Bonded leather

[nickb2]

Ok guy's, here is me with more questions on stupid stuff since I am too cheap to buy new stuff.

I have a "cinema maison" set which is starting to show peeling and cracking around the head rest areas. I am guessing this is due to head grease and such.

I am not familiar with specific term or whatever, but I think synthetic leather is same as bonded leather. If not, what is the difference? And does repair of it differ?

I bought this set because I like the look of it and fits perfect for listening purposes for movies in high def and playing games with the boys etc, Not so good in the love dept as it is sectional.

Thing is, I am used to repairing cow hide leather, and such, this material is strange to me. Looked good new, but after a few wear and tear, it's cracking and peeling and really looks like shyte, especially when the sun hits the head rest areas where I think the head grease acidity (yes I googled that) hits.

I will try to post some pics. Don't know if the peeling will show, but how do you fix that?

The furniture is still in pristine order, comfy as heck and feel no need to throw it out, but have no ideas how to treat this.

Any ideas from you or your wives would be greatly appreciated. Here is a link/snap shot to the set I bought.

I got the black version.


I also bought the captain swivel reclining chair, so far, no peeling anywhere. But if I get tips, maybe I can use that for futur. This is supposedly a good quebec made kit, but my head acidity must be off the charts.

 

[nickb2]

Ooops, posted the D885 model, mine is the 600 model, same center consoles and such, the only thing different is the back rest seat. The 600 model had bigger head rest and no lumbar, but thicker padding which is why I chose it. Pricing was same. If I had known bonded leather was going to do this so fast, I would not have cheaped out.

But know I am stuck with it.

Is there any thing I can do to fix and maintain this? Or just swear to myself that I will never ever buy synthetic shyte again. My last kit lasted 30 yrs.

Again, mine is black, but I assume I would have same problem, no whatever color I chose.

 

[nickb2]

I must say in defense of my head acidity, I am always in the captains chair.

Since that one shows no sign of cracking or peeling, I am thinking it maybe the stuff the women that come to my house and rest their head there, must have some sort of stuff in their hair that is strong enough to peel house paint or something in some vain attempt to appear younger.........

My sherlock holmes thinking makes me ponder this, as this is only where the cracking and peeling appears. The rest of the furniture is fine and still almost new. Bleach and peroxide must be not very good for synthetic stuff. The other 25-30yr old kit held up fine. But that was Italia cow hide stuff bought back in the early 90's.

Back then, I could butt out a cigarette or a joint, spill beer or jack daniels on them and the leather wouldn't give a flying cow fart. Soap and water did fine. This mew synthetic stuff is way to sensitive and costs the same. Made in Quebec canada too boot. Stuff probably has EPA standards to uphold so we just get rid of it faster and fill up more landfills..

What stuff should I use to maintain this for future use. Cuz at this rate, it won;t make it past 3yrs of normal abuse. Or maybe, I should just sign up to some Opera Winfrey/Martha Stewart site for proper advice.

Yeah, like that is going to happen.

But I am always the optimist as Kev2 here is. Hoping some husband/BF with a wife or ex wife/GF with funky stuff in her hair that dries the shyte out couches has some opinion or advice cuz it ain't my greasy bald head that is doing it.. I actually think my greasy bald head acts like a natural moisturizer, and that is why were I sit is always fine after all these years.

What do you men think? Google can go f itself with head acidity, I think it is the crap from women's hair that does this to the new synthetic stuff. Cars are the same. I only see this in women's cars. Unless the guy is metro sexual and does the hair dying thing. Luckily we are seeing less and less of that.

Afterthought of my rant, I am probably better off single and just having women over when I feel like it.

 

[Diesel Don]

When Pa was still around, he used to like to get old brass and shine it up. He would find harness hardware from when he was a boy on the home place and buff it up. He would then spray it with Aqua-Net, a very cheap hair spray my mom used. Its primary ingredient was lacquer. It held up well protecting those old brass parts. Hair dye has all kinds of ammonia and other chemicals so hazardous in it, if I get anywhere near that stuff where I work I have to wear a chemical suit. So ya, you're probably right. Your girlfriend's hair chemicals are wrecking your furniture.

