A DIYLeatherSolutions client's experience

The following is a direct quote from an e-mail received from a client who recently finished his Do-It-Yourself leather furniture color restoration project.

"I have completed the restoration of my leather couch and love seat. Thank you for providing such a high quality product and excellent costumer service.

Here is my experience briefly recapped:

ALS (Advanced Leather Solutions) did an excellent job of identifying all my material needs and “nailed” the color match for both the base and print colors.
Your DVD and written instructions were comprehensive and nearly all the help I needed to complete the project.
For the two issues that arose that I needed further explanation, Kevin provided a detailed description of what I needed to do and why. He also encouraged me to seek the help of ALS anytime the need arose.
The actual restoration is a job. It is not simple, but is far from complex. I am a very novice do-it-yourselfer, and I was able to complete the project in a reasonable amount of time and with results exceeding my expectations.
As you may recall, most of my issues were cosmetic. The dye in the three year old pieces of furniture failed and they had become aesthetically unappealing. We have a 4 year old boy and a 4 month old baby, so replacing the furniture was not really an option, especially since the leather was in good shape.
The couch looks new (actually the finish is more attractive than the original) and every problem has been resolved (including a few cat scratches).
We are delighted with the results and our decision to take on this project. The high quality products and costumer service you provided are the reason we succeeded. My skills are very modest, but because of what you did for us, the outcome was near perfect.


Thank you for all your help.

Regards,

T. M."

To learn how you can have a similar experience with your worn, faded, stained leather furniture, check out this: http://www.DIYLeatherSolutions.com

Leather Furniture - Dyes or Pigments?

I am often asked to explain the difference between aniline dyed leather (unfinished) and protected or pigmented leather (finished) furniture. This post gives you the straight scoop between dyes and pigments as relates to leather furniture.


First, let’s cover some base-line information about leather to help you better understand its properties. Leather is a natural product. It comes from animal skins which have been chemically processed (tanned) to preserve them. A properly tanned hide (or skin) creates strong, flexible leather, resistant to decay.


Most leather upholstery found on furniture and in automobiles is tanned cow hide. Cow hides are about 1/4 to 3/8 inches thick, which is too heavy for general upholstery application. Therefore, hides are split laterally, rendering an upper and lower cut.


The upper portion is the top-grain, or full-grain. The lower portion is the split. This cutting process creates different “faces” to the leather. The outside face of the top- or full-grain shows the natural grain characteristics, but is otherwise smooth, whereas, the underside appears as suede.


There are two basic categories: Finished or Unfinished. Briefly, finished leather is first dyed via immersion in an aniline dye solution, and then the outside face of the hide is coated with a pigmented resin, and then a subsequent clear-coating. Unfinished leather processing stops at the first dyeing process, without any resin coating. Finished leather is protected by the color-coating and clear-coating, and unfinished is unprotected, not having either of these subsequent coatings applied.


The key point is the color you see on a finished leather is from a pigment coating on the leather, whereas unfinished leather color is a dye in the leather. Finished leather is stain and fade resistant but lacks deep richness in color, and tends to be stiffer. Unfinished leather is soft and natural-looking but fades and stains readily. Unfinished leather tends to be more expensive as only the finest, cleanest (fewer unsightly characteristics such as hide scars, branding marks, etc.) hides can qualify as unfinished.


This graphic depicts the difference between finished and unfinished.



Note that all cases (finished and unfinished) the leather is aniline dyed.

You can see that the topical coating can range from thin to thick. If there is a very light color or clear coat on top of aniline-dyed leather, it is often referred to as “semi-aniline.” Semi-aniline leather offers modest protection while retaining much of the aesthetic beauty of unfinished aniline-dyed leather. These are the arrtibutes of finished and unfinished leather furniture.

Finished: The leather has a topical pigment coat applied. One of the most common coatings consists of a soft acrylic color coating under a urethane clear coating (for durability). These resins create a film that bonds to the surface of the leather. Its primary goal is to protect the leather, providing wear, stain, and fade resistance.


Finished leather will resist staining by water- or oil-based agents (if a drop of water is put directly on the leather surface, the water bead remains on the surface, and does not soak in and darken the material). The clear coating determines the final reflective value of the leather surface (ranging from high gloss, to matte). Generally, finished leathers do not have that "buttery soft" leather feel (or hand) associated with raw leather. Also note, finished leathers can be described as aniline-dyed, and still have a topical pigment applied. Finished leathers are much less susceptible to fading


Unfinished: The leather does not have a topical pigment applied, or has a minimal resin coating to retain the hand of raw leather. The color is achieved by immersing hides in aniline dyes that are absorbed into the leather, accentuating the natural beauty of the hide. Because leather's absorption characteristics are not uniform, variations in color are common. The water drop test will result in the drop transferring into the leather, darkening or staining the area. Unfinished leathers are colored using organic aniline dyes which are highly susceptible to fading (caused by UV exposure).


For more detailed information visit http://www.advleather.com/.


Copyright 2009 Kevin Gillan

How to tell if leather is quality or junk.

As a professional leather technician, this is a frequently asked question: “How can I tell that the leather furniture I am buying is made with quality leather?”

It’s not always easy. The leather may look and feel comfortable in the showroom, but how will it hold up in your home?

The sales-person may tell you that it’s a grade “A” leather or a grade “2000” leather. Or some other nomenclature that sounds impressive. What does it really mean?

In a word -- nothing.

The grading system used by each leather furniture manufacturer to classify the upholstery leather installed on their furniture is not based on any industry-established standard. It’s typically marketing hype. One manufacturer’s “B” grade, is another’s “100” grade, or “1000”, and so on.

Don’t be swayed by some official-sounding label applied to leather upholstery by the furniture sales-person, or the marketing material produced by the manufacturer. Instead, ask the following questions:

1. Is the upholstery leather un-corrected top-grain? - This is leather with the greatest durability. Read the literature offered by the manufacturer. Even then, be wary. Recently a client brought a cushion into our shop from a “hide-a-bed” sofa that the manufacturer’s documentation claimed to be top-grain leather. This manufacturer, who shall remain nameless (but whose initials are JC where the J is consistent with the actress whose last name is Aniston), is misleading consumers in its printed materials. In this client’s case, the leather was a low quality split-hide, which is clearly inferior leather, and clearly not top-grain. To read more about top-grain leather go to http://www.advleather.com/ and click on the Leather Care button.

2. Is the furniture fully upholstered with leather? - Ask if any of the upholstered sections on the piece you are considering have been upholstered in vinyl. There are issues to be considered with leather upholstery when it is mated with a synthetic material like vinyl. The seam line where the leather and vinyl meet is a potential source of problems. The vinyl often fails along that seam line and there is nothing that can be done to correct the problem except re-upholstery. And, that’s an expensive option.

3. Is the upholstery leather protected or unprotected? - Protected leather implies that the leather has a topical, pigmented coating on the surface. This upholstery leather is excellent for high-use environments, such as an active household with children, pets, and so on, where the leather may be exposed to spills, and other household hazards. Unprotected leather implies upholstery leather that is unfinished. That is to say, it has no topical, pigmented coating. This is often called pure aniline-dyed leather. The color presented comes from the dye in the leather. Because there is no protection on the leather’s surface, it is aesthetically vulnerable. It will stain and fade. So, this type of upholstery leather looks gorgeous and feels wonderful, but will not hold up well to the rigors of an active family room, with kids, dogs, etc. The sales-person may make the claim that their unfinished, aniline-dyed leather has been “treated” to resist staining. This may be true, however, the treatment is never permanent or fully effective (anyone familiar with the temporary nature of a “scotch-guard” type treatment will have a good idea what this means). Client after client has complained to me that their “treated” unfinished leather suffered staining within a month or two, or sooner.

4. Is this material bi-cast? – If the answer is yes, prepare yourself for a short life expectancy. Bi-cast, sometimes referred to as PU Leather, is a composite material much like fiberboard or pressed wood isn’t really wood, but rather made from wood fibers. Like fiberboard, it lacks the tensile strength required for regular use. Furthermore, it delaminates (peels), and tears fairly easily. To read more about bi-cast, read the article under the consumer tips section of http://www.advleather.com/.

In the end, as a consumer, you are on your own. Your best option is to arm yourself with as much information as you can before you buy. Then ask the key questions, and be wary of the sales-person who is evasive in his or her answers.

As a further resource, email kevin@advleather.com, or call Advanced Leather Solutions @ 510.786.6059 (USA) to answer questions. You’ll get straight-forward, no nonsense answers.

Copyright 2009 Kevin Gillan