Is It Worth Repairing Bonded Leather? Nope!
Check out this newer video comparing two repair methods and the month-later result here: • How to Repair Peeling ...
All products are available here: rubnrestore.com/leather-resto...
0:00 - Intro
0:07 - How to tell if your material is leather or vinyl that was previously painted.
0:27 - How to tell if yours is bonded leather.
2:02 - Why vinyl repair compound or leather filler can't fix the problem.
2:40 - A temporary band-aid approach to improve appearance and buy time.
3:45 - Our recommendation for an affordable and permanent solution.
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Learn more and see all your options here: www.rubnrestore.com/how-to/bonded-leather-blues/ Shop our products here: rubnrestore.com/leather-restoration-products/
thanks. this was very helpful
This was educational and honest, I don’t understand the 50/50 like/dislike ratio.
Very informative, thank you.
Thank you so much I was curious about this I won’t waste more time trying to fix this.
NICE VIDEO!
Your awesome. Learning a ton.
Thank u for sharing
Great video, but I hope I never hear the term "body oil stains" again, lol
Thank you so much for this video!! I have a Juicy Couture handbag that is flaking in certain parts, and I was trying to find a way to fix it, even after realizing those areas were not real leather. The part that is flaking/flaked off is the same material as the one you had in this video, so now I know for sure that I won't be able to fix those parts of my handbag.
Oh wow! That's a nice find! I was actually thinking of brushing on some "Tear Mender Instant Fabric and Leather Adhesive" on those flaking areas to create a smooth surface that can kind of mimic the bonded leather, and then paint on leather dye over the dried glue. The color of the bonded leather and fabric underneath are both black, so I thought maybe it wouldn't be that noticeable... I've never tried doing that before though.
I see! Thanks for the tip! I guess that is my only option then :/ . Yeah I expected better quality, but then again, I did get a lot of heavy use from the bag, so I'm happy it's still somewhat holding up. Thanks again!
It should be illegal to call something leather if it is not made out of cow , sheep or buffalo hide. Or should I say if it hasn’t been on an animal then it is not leather.
Daniel Roy should be made out of human skin, more environmental healthy.
Alex D. No that’s horrible
Alex D. L
I think the word you’re looking for is “Pleather.”
@@alexd.8361 Now wait just a second there Leatherface.
Can’ you cut some of the extra material usually found on pieces and cut and replace the portion that are bad? Possibly using frantic bod?
Wow, that was awesome and MOST helpful. Thankyou! Paint that couch espresso brown and turn it into two lounge chairs and you own what I have. I've spent all morning (3 days before a Christmas get together in our house) looking at different leather restoring products on Amazon. I'm imagining lightly sanding around the flaked off "leather" and attempting to fix two "leather" chairs puchased not even 10 yrs ago that have flaked nickel and dime sized pieces of material for 5+ years. I see clearly now that I am dealing with an inferior non-leather product. Silly me, I never even looked at the label till now. Nowhere on it does it even have the word "leather" though the store (Sprintz--shame on them) and the receipt made this false claim. And what a great communicator you are too!
I love the color of your red sofa, would you please tell me what kind of red is that? I want to dye my brown sofa ...thank you :)
I have leather Car seats that I hate. All of my interior is Black but the seats are a cream-colored leather from the BMW factory. Do you have any advice or will I have to just take the old leather out and have black leather installed?
You can’t repair it, but you can peel it and repaint it! I just did this and it turned out amazing! It’s dog proof too! Use a hairdryer and a dinner knife to help peel it off. This goes super fast, actually! It took me less than 30 minutes and very little elbow grease on my large couch. I then vacuumed off the residue. I chose a primer/paint color that I liked. Make sure to use a flat or eggshell. Use a nice smelling, liquid fabric softener (5 tbs of softener to 1cup of paint). Use a Waverly paint brush-Walmart craft section, $12.00. It goes insanely fast vs a regular paint brush. Brush it on! You can easily do both of your couches, if you have a love seat also, in just a few hours. This includes a few coats too. It dries fast. I constantly have people asking how I did this. It’s been over 2 months and there isn’t a scratch, a peel, a lift or a fade. My Brittany Spaniel is quite the jumper and lives to climb on the couches to look out the windows at the critters. There is no evidence of abuse or scratches! I got these couches for free on Craigslist. If I knew how to put a photo on this post, I would. Anyway, give it a shot and save yourself thousands! Good luck!
