Sticky Leather

[K.O. (Shorty) Glanville]

Found a weird problem yesterday with two sofas that have come out from the U.K.
They were purchased from DFS in Manchester (Old Trafford) in 2005.



Several problems including the seat cushions sticking to each other on the sides when in position.
Client say's it sounds like they are tearing apart when one sits on them.

One cushion in particular appears to have something either spilled on it, or the finish is wearing off.
If a sheet is placed on the cushion, it is sticky to take off.



The finish is getting hairline cracks which are a strange purple colour, (unable to get a pic of them good enough), some small cracks also appearing that "just appear", just like a tiny razor blade cut.

The finish on the non wear areas (kick panel & top of back cushion), is quite good, but this is where the "coloured cracks" appear, but on the wear areas, the finish looks dull and lifeless.



I must admit, I have NEVER seen a leather like this before, actually, I don't think I've ever seen a Brithish sofa before.

It appears to be a finished leather, yet the patina looks more like a bycast except the top coat where it is damaged is not peeling like a bycast, more like a solvent has been wiped on it, which the owners say has not happened.

I am truly at a loss with this English leather, both sofas are in the same condition, other leather furniture in the house, (Aniline), are in beautiful condition.

HELP !!!!!

 

[Judy Bass]

It looks like Bicast Shorty - we have lots of practice blend with sticky finishes over here. Usually caused by body oils or incorrect cleaning products (or no cleaning at all!!) which breaks down the top surface causing the sticky feeling, most people then put a throw on top which leaves fibres from the throw stuck to the finish.
Seen lots like this over here.
Difficult to repair successfully as you are repairing a plastic coating
- we have a Bicast Top Finish that stops the stickiness but doesn't really repair it.
Hope this helps
Judyb

 

[Julian Rowe]

I had an almost exact problem on an almost exact sofa. A sticky top coat that was cracking and as Judy has pointed out the owner had tried to clean it using something from under the sink (vanish, Cif, Mr Muscle, Windowlene - she couldn't remember what!!) and all the fibres from the cloth she used were stuck to the finish, like if someone had wiped a flannel over a freshly painted gloss window sill!

It was awful. The best I could get it was by using degreaser to ensure there was no residual grease problem (which there was), a well soaked cloth in alcohol to wipe it down (as soon as the cloth started to dry out the pigment 'grabbed' at the cloth and it started to stick to it) and then a light airbrushing of pigment to bring it back to its original colour and then a lacquer finish. It still felt different to the other two seat cushions though