Liquid leather is suitable for repairing furniture, shoes and even things made from this material. At the same time, the owners of furniture made of ordinary or eco-leather very often face the need for restoration. It is required not only when a gap appears, but also at abrasions, scratches, wear. In order not to address this problem to the salon every time, liquid leather is used to repair furniture, which is specially created for people without experience in such work.
What it is?
Home use product is a polymer mixture based on water and alcohol. Along with this, manufacturers add acrylic resins or impregnation there to make the material elastic. The basis of this substance is glue or rubber, due to which the mixture is fixed on the top layer and holds together different fragments of the material.
After applying the mixture, an elastic film appears. If everything is done correctly and the appropriate shade is chosen, then after drying the area will be the same as the rest of the furniture. During restoration, people mainly pay attention to aesthetics, but the properties of the material will not change either.
Manufacturers specifically produce liquid leather for furniture, which hardens for a long time.The solution takes about 20 minutes to polymerize, so an experienced person will be able to correct the mistake if something went wrong. Among the advantages of the composition are the following:
- surface repair does not require special skills or tools;
- solidification occurs quite quickly, while there is enough time to correct the result;
- the place after repair remains as elastic as the rest of the surface;
- suitable for sofas made of leatherette, natural material, leatherette;
- The composition does not contain substances that are toxic or hazardous to human health, so nothing threatens health.
According to user reviews and manufacturer recommendations, liquid skin is only suitable for small areas, so if there is a large damage, it will not be possible to solve the problem.
How to use liquid leather for sofa repair?
Manufacturers understand that to a greater extent the result depends on how well a person can choose a shade for restoration. For non-standard color furniture, different types of material are mixed to get the desired shade. Consider all the stages of liquid skin repair, so that during this process there are no difficulties.
Cleaning up
Wash and then degrease the damaged area and the area around it within a radius of 15 cm. The material deteriorates from exposure to dirt, dust, sebum, ultraviolet radiation, aggressive chemicals, so it is better to take professional cleaners that are designed for skin. Instead, a solution with vodka (50%) or alcohol (80%) is also suitable. After using alcohol, it is not necessary to degrease the surface; in other cases, it is treated with anti-silicone.
We repair
If the area is simply faded or worn, then repair is not required here. In the event of a rupture, a non-woven fabric is used, it is simply heated with an iron through a thin cloth so that the material in this place becomes solid.
Instant glue, threads, colorless varnish and other means are not suitable here, they will only aggravate the condition or mask the problem for a while.
We prepare the surface
With fine sandpaper, sand the place for which liquid skin is intended. At the same time, the surface should become matte, you should not try too hard here, because then the fabric will become too thin.
Grinding is needed to remove the top layer of paint, to which other surfaces simply do not stick. After that, remove the dust and re-degrease the place.
We select the color
Mix several shades from the set to get the desired result. A mixing table is always attached to the instructions, so you should focus on it. The mixture for repairing leather sofas is pre-tested in a hidden area, if the color is very different even after drying, then it is changed.
We apply the composition
Sponge or spatula put the mixture on the damaged area. If a deep scratch has formed there and it cannot be completely covered at one time, then apply the color in one layer, and after drying, repeat the procedure.
In some cases, liquid skin is applied in 2-3 layers, which is much better than a one-layer overlap, which dries several times longer due to incorrect application.
After the first layer, the surface will have to be sanded again, and the paint should be diluted by about 15% with water. The completely dried area is wiped with a paper towel.
If too deep or through a cut has formed on the material, then restoration with only liquid skin will not help here. In this case, the upholstery is removed in order to match the edges of the fabric on the reverse side. Then they perform the same actions, laying out the solution in several layers.
What mixture to take?
There used to be only a few manufacturers of this material, but now there are dozens of them, so we will look at the most effective products:
- Flexstep. The set is considered not the cheapest, but it does its job better than the others. The box contains 7 jars of different colors. According to the manufacturer, the tool is suitable for repairing scratches and cuts on furniture, clothes, shoes. It is produced in Europe, but liquid skin is stored for only a year.
- Saphir. Small amount for single use. It features many more colors than the previous version.The manufacturer offers about 40 shades, but they are not sold in one large package, but in 4 pieces. The box states that the mixture restores only the surface layer, it will not help with deep cuts.
- Liquid leather. The set includes 7 tubes with basic colors, also includes a sponge, a container and a spatula. Liquid skin is suitable for repairing a severely damaged area.
Ready-made kits always have instructions and a palette for mixing colors, so before restoration, you should familiarize yourself with the manufacturer's recommendations.
