Leather Repair Guy

Simple leather seat repairs can often be a do it yourself project.

So you have a leather seat needing repair. It is typical for a leather car seat to need repair especially in climates closer to the equator. The strong UV at lower latitudes plays havoc with the leather, sucking the moisture out of it and making it dry and prone to cracking. When this occurs there are a few options available to you depending on the type of damage the leather has.

As you get in and out of your vehicle you are rubbing the outer part of the seat slowly wearing at the finish. The first sign is you will start to see the color fade in that area. This means that the finish coat and the color coat have been worn through and raw leather is exposed. This is the ideal time to get the damaged leather seat repaired since the leather is still intact and all that needs to be fixed is the finish coat. There are many Do it your self leather repair kits out there that will make easy work of this type of minor damage.

If you decide to hold off on the repair over the next several months the raw leather will be exposed to heat moisture and other contaminants that will continue to dry out the leather. At this point it will become brittle and as you continue to rub over the leather getting in and out of your car it will start to weaken and eventually result in a hole. Once the leather reaches this point it is rather difficult for a first timer to get a solid repair and an expert leather repair person will be needed to repair the leather seat.

With the small hole started it is a matter of time before the leather just opens up and the whole side of the seat will be showing foam through the hole. At this point the seat is probably going to have to be repaired at an upholstery shop. It may be possible to have the hole stitched close if the rip is along the seam. The upholstery shop is usually the last resort since the cost can be quite high depending on the specific type of leather.

It is recommended to use some leather conditioner at least once a year to help replenish moisture to the leather seat. Like all the other components on your car or truck the leather needs to be maintained. By using a mild multi-purpose cleaner (diluted 10:1) and a clean cloth you can clean any dirt from the leather seat and have it ready to be conditioned. This is the best line of defense against having to face a leather seat repair.