has a durable surface that resists scratching, and does not absorb liquids.

    Aniline leather is made from very high-quality leather, and so aniline furniture is rare.

    Aniline leather does not have a surface coating, so the texture of the leather can be seen.

    Companies also produce semi-aniline leather, which is still made of high-quality leather, but are covered in a thin layer of coating.Bicast leather is technically a leather byproduct, although furniture made with bicast is still considered leather furniture.

    Bicast leather is made from inferior-quality leather, which is split into a thin layer, and then laminated to a polyurethane top layer.
  2. Step 2: Call the manufacturer of your leather furniture when you notice a scratch.

    Many manufacturers have specific ways they recommend to fix or repair their pieces of furniture.

    Sometimes they will even send you a free or discounted repair kit.

    If you do not have any luck with this step, proceed on to the next step.

    The repair procedure that the manufacturer may recommend will be directly related to the leather type. , Leather furniture can be scratched with different levels of severity.

    While a minor scratch will be easy to fix, a deeper tear in the leather is more serious and will require different procedures.

    You can determine how seriously your furniture has been scratched with a quick visual assessment.If the scratch is minor, only the coating of the leather will have been scratched, and the underlying leather itself will be intact.

    Deeper scratches mean that the leather itself has been cut.

    You may be able to see leather fibers around the fringe of the cut.

    If the leather has been completely cut through, you may even be able to see the inner stuffing of the furniture.

    At this point, you will not be able to fully patch the scratch on your own, and you’ll need to take the furniture to a professional.
  3. Step 3: Assess the type of scratch.

Detailed Guide

You can do this with a close inspection of the furniture piece.

Since different types of leather are repaired differently, it’s important to begin by identifying your furniture’s leather type.

The three types of leather used to make furniture are: “pigmented” (or “finished”) leather, “aniline” leather, and “bicast” leather.Most leather furniture (about 85%) is made from finished leather.

This leather has a durable surface that resists scratching, and does not absorb liquids.

Aniline leather is made from very high-quality leather, and so aniline furniture is rare.

Aniline leather does not have a surface coating, so the texture of the leather can be seen.

Companies also produce semi-aniline leather, which is still made of high-quality leather, but are covered in a thin layer of coating.Bicast leather is technically a leather byproduct, although furniture made with bicast is still considered leather furniture.

Bicast leather is made from inferior-quality leather, which is split into a thin layer, and then laminated to a polyurethane top layer.

Many manufacturers have specific ways they recommend to fix or repair their pieces of furniture.

Sometimes they will even send you a free or discounted repair kit.

If you do not have any luck with this step, proceed on to the next step.

The repair procedure that the manufacturer may recommend will be directly related to the leather type. , Leather furniture can be scratched with different levels of severity.

While a minor scratch will be easy to fix, a deeper tear in the leather is more serious and will require different procedures.

You can determine how seriously your furniture has been scratched with a quick visual assessment.If the scratch is minor, only the coating of the leather will have been scratched, and the underlying leather itself will be intact.

Deeper scratches mean that the leather itself has been cut.

You may be able to see leather fibers around the fringe of the cut.

If the leather has been completely cut through, you may even be able to see the inner stuffing of the furniture.

At this point, you will not be able to fully patch the scratch on your own, and you’ll need to take the furniture to a professional.

About the Author

D

Doris Robinson

Doris Robinson is an experienced writer with over 5 years of expertise in education and learning. Passionate about sharing practical knowledge, Doris creates easy-to-follow guides that help readers achieve their goals.

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