Are you tired of seeing your favorite couch get ripped? Do you want to know how to stop faux leather from peeling? If you said yes to both these questions then you should keep scrolling down to read more because we have just the solution you have been looking for.
How Does Faux Leather Peel Off The Sofa?
Before giving you advice on how to stop faux leather from peeling, you must understand why and how faux leather starts peeling off from the sofa. Faux leather is made up of synthetic coating which is made using polyurethane. This material gives a leather-like look. However, as similar as it might look in design, it does not hold up for too long like original leather.
How to Repair A Peeling Leather Couch?
Here are some things that you might need to fix a faux leather sofa:
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Here are two tried and tested techniques to help you stop faux leather from peeling and spoiling the overall look of your sofa:
1. You can use leather paint to repair a peeling leather couch
The first method that you can use to stop faux leather from peeling off the sofa is to use leather paint to repair the damage.
Here are a few easy steps of using leather paint to repair a peeling leather sofa:
Step 1. Put off the peeled leather from the sofa
In the first method, where you can use leather paint to repair a peeling leather sofa, it is important that you first start by inspecting the couch from all corners. Yes, you read that correctly. Look around the sofa and peel off any leather pieces that might already be coming out. To make this easier for you, try taking a damp microfiber cloth and run it all over the couch.
This is an easy way of getting rid of the small bits and pieces that you otherwise cannot peel off on your own or those that would require a lot of time and effort. Do not leave any corner of the sofa because it can get peeled later. Just make sure that when you are peeling off the leather with your hands, you do not peel any extra leather, causing more damage to the sofa.
Step 2. Appy leather paint on the damaged sofa
After the cleaning and the peeling of patchy leather is done, the next step is to finally put on the leather paint on the sofa to repair the peeling leather sofa. You can easily find leather paint at a nearby hardware store. So, do not worry about where you will get it from or if you will find it easily or not. If you do not find it at a hardware store or if they are out of stock, you can always check out a furniture store as a second option. Start by gently mixing the paint in the jar. Then, you need to use a small paintbrush to paint the leather sofa.
Make sure you are using a small paintbrush for the job. Only apply paint to the area that is peeling off. You do not need to paint any other area of the sofa. If you are unsure where to start first then it is advisable to always start painting a leather sofa from the backside. You can move on the sides next and leave the front area for last.
Ideally, you should start painting the left side of the sofa and gradually move on to the right side. Do not go overboard when applying the paint on the sofa. Make sure you are fully covering the peeled area with paint. If you have trouble finding the same color for your leather couch then you can also try mixing two colors and making the color yourself.
Step 3. Let the leather paint dry completely on the sofa
After you are done painting the sofa, you must let the paint dry completely before using it. You should leave the paint to dry for at least 40 minutes. It also depends on how many layers of paint you are putting on your faux leather to repair it.
After putting the first layer, you should at least wait for 30 minutes before moving on to the second layer and covering it up with multiple layers all at once. This should be done to make sure that the coats do not blend in and the paint gets enough time to dry out.
You can always check with your finger to see if the paint has dried out or not. If you feel that it is still sticky, give it another 20 minutes or so before moving further ahead with applying the next layer.
Step 4. Put on a leather finish on the sofa
Once you have put on the last coat of leather paint on your faux leather to repair the damage and have given it ample time to dry, you must apply glossy paint to give it a high-end look. Do not worry about the cost of the leather finish though.
As fancy as it might seem, it is quite budget-friendly and you can find it from the same place you got the leather paint from. Just make sure that you put on a leather finish with the help of a clean paintbrush even if you are using the same one with which you painted the faux leather sofa.
The leather finish also needs at least 30 minutes or so to completely dry out. Keep in mind that you are applying the leather finish in even tones and horizontally. This will help you in avoiding any brush lines that might spoil the look of the faux leather sofa.
Step 5. Apply finishing coats
After you are done applying the leather finish, you need to put in an additional coat of the leather finish for a complete look. You can coat as many times as needed. Do not exceed 3 coats though. This will help the faux leather to hold together for longer than usual. It will also help prevent it from peeling further. One important thing to keep in mind while putting the leather is to brush it into the fabric. It is essential to do so to make sure that it does not dry on the top.
The finished look should be a faded leather finish on the sofa. The repaired area of the sofa should blend in easily with the non-repaired area and only you should be able to tell what you did with the faux leather sofa to repair it.
2. You can use a leather filler to repair a peeling faux leather sofa
The second method that you can use to stop faux leather from peeling off the sofa is to use a leather filler to repair the damage.
Here are a few easy steps of using leather filler to repair a peeling leather sofa.
Step 1. Remove the peeling leather from the sofa
Just like in method one, the first and foremost important step in method two is to make sure that you remove any peeling leather from the sofa. You can use a pair of scissors to cut off any peeling leather from the sofa. You can also use a razor to do the job. Just be careful that you do not remove any extra faux leather from the sofa.
Step 2. Apply a leather filler to the faux leather peeling from the sofa
To apply a leather filler to the damaged area of the faux leather sofa, you need to take the help of a putty knife. Start by applying the leather filler in small sections. Keep in mind that you should ideally put a tablespoon at a particular time to fill in the gaps. Just like you did in method one, start from the backside in this method as well. Move on the sides next, eventually moving to the front of the sofa. Avoid putting the leather filler on the areas where there is no damage. For this purpose, you should have a dry cloth in your hands to wipe off any access.
You must pay special attention to the backside of the peeled sofa, along with the cushion seats. These areas are the ones that require additional leather fillers just in case. In case you do not have a putty knife or if you are unable to find one, you should try using a business card to get the job done.
Step 3. Let the leather filler do the repairing
Let the leather filler sit for at least 30 minutes. During this cure time, you must avoid putting additional fillers. If you do touch-ups that are not required, you might cause blotching and make it look uneven.
Step 4. Apply additional leather fillers to the area
You need to wait for the first coat of the leather filler to dry. Once it has dried, you must cover it up with a second leather filler. The second leather filler should be applied the same way.
Step 5. Try creating texture on the peeled area of the sofa
To complete the repairing of the peeled faux leather sofa, you must create texture on it just in case the original design had one. You can easily create texture on your faux leather sofa by using plastic wrap. Just make sure that you are doing this step before the leather filler dries out completely.
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