Are you in the same situation I was? Do you have that expensive and (at one time) nice looking leather or vinyl chair or sofa? Is it time to start thinking about what you are going to do with this worn, but well loved item? Keep it anyway? Do you want to try and fix it yourself or do you thing of getting it professionally fixed? These are the things I have been plagued with for a while now.
I have been thinking for a long time about what to do with this chair I absolutely love.
You see I inherited this wonderful leather chair, but its twenty years old, cracked in places, and yes? there is even a tear here and there. My husband keeps telling me to put it in one of my famous garage sales, or give it away, but every time I look at that old chair, I just can?t seem to do anything. I love it so much! It reminds me so much of my grandmother! This simple chair brings back so many 'story telling' memories.
So I decided to fix it. I had two options open to me. I could get a DIY kit, or get it repaired professionally. I decided to look into both options and this is what I found.
The DIY Option
The DIY Kits - Well, I got tired of looking at the old sofa, so I started investigating my options and found the old DIY method. There are leather and vinyl repair kits that have online instruction to go along with them. I started reading the instruction and they say that the leather and vinyl repair kits need to be used for small tears that are not all that visible.
I glanced over at that old chair. Did I really think those tears were tiny and barely visible? Maybe in my dreams but I continued to read. ?The repair patch may not stick well with the leather, if the leather is old.? Hmmm was 20 years old? If I asked a 70 year old, I guess 20 years would be old. But maybe 20 years is a bit old for a chair. What if it didn't bond, then where would I be?
Then I'm supposed to use the grain paper to make the repaired area look as old as the other leather. Can I do that all over the chair? I think Ill probably end up with a new and natural patchwork finish! Too bad I don't really want that!
The Professional Vinyl and Leather Repair ? Nope! My only option is to get this old chair repaired professionally, and when I called to find out if it could be done and how much it would cost, I was fairly surprised at the quote. It really wasn't that expensive! In fact, I would say the quote I got was a bargain. My chair ended up looking gorgeous.
So I suggest, if you have a vinyl or leather sofa and need to have it repaired, you should get it professionally repaired. don't just keep that old look, and don't decide that it now has an antique finish. That was my way out. In the end my chair ended up being professionally fixed and looks great. It is now ready for another 20 years!
Tags: furniture, home, Home & Family
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