Leather Repair

Leather furniture is expensive to buy. When it gets damaged you have 3 options:

1) Replacement
2) Re-upholstery
3) Call Southern Counties Restoration.

We can help with the following:
- Sofas, armchairs, desktops, car interior, office chairs, dining chairs, foot stools.
- Leather colouring, dyeing and sanding, pet scratches, abrasions and scuffs.
- Cuts, tears, holes and cigarette burns, fading colour, worn areas and cracking.
- Dirt and grease stains, ink, nail varnish remover,loose stitching and seam repair.
- Professional leather upholstery cleaners, panel replacement with colour matched leather.
- Leather recovering.
- Most repairs and renovations can be done on-site in a matter of hours.
- Insurance claims welcome.

Natural Hides

• Pure analine hideThis is a high quality "top split". It shows natural scarring and colour variation. A process of analine dyeing brings out the natural colour. An analine hide has no protective coat giving an aesthetic natural look. However this makes it very susceptible to damage; it will become easily scratched and stained, it will fade in sunlight and cannot easily be cleaned. Pure analine leather will usually be a shade of brown in colour.
  Id test: wet your thumb and press onto the leather, if leather darkens, it is a pure analine.
• Semi analine hideThis is the same as a pure analine but has a protective coat to add durability and cleanabiliy. It may also have a light pigmented coat to enhance the colour; this gives it a slightly wider colour range than pure analine but will predominately be browns. Id: will have a natural appearance (scarring, colour differences etc) but the "wet thumb test" will indicate the protective coat, as moisture will remain on the surface.
• Pull-up hide This is the same as a pure analine but contains additional protective oils from the tanning process. id: "wet thumb test" may show slow absorption. if you stretch the leather it will lighten in colour as the oils dissipate from the stretched area.
• Nu buk or suede hideThis is a middle split that has been analine drum dyed and sanded flat giving a soft texture. ID: "wet thumb test" will show darkening as moisture is absorbed.

Pigmented Hides

• Pigmented hideA pigmented hide is not usually a top split, it has a thick pigment sprayed on to the leather and is sealed with a lacquer coat.
  ID test: made up of one colour; cream, red, brown, blue etc. wet your thumb and press onto the surface; the moisture should remain on top of the finish.
  
• Corrected grain pigmented hideThis is usually a second or third split that has no natural graining features. After the pigment coat is applied, grain is embost into the pigment. This is then sealed with a lacquer.
• Rub off hide This is usually a second or third split, and may have a corrected grain. A base pigment colour is sprayed on and sealed, this is followed by a more translucent colour (usually dye) on top. after upholstering, the dye is rubbed off in areas to create an antique effect.
  ID test: Find a non-visible piece of leather, rub with solvent or strong cleaner to reveal different base colour.
• Bi-cust finishThe leather used in bi-cust is either the final split of a hide or is made from re-constituted leather fibers molded together. This is bonded to a plastic laminate which has a pigment colour and a polyester finish. ID test: high sheen level and tougher, more rigid feel.