What kind of paint did you use?
norlens noel Just regular egg shell latex of my color choice-Dutch Boy, I believe. It’s still holding up perfectly, even with an energetic, young dog who likes to jump on it. The only place it is peeling is where I put a different brand on it originally. I found that brand on a KZhead video and it was pure, expensive crap. I’m peeling that off to the fabric and I will begin again. Had I not used the original stuff, it would still be holding up like it is on the other couch where there isn’t even a hint of a wrinkle or crack! I wish I knew how to post my photos of it on here...🤔
Rub 'n Restore, Inc. I’m not sure why their results would be bad when mine still look like day one months later... Oh well! If someone loves to try new hacks, then I say why not give it a shot? You will only be out a gallon of paint and fabric softener, right?
Hello Kelly, thank you, before I proceed, how is your couch now after one year? Did the paint hold?
Lien Bijs Good morning! The smaller of the two couches still perks where I used that first product so I touch it up twice per year which to me is seriously no big deal. It takes me 10 minutes. The larger of the two that my dogs abuse, is the one that has held up so well. The only retouch area is one side of the pillows that keeps getting compressed from the dog’s weight. I will say that these are our interim couches until we can afford the real leather but until that happens, these have been awesome! I hope it works for you as well! Good luck!
Thank you so much! I feel like an idiot not realizing I had bought "plether."
Us too!
Hello! I have almost the same color red sofa, bonded leather peeling...would you recommend using Rust-Oleum matte clear spray paint to make the surface even and hold down the edges that are peeling before applying paint?
Thank you so much I was about reupholster my white couch, it's an italian style couch and this video helped me so much to know its painted. Would it work if i use white shoe polish on mine? I am currently residing in Mexico city and some products sold in the U.S. are not available here. Or is there anything else i can use, like acrylic paint? Im will be so pleased with your response. Thank you and keep them videos coming :-) Thanks for all you do!!
Can you tell me what I can do for my so called leather couch! My color brown, and I have some scratchs from where my dogs have climb up on and there nails have scratch the seat and the lower part of the couch, need something to fill to hide the scratch
I just picked up a small round chair and it has some peeling. It's also a bright red ..I've seen othr vids but I think I'ma do it this way..cause othr vids look too costly..it's just a corner chair anyway. I'm not lookn for perfection..THANX !
I bought a coat that already has this texture (on purpose), but TOO much is peeling off now, and I want to seal it up again (not change the color) and keep it the way it is. Any advice?
My interest is in reselling my couch. I would like to repair or refurbish it entirely. Would appreciate tips and information on how to do that. Thanks.
I tried to paint our bonded leather sectional many times, just to reduce the awful look of it. Let me just say, the pieces were sticking to guests, flaking on the floor, and finally I just gave away the entire thing. People suggested slip covers, but covering a massive couch with multiple blankets that slipped right off became as unsightly as the peeling couch itself. I finally gave up and bought a new couch. NEVER buy bonded leather, especially if it's from Ashley furniture!
Jennifer Green There are insider tricks for using 'slip' covers to avoid those common issues that you describe: A nail gun and some modest stitching skills are required for providing a much more long term cost effective solution.
I agree. I bought a sofa from Ashley's and have the same problem. Do Not buy anything from Ashley's.
Before 3 years of ownership our furniture was peeling. We could have purchased other furniture that wasn't bonded leather. Never again will we buy bonded or real leather furniture. Just because after 16 years of having a fabric couch and loveseat with recliners in each we gave them away and bought the bonded leather. Our old couch and loveseat was in perfect condition so you know we were sick of our new purchase. We we live and learn the hard way. Please please read and learn from our mistake!
