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  FAQ

Colour coming off in places
Seat crushing and difficult to get off the furniture
Cleaning leather
Moving home
One cushion died on your sofa
Buttons have come off
Broken springs
Re-colouring leather
Holes appearing on the arms or back cushion
Where do you find a leather restorer?
How much?

Colour coming off in places

This is a common problem; usually where there are seams. Where there are areas sewn they are firmer due to multi layers of leather, jeans are the greatest problem but so is the thickness of the paint. Whilst I can help local people overcome this headache prevention by leather creams is the only answer. Bring me an object from your suite and I will provide a colour cream that will halve the look of age. This service is available while you wait, a cup of tea might also be possible.

Seat crushing and difficult to get off the furniture

We all get older as does your foam innards, we also put on weight, have you thought of raising the suite with larger wheels or blocks? Likewise a one inch sheet of HR40 blue foam placed inside the cushion jacket at the base will take up a lot of slack leather.

Cleaning leather

This one is a minefield; some leather has been antiqued, usually with a light coat of black. Others have a two-part colour a little like rag rolling, check an area not in a wear area to see if I'm describing your suite. Aggressive cleaning of this leather will remove the second colour exposing the first, the damage is permanent, but would have been reduced with the protection cream. The answer is to test a small area out of sight first. There is a cleaning service available if you are within our locality, the bonus being colour damage can be rectified at the same time. For the DIY cleaners, we do sell a product, but it's not available by post.

Moving home

Do you remember the problem they had bringing in the suite? That sofa was a fight to say the least. I often get calls requesting help, and for those young and fit enough my advice is to see if the centre seat section can be unbolted. Turn the sofa on its back, and then release the two front wheels. Next de-staple a section to see if there are any bolts holding the seat section in place (usually 5). If yes then undo the base-cloth across the front and halfway down the sides, remove the bolts and lift out. 

One cushion died on your sofa

Most upholsterers can only offer a near sample to the colour of your suite, and this is not taking into account fading, smoking, and general ageing. My method is to colour the hide to match your leather TODAY; the advantage is one hide can be used for many customers. After saying that there will be a slight difference due to the new leather, but a cream made of the replacement colour can be applied to the remaining cushions thereby reducing the variation. This service is our bread and butter, the work takes around a week and if possible drop them off to our workplace.

Buttons have come off

Another common job, mostly on chesterfield sofas, whilst some firms will make a meal out of this job, we have a quick way that works and keeps the cost down.

Broken springs

Most springs used today are serpentine springs; we in the trade call them Zigzag springs. To recognize them feel across the platform area (under the cushion) and they feel like a snake zigzagging back to front on the furniture. If one or more are broken there will be a sign at the underside of your chair or sofa with the metal poking through. For local people I can help you in most cases from £40 -£60 per unit, outside Croydon be wary if an upholsterer quotes you to replace the lot. In some cases I have seen springs that have stretched, it's very rare as the metal has been hardened and should not stretch, in these cases the stretch is apparent at one end only, and is obvious to the eye.

Re-colouring leather

This is not a wise move; most people have gone bust doing this process. The problem is dirt, soiling, and worst of all furniture polish contaminating the original colour, preventing the replacement colour sticking. Furniture polish contains silicon, you may not have directly sprayed it on the leather but it has travelled there all the same. Paint will not stick to silicon and it is a product that can't be seen. Whilst I do a colour cream made of the paint used on leather, this is more cosmetic than re-painting, and can be re-touching up over the years. 

Holes appearing on the arms or back cushion

We all perspire, some more than others. Did you know your perspiration contains acid? Some more than others. This can be recognized by a greasy feel in the damaged area, going well past the hole caused.  If the leather is still intact and the colour also, then it might be possible to remove the grease with special solvents (don't try this yourself).  More likely the panel will need to be replaced and more care in the future, again the leather protection cream would have helped to reduce this problem. So lads, when you have done that 5 mile run, do not stretch out on the sofa wreaking the armrest, and pouring sweat in the centre cushion via you bear midriff. And girls, you don't get off lightly, paint your nails away from leather, the solvents will destroy the colour. Being upholsterers a replacement panel will be a lot cheaper than a new suite, just give us a call.

Leather Leather

Some of you will recognise this furniture, it has a wood surround and lifts right out of the frame. Occasionally they require a new panel, but in the main it's just re machining the seams. The fault is caused in the manufacturing as the dowels (undo the zip) which hold all the pinch areas on place are only held back by the foam which cuts allowing the dowels to sink in. This in turn allows the pull sections to go slack causing creasing and further wear, this is not an expensive job to rectify.

Where do you find a leather restorer?

This is a tough one, who do you trust! No end of leather restorers advertising are working as franchisees, many have little or no skill in the Upholstery field, and pass on the upholstery work to upholsterers costing you more money. I will stick my neck out and name a couple of these organizations, Leather Master, Leather Doctor, Furniture medic.  This is not to say they are unable to provide the service you require I would just suggest you visit their place of work to see if they know what they are doing. Alternatively if you could find an Upholsterer like myself who has a full knowledge of furniture, and does leather repairs, you're on a safer bet.

I can only recommend one who covers areas in Dorset visit his website, which is far superior to mine, his name is David Amblin, a refugee from Croydon who prefers in his latter years the Dorset sun to the wet climate of Croydon Surrey, strange fellow.

How much?

How long is a ball of string? The long and the short of this question is we will not make more work than necessary to bring your furniture back to life, we know that a satisfied customer will bring in more work.

Visit www.mayfair-upholstery.co.uk for help and useful information on Leather Restoration, Re-upholstery and Loose Covers

 
   

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