To Restore Or Not To Restore
You’ve got that old leather couch or high quality (be it old) fabric chair that needs to be replaced. Or maybe you’ve found a wonderful piece at a vintage shop that is begging you to take it home to refinish it. Easy and affordable right?
Before undergoing the journey of such furniture repair you need to ask yourself a few key questions:
What would the replacement cost be vs. restoring it? (might take some homework)
What type of fabric is it?
What is the furniture worth? This usually includes a sentimental value as much as a monetary value.
Material
Let’s get into material. Usually the piece you are looking to restore is leather (in most cases) Is it genuine leather or is it bonded leather? If the top layer of the leather furniture is flaking and peeling away, then chances are likely that you have bonded leather. Bonded leather isn’t real leather so unfortunately its rather disposable and can not be repaired.
Bonded leather is actually bits of leather sprayed over vinyl. The top side of the vinyl is then stamped and colored to have a leather-like look.
If you’ve determined that you have genuine leather furniture, then you do have some repair options. There are many furniture cleaners and protectors on the market that home-owners can try themselves to repair dirty surfaces, stains rips and tears.
** Pro Tips - If you are in the market for new leather furniture you may want to consult our article about “Top Questions To Ask Before Buying Leather Furniture”
Replacement cost
You probably have already done the math… what is your time and money worth when considering attempting to repair furniture vs. buying brand new. For some, they simply don’t have the time so nearly everything in their lives becomes disposable. But for others, the value of restoring something has a special place. Then cost becomes the only factor.
If cost of replacement is a concern but also time and money spent on on a DIY solution concerns you, then that’s when you should seek a professional. At Color Glo, we offer up to a 70% savings in restoration vs buying new. A CGI specialist will come on-site (so you don’t have to haul your item anywhere) and they’ll work to asses the damage, color match the material and apply special techniques to restore the area back to new.
Leather Care Tips
If you’ve recently bought new leather furniture, you may want to fuel up on some knowledge on how to take care of your furniture to avoid repairs and long-term wear. To learn more, view this article on “How To Care For Leather Furniture”. You’'ll also find some great tips on “How To Remove Candle Wax From Leather”.
Other materials
Leather is not the only material that can be restored. CGI specialists can bring vinyl, plastics, fabric and more back to life. We specialize in both residential and commercial/medical equipment including planes, helicopters, automobiles, watercraft and more.
A CGI specialist restoring a bench seat in a business setting.
View our service categories and learn more about restoring your old items back to new.
Color Glo Specialist Can Help
Color Glo International is the industry leader in restoring furniture, boats, RV's, aircraft, commercial equipment & more. Color Glo specialists can repair or clean anything from rips, tears, burns, frayed stitching, beverage & food stains, lipstick, ink stains, and everything in between. Give a Color Glo certified technician a call. We are mobile and offer onsite service so there is little inconvenience to you, our customer!
Our repairs and cleaning are environmentally safe and children/pet friendly. We use water-based products so you don’t have the dingy chemical feeling after we’ve completed our service. We even have general cleaning kits to provide you for the next time you find yourself needing a spot removal product that really works!