Jennifer Green I just watched a video that may be helpful for a vinyl/leather - large repair. The Chanel was: Heirloom Traditions Paint, here on KZhead Note: the presenter was applying a product by Rustoleum, prior to her product paint. The title was: "Don't Throw Out Your Torn or worn Vinyl or Leather Furniture" (She demo's the Rustoleum product and then her product) Just an FYI
We bought a whole set from Bell furniture. The same issue came up after three years. Now we have to trash the sofa set and buy a new set. We will never buy bonded leather products again.
I have a polyester fiber recliner... Is that the same as what you got? Bonded leather?
I have the same couch but in a white color and the bonded leather started peeling and I have seen the soft material under the leather started appeal more and more ..I just bought them for 4 months now and I’m very disappointed with this kind of sofas ..never again ..but wish I could find a solution to this but it’s seems either I need to use sheets to cover them or just throw the whole thing in trash 🤦🏽♂️
You can sand the top coat off totally with sandpaper and or orbital sander.
I am still waiting for a solution!
What I would want in my situation (an office chair, I work from home so not like many people would see it) is a spray-on/brush-on coating to replace the peeled-off surface. It's still an otherwise serviceable chair, so why not keep it out of the landfill for a little bit longer (later on I could just use it in a basement workshop anyway). The other thing I've thought of is just to find some other fabric to staple over the top of the chair (trickier on this one as it has folds and contours).
So many videos on repairing this stuff, I cannot find anything on preventative measures. There has to be something out there I can spray on a brand new piece of furniture or office chair to help prevent it from peeling/cracking. I am considering buying some Clear Rust-Oleum LeakSeal Spray and doing the whole piece in it prior to use to see if it would provide a layer of protection...
Travis, Nope. Bonded leather is an inferior product that just disintegrates over time. Nothing will preserve it. It's best to avoid it if possible.
Where can we get this product?
The sofa peelings that say because needs been humected in homedepot sell the liquid for that
Why are people ratioing this lady's video? This was pretty informative. She didn't even shill her product for this purpose and I learned that the best I could do is paint the under layer. Some other lady on youtube basically did the same thing and I was like "Can I do that better?". Apparently not...
I got a sectional and ottoman from farmers furniture that color one year and half it started to peel I have to sweep my floor all the time will not buy no more from them
Buyers beware: there are *many differences to grades of leather. (Learned this the hard way.) What you want is “full-grain” or “top-grain” for seats and backs. *Anything else will disappoint. Yup, “full-grain” is the the outer hide thickness, complete with scratches and brands, which can be evident. For the most-even texture, “Top-grain” has usually been sanded and resurfaced for continuity, and I t’ll last generations. But seal it and condition it, care for it well! Get it wet and scrub it? The texture *can be flattened. “Genuine Leather” is split well-below the dermis AND WILL NOT LAST. “Bonded” leather CAN be OK for less-used surfaces, like sides/backs of sofas, etc., or for a limited budget learning upholstery. But “bonded” is truly second-grade- Yes it’s (legally) “leather”, but not *one piece: made of leather scraps sealed in resin. However “PU” or “pleather” is a legal term for “vinyl-covered” = RUN! It can delaminate within 2years! Turn it over: anything that has a fabric backing? RUN -it’s PU or vinyl Surface is cracking in a pattern? RUN -it’s fake Dyes are shedding? RUN- probably low-quality dyeing (tho it *can be sealed, you then have a *plastic seat) “Genuine leather”? RUN, it will not last!
Also, the rubnrestore product line, RUN, because it rubs off in a matter of a few days.
That couch has good bones, you can heat the bonded leather and peel it completely off or reupholstery it. No need to go to the landfill :)
Hair dryer works! Then you can use a scraper or butter knife to remove it.
