This month we are giving some basic tips on fixing leather seats. If you haven’t read the last entry, we’d suggest going back and reading. It’s on how to use a leather repair kit to fix the small tears and cracks in a leather seat. But kits are not the only way to take care of these. You want to make the fix yourself (for now, until you can get into the shop of course,) use a patch like so!

Fixing Leather with a Patch

Before you begin the process, you need to carefully select a proper leather patch. This will be something that matches the color as best as possible. If you can get an extra swatch of the leather that maybe came with the vehicle (or an extra piece from under the chair if necessary) that will work best. Otherwise, make due by finding a close enough color and similar enough texture.

Prep the Patch

Take the piece of leather you selected and trim it to be just larger than the tear you are planning on fixing. Make sure the scissors or tool you use is sharp, you want to have as clean of edges as possible.

Prep the Hole/Tear

Use a bit of wax paper on the inside of the tear. This is to keep any glue or material from hardening on the foam seats interior. Slip the wax paper into one side and push through completely. You want both sides or all of the edges of the tear/hole to be touching the wax paper.

Place the Patch

Take the time to do this step right. Use special leather adhesive to coat the edges of the patch. Place and press the patch carefully. Make sure the patch covers the area entirely and is set to bind with the good section.

Let Dry

Before getting too rough with the new patched leather, allow for the time for the adhesive to dry fully. Check the particular material you used to see how long it should take to cure. While that is working, don’t sit or place objects on that spot.

Watch For Further Harm

So, you have either patched or filled the hole, tear, crack in your leather seats. Again, these are temporary fixes to hold you over until you can make it to the shop for a professional, complete job. Now how do you prevent any further harm?

Use Some Shade

Sunlight is the main component in causing seat leather to crack and fade. Make sure you are doing the most to mitigate that by utilizing an expandable sunshade in the windshield.

Condition

Another key to cracking leather is dryness. If you can apply condition the leather frequently enough you will keep the leather from getting overly dry and cracking worse. Use a clean cloth and a quality conditioner every six months or so for optimal results.

Use the Trunk For Tools

Keep any sharp objects out of the inside of your vehicle. Leaving sharp tools, keys, or metal on your leather seats is a recipe for failure when it comes to keeping your leather up to snuff.

With a repaired seat and the proper precautionary measures, you can keep your leather seats in the best shape possible. For bigger projects or more catastrophic leather damage, give us a call here at the shop to get an idea of what it will take to make your car as good as new. Get a free estimate here and get ready for a great summer of driving!