 

[dabunk]

Bonded leather means they slice the leather super thin and then bond it to fabric backing. We bought several couches and they do not hold up for carp peeling and cracking after use. Only buy real leather since and have not bought another.

 

[nickb2]

Only buy real leather since and have not bought another.

Sure have come to that realization. Looks like these will be a throwaway buy. Too bad, they look fantastic.

My mother may have a solution, she will try to find some sort of black suede which I may use to cover the head rests. Something I can just slip over the head rests until the rest of the cheap bonded leather goes to shyte.

Lets call this one a lesson learned. I just thought there might have been some sort of magic product out there. There always seems to be some sort of gimmick, but even if there was, does it work is the question.

 

[nickb2]

I found this on the google net. I may give it a try to see if will prolong the "faux" leather, but after some research, I am unsure if any stuff I find is going to help.

Like I said, they are still ok to look at, nothing compared to some videos I have seen online.

I will try this stuff anyway, not much to loose. It may soften the faux stuff a bit to help lengthen the life of the faux finish, but again, this stuff is crap and ppl should be advised not to pay the premium price for this bonded stuff.

https://www.amazon.ca/COLOURLOCK-Cl...31122&sr=8-5&keywords=faux+leather+repair+kit

 

[dabunk]

Problem is like an aluminum head on a cast iron block Leather swell and contracts especially in the head area the cloth does not. Hence they separate

 

[nickb2]

I never did upload those photos, although we have come to the conclusion that this is probably a waste of time, I still thought I would upload what is happening to the bonded leather.

The two on the left of picture, captain chair and what I call the right hand side of the main unit show no sign what so ever of cracking, and those are where I sit all the time. The other two chairs are where my GF or other women with dyed hair sit, notice the cracking and peeling. Again, I never sit on those seats. The center one is the worst.

I am just going to cover the area with some black vinyl and forget they are there as there seems to be nothing I can do about it.

 

[nickb2]

Well, I think I may have found a solution after doing some research on the net.

It will go like this, use a few products from rustoleum. One will be the flex seal type, non removable spray, sand it down with sanding block, clean and then use vinyl spray paint. I will try this on the worse part of the center portion of the three seat console. If it doesn't come out as expected, I will revert back to original plan if getting some vinyl sown by GF's mother and just lay vinyl head rest cover over the affected peeling patch.

I know it won't have the grain look of leather, but it should be better than that peeling look. Also, I suspect it will last longer as a patch than the original "faux leather" crap applied over the fabric at factory.

I have used the vinyl spray before on some old 1980's s10 /jimmy truck black vinyl seats before, did the sun visors also. Looked real good and lasted a long time in the sun. A lot longer than I thought it would.

The flex seal is said to be very flexible and will bond to the fabric.

At this point, I am willing to try this approach, I can't stand that peeling. So, after trying one section, if it seems to last, I will simply do each section as it peels in the future.

 

[hailty84]

So how was the flex seal? Did it work on your cracked leather?

 

[nickb2]

Wow, I completely forgot about this thread.

The answer to that question is yes and no. I tried the flex seal on only one section of the unit. I got so nozeated (how do you write that word?) with the fumes I just gave up and swore to myself to never buy this cheap faux finish again and decided to live with the peeling until I am flush again to buy a whole new unit.

Did the flex seal work. Yes and no. It sure is tough and covers the cracks, but on the down side, I am no artiste. This flex seal stuff is not the stuff Michelangelo used to paint the Sistine chapel. So the end result looks more like a bad bondo job on a black mustang when the sun hits the surface.

So did it work, yes. Does it work, yes. Does it look good, hell no. But that is probably due to my thereof lacking artistic skills and my patience with such endeavors.

 

[billr]

Nozeated = sick = nauseated

Whenever I can't spell something, I think of simpler synonym.

 

[nickb2]

nauseated

Safe to say, my gf just operated on the eyes with lasers. Now she sees everything.

That half bourbon under my bed, she sees now. Nightmare.

 

[cruisenow]

Looks comfy!