Treating colour peeling (delamination) on furniture leather

What is delamination?

For surface-dyed smooth leather, the surface consists of several layers: the leather itself, one or more colour layers and a final clear lacquer (top coat). Delamination refers to one of these layers separating from the layer beneath it. The result is small blisters, flakes or fibres on the surface. Sometimes an entire area comes away; sometimes only individual spots.

IMPORTANT: first read the two things that make the damage worse:

1. Do not pull or pick it off. The detached areas must not be pulled or picked off with fingers. This inevitably makes the separation larger.
2. No intensive wet cleaning. Intensive cleaning with water-based leather cleaners encourages further separation. Do not rub too hard; use brushes only exceptionally and carefully.

When is a do-it-yourself repair possible?

Not every delamination can be repaired. The instructional video below shows which cases allow a do-it-yourself repair. If in doubt, please send us a few photos so that we can advise you.

Procedure

Step 1: Degreasing

First degrease the leather with Leather Cleaning Spirit. Apply some cleaning spirit to a soft cloth and wipe the area from seam to seam.

Step 2: Smoothing

Smooth and sand down the fibres and transition edges as far as possible with the Colourlock Sanding Pad. The aim is not to smooth the edges completely or to peel away the entire area. The larger the areas, the more difficult the repair becomes! Coarser edges can be cut off as close as possible to the tear edge with nail scissors. It is not a problem if slight separation fibres or edges remain. Remove the remaining sanding dust with Leather Cleaning Spirit and a soft cloth.

Step 3: Matching the colour

Colour-match the damaged area again with our Colourlock Leather Fresh smooth-leather tints and fix raised colour edges and fibres. The product can be applied in circular movements or by dabbing. Important! Always dry each layer with a hair dryer in between. Unevenness can be evened out with the leather sanding pad. For slightly visible transitions, always work from seam to seam.

Step 4: Protecting with Leather Shield

After at least 24 hours, protect the leather with Colourlock Leather Shield. Rub a little Leather Shield into a soft cloth and apply it sparingly in circular movements. Do not rub too hard to avoid further colour separation!

Important! Leather with colour separation cannot be cared for with conventional fat- or oil-based care products. They can increase colour separation. Use Leather Shield exclusively. Act in good time if separation occurs again in other areas. The larger the damage, the more difficult it is to solve the problem yourself! In future, clean and care for the leather regularly, especially the areas of use every three months, without rubbing too hard. This procedure reduces the risk that contact with skin and hair softens the colour layers through greasing.

Note:
When purchasing our Leather Fresh smooth-leather tints, you must select the correct colour for your furniture leather. You may find this information on the invoice. If you no longer have it, look underneath the furniture to see whether the colour details can be found there. Compare the information with our manufacturer list. A mixing fee of CHF 25.- applies to special colours (all colours F001–F046).

If the required colour is not listed, we will send you a colour chart with our standard colours free of charge. Here is the order form for our colour chart.

If the required colour is found neither on the manufacturer list nor on the colour chart, we can also mix the colour according to a sample or RAL number. For most sofas and armchairs, you can loosen the fabric stapled to the frame beneath the furniture with Bostitch slightly and cut off a small piece of leather. The size of a CHF 1.- coin is sufficient. You can also send us a neck support or cushion cover, if available. Of course, you will receive the sample back, and do not need to send it again for subsequent orders because we create our own reference sample. You will find our address below (please write the sender legibly):

Weidmann & Sohn
Lederzentrum Schweiz
Tämperlistrasse 3
8117 Fällanden

IMPORTANT: when ordering through the shop, select the “send a sample” option in the colour selection for Leather Fresh and Fluid Leather (liquid leather). We will contact you immediately after receiving the sample.

Please note that special-colour mixes, whether based on a manufacturer colour, submitted sample or RAL number, take 7–9 working days from the order date to process before they are dispatched.