How to Repair a Cracked Leather Lounge Chair

Fix cracked leather lounge chairs using a few simple tools.

Leather lounge chairs are a long-lasting investment that can continue to provide you with stylish comfort if properly maintained. Many chairs and couches come covered in leather because leather is a durable material that can hold up to everyday use. Over time, leather may crack due to dirt buildup from lack of cleaning or heat buildup from the sun. Heat can cause the leather's natural oils to dry, resulting in an unsightly crack. Repair those cracks in your leather lounge chair by following a few simple steps.

Things You'll Need

• Shoe brush
• Cloth
• Alcohol
• Leather filler
• Hair dryer
• Palette knife
• Grain pad
• 1200-grit sandpaper
• Sponge
• Matching colorant
• Spray leather finish
• Tweezers
• Canvas cloth

Instructions

1. Brush the leather crack with a shoe brush to remove dirt and small particulates. The bristles of the shoe brush are soft and gentle, and won't harm the leather material.

2. Clean the cracked area on the leather lounge chair with a cloth slightly dampened with alcohol. The alcohol removes any unseen dirt, preparing the surface for the repair.

3. Trim off any excess threading on the edges of the crack with cuticle scissors.

4. Separate the two sides of the leather crack gently with your fingers. Squeeze the leather filler inside of the crack until it is almost full. Use a hair dryer to dry the leather filler for five to 10 minutes.

5. Squeeze enough leather filler to fill the crack, and level the top with a palette knife to match the level of the surrounding leather. Press a grain pad to the filled crack to mimic the texture of the leather lounge chair if needed. Allow the leather filler to set for five minutes.

6. Smooth the set leather filler with 1200-grit sandpaper for smooth leather finishes. Continue to sand lightly until the cracked area feels smooth.

7. Dab a clean sponge into the matching leather colorant, and apply a thin layer over the leather filler. Sponge on as many additional colorant coats as it takes to achieve a matching color to the surrounding leather on the lounge chair. Allow the leather color to air-dry.

8. Seal the repair by spraying leather finish over the repaired crack, and allow to it dry for one hour before using.

Tips & Warnings

• For deep cracking that has separated the leather material, use tweezers to insert a piece of canvas behind the leather crack before you begin to fill the crack. Dab leather glue in between the leather and the canvas, and press tight until dry.

• Keep the leather lounge chairs out of direct sunlight to prevent future cracking from excess heat.

References

• Furniture Clinic: How to Repair a Tear in Leather