It's time consuming I have a ways to go on my chair. But it will be worth it to no longer having pieces of the bonded leather all over the place!
Corykinchin
Acrylic paint
Just like grandmas couch just cover it with something or just a blanket
Why do the sofa seat cushions come with a zipper, if they can’t be replaced? Is there a site where I could buy a new faux leather case?
@@RubnRestore Thanks for the advice.
I want to peal the leather from a shirt some one tell me how to do easily and fast plzz
I tell my customers the same thing, but they make me repair them. It’s a horrible and tedious process, but I’ve had great success in making them look brand new. I charge a ton of money to fix these and let them know it will continue to delaminate in every area I don’t touch.
Are the flakes or any parts of the bonded material toxic or lead paint?
Rub 'n Restore, Inc. thanks for your reply!! I was literally asking for a friend because she has a couch made out of that material and it is peeled away badly. Personally, I’ve only purchased real cowhide leather when buying leather anything, including sofas. My latest set is from Leather Creations. I also have a lifetime warranty for normal wear which is great!
Heirloom Traditions Paint on KZhead for fixing leather type lounges.
Is that Faux leather?
My couch was degrading due to the sun. I tried EVERYTHING, but in the end I went to joann fabrics and bought some replacement vinyl. I literally took the cover apart carefully with an x-acto knife (seam ripper wasn't sharp enough for the threads) and used the pieces as patterns. I hand sewed up the new vinyl pieces, and it looks brand new now. But, NEVER AGAIN will I buy "bonded" leather.
I wish you could show before and after photos that would be a great help in a person deciding on what they need to do thank you
Greta video. I'd like to facetime with you to see if you can help me identify if mine is real leather or not. Can we do that?
FLEX SEAL WORKS
You can repair this you supposed to sand and restore
Best thing to do is set fire to that pos and buy another of better quality!
I couldn’t make out what she said, SC soft filler...? That should work for my situation Mine had a toy truck rub on the corner, hence it peeled back in like a line of small spots. It hasn’t peeled like this due to a binding failure, but because of damage.
You absolutely can repair with the correct products & time!! You’d be surprised how many places advertise genuine leather & it isn’t. Especially now a days! I coated/layered a few diff products like flex seal & bond X. Then used Heirloom’s tradition finish all paint & if it any spot with more wear needed more coating to strengthen & smooth I added more bond X sanded & painted again for the final look. Much cheaper then buying new & saved time searching for another couch you’ll love that looks, feels and fits in your space good. I like crafting though & enjoyed repairing it & updating the color. If that’s your thing too then just do your research bc It is possible! but understandably not for everyone. 🤷🏻♀️ Im super satisfied with the look & proud to say I not only fixed it but updated the color as well. People are so surprised of the before & after! P.s. I replied with such detail bc I wish in my research I found the same. I could’ve wrote much more but I’m sure this reply will encourage & help many in their research.
Thanks Mel Dizz. Your long response helped me! I have a similar couch like the one on this video ( same color except for a minor variation in the design). I had watched a couple of videos from Heirloom’s tradition all paint, at first I felt confident I could get the job done then I watched this video and I was discouraged BUT after reading your comment I now feel encouraged to go ahead and restore my couch. You’re correct, not everyone is into repairing stuff when they break and not everyone has enough cash to spend on new furniture. I’m a DIY type of person and if it doesn’t work, then I don’t feel guilty going to purchase a replacement! Peace.
Dude, all that just to say go on Craigslist’s and buy real leather?!! Ugh!!
Says it right there in the description. Reading is hard.
Angela Anagho Angela - I just watched a video that may be helpful for a vinyl/leather - large repair. The Chanel was: Heirloom Traditions Paint, here on KZhead Note: the presenter was applying a product by Rustoleum, prior to her product paint. The title was: "Don't Throw Out Your Torn or worn Vinyl or Leather Furniture" (She demos the Rustoleum product and then her product) It looks like it would be fine - Don't know how it would work for the "favorite family Den sofa, guess you could repair it and place a throw over it for comfort "?" Good luck - understand the frustration when your looking for Solutions -
Dp 🕶 try harder - TBN
My thought exactly! Ugh!
