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Repairing a Cracked Leather La-Z-Boy Recliner

Michael Monet

Leather is prepared in numerous ways for furniture, ranging from hard and durable to soft and supple. The best care for a leather La-Z-Boy recliner is preventative, but time and use will create discoloration and cracks in the leather's surface.

Even thick leather eventually cracks.

By cleaning, preparing and filling the cracked sections of your recliner, you can partially restore the look it had on the day you purchased it and learn to care for it properly for the rest of its life.

Warning

Rubbing your leather chair too firmly with sandpaper will ruin it or at least compromise its integrity. Start by using the sandpaper more gently than you think necessary, then progress in firmness as you get a feel for the process.

  1. Brush away surface dirt and debris with a bristle brush. Firmly brush the entire surface of the leather, including the places with and without cracks. Brush into the corners.

  2. Wash the surface of the chair with mild soap and warm water. Dampen a clean rag and rub a mild soap solution into the rag, rather than putting the soap directly onto the leather. Wipe the entire surface of the chair. Dry the soap and water with a clean rag.

  3. Dampen a soft cloth with denatured alcohol. Wipe the clean surface of the chair with the alcohol. Before the alcohol dries, wipe it off with a clean, dry rag.

  4. Fill the cracks in the leather using a teaspoon and the filling compound from your leather repair kit. Make sure to get the compound dip into the cracks. Let each filling dry for 15 minutes.

  5. Sand the filler down with 240-grit sandpaper. Rub the sandpaper gently but firmly to wear down the filler and make it level with the chair. Repeat with 400-grit sandpaper.

  6. Apply the repair solution from your leather repair kit with a soft sponge. Wipe a thin layer over the entire surface of the chair. The filler begins to blend in with the original surface of the chair.

  7. Re-inspect the cracks in the leather's surface once the repair solution dries over the filler. Repeat Steps 4 through 6 until satisfied with your result.

The Drip Cap

  • Leather is prepared in numerous ways for furniture, ranging from hard and durable to soft and supple.
  • Wipe the entire surface of the chair.
  • Dry the soap and water with a clean rag.
  • Rub the sandpaper gently but firmly to wear down the filler and make it level with the chair.
  • Repeat Steps 4 through 6 until satisfied with your result.