Monday, July 13, 2009

Got pets? The possibilities are endless...

Got dogs? Many do... In fact, every 1 in 3 homes has pets...

Until recently, homeowners assumed that they had to simply accept pet damaged leather furniture... That is no longer the case.

We are currently restoring a maroon leather sectional that has severe pet damage... You see, the large dog likes to jump over the back of the sofa and land on the front so can imagine the amount of nail damage on the backside. In addition, the cushions have gotten faded and lost their color. We are repairing the nail gashes, filling in the aged cracks, redying the entire piece back to its original color and conditioning and protecting it. And yes, we will be posting pictures. :)

What pieces have you simply tolerated that you'd like restored back to like new condition?

We can do estimates via email for your convenience!

Monday, July 6, 2009

GOT LEATHER? 3 ways to determine what kind of leather you have

Leather properly maintained will last four or even five times longer than fabric or man-made fibers.In order to properly maintain it, however, you hanve to know truly what kind of leather you have - speculation is not an option as there are different products and procedures to take care of each kind of leather.

These are a few of the basic guidelines as shared by the certified leather specialists at Atlanta Leather Care and Repair, proving Atlanta leather cleaning services.

Fun Fact: DID YOU KNOW that all Leather Starts as Aniline Leather?
* 15% remain as Aniline leather
* 5% are turned into Nubuck leather
* 80% are turned into Pigmented leather

How to Recognize Various Types of Leather

Step 1 - Inspect the piece of furniture for a deck label or "hang tag" that identifies the leather type. Many manufacturers place the deck label on the decking of the seating area near a piece of extra leather that has been sewn in.

Step 2 - Scratch Test - A "Scratch Test" is the easiest way to determine if a leather is a Type P (pigmented) or not. Lightly scratching the leather surface with your fingernail will either yield a light mark or no mark. If there IS a mark, you have aniline leather. If you don't, you have pigmented.

Step 3 - Tactile Test - Feeling the leather surface and visually determining whether a "nap" exists will help to determine if a leather has been sanded/brushed or not. Nubuck leathers have been sanded or brushed leaving a slight to heavy velvet-like nap.

These are just a few easy guidelines to determine what kind of leather you have. Only a certified leather specialist can know for sure, but this should help guide you when contacting professional or buying products.