@@bethbartlett5692 I watched that one prior to this. It showed a real solution.
Latex...
I have really great news! I was in to the store yesterday to ask him what's being done about my furniture. He's very sorry he left the rep. talk him into selling this Novu leather, it's been nothing but a nightmare for him. He told me to come in this week and pick out new stuff. HE'S REPLACING MY FURNITURE FOR ME!!!! WOOHOOOO! I have a choice of going with material or real leather. Now i'm almost afraid to go with leather since this experience. Don't know what to do! I will have to retract my statement "Kimball's Sucks". My Kimball's has turned out to be pretty reputable. It's the Novu leather that sucks!!!
Thanks for that info., I'll see if I can get a sample. I've also found out steer clear of flexsteel 's Lattitude collection....it's garbage made in China.
Not even sure how I got onto videos about repairing fabric but she's cute
bonded leather, aka leather cardboard + plastidip, lasts 1 year on computer chairs aplenty.
interesting
RE: @1:25 no law against false marketing of not-leather in the USA ... Actually, it *is* illegal to advertise for sale something that isn’t originally an animal hide as ‘leather’ without qualifying the word e.g. “imitation leather”. (Code of Federal Regulations Title 16 Chapter 1 Section 24, ‘Guides for Select Leather and Imitation Leather Products’, esp 24.2 ‘Deception as to Composition’, the FTC’s authority derives from United States Code Title 15 Chapters 45 and 46, see also 61 FR 51583, Oct. 3, 1996) Note that bonded leather and other composite materials containing leather must also be fully disclosed as must leather that’s embossed to disguise its type and grade. If you can’t get satisfaction from the vendor, a consumer deceived by a false claim can recover their personal economic loss without a lawyer in small claims court. Always start by asking the vendor to make it right and take careful notes as you negotiate or you may get to court only be told to go and try to work it out before involving the court.
The consumer has a slam-dunk case, but they have to show an ad that says leather, say they were deceived, cite the federal law,, show how much they paid to get and dispose of the furniture, and stop talking. If the vendor is a rude jerk, its better to let them demonstrate it for themselves. Unfortunately a lot of people don’t make it simple and show up without key documents, exaggerate, and bicker.
It should be illegal to sell those faux leather couches
@@RubnRestore thank you
Nothing wrong with quality fabric furniture...but everyone wants leather but can't afford the real thing....go drive a fake Ferrari , I say
This looks like PU, not “bonded”, which DOESNT have a fabric backing
Yo, peoples, don't you read the video descriptions? This one tells you right off the bat, "no, you can't fix it." Then you watch the video if you want more details. Learn how to use social media before you barf negativity.
Robert Wright stfu, you know this is clickbait. Nobody reads the discription for the ANSWER to the damn title. 😂😂
It’s a lie! You CAN fix pleather, and bonded leather. She’s an idiot from an ignorant company just trying to punch their product. And by the way, it’s a dumb video(my opinion) and other people can have theirs(just like you do!)
So basically NO
I hate fake leather couches
2:40 she does the trick
You're so crazy cute 💓
You would have to peel the whole couch ppl. Period
So much furniture goes to waste because of this high priced faux leather garbage. I just threw out 2 office chairs Ive had for 4 years and barely used. But suddenly started to crack and peel and flake all over. $460 down the drain. Even worse if its an entire living room set.
When you don't read ! Lol
קקי
So..... no. Your answer is no, it can't be repaired. 😒
Rub 'n Restore, Inc. The description itself says no... but whatever. Thanks for your time, or my time... or whatever.
@@DetailMommy lol this has to be one of the strangest replies I've ever seen. Its obvious repairing it would be a complete waste of time and money. So this would mean that technically you could do it but its not worth it so the real answer is NO! duh lol.
Bla bla bla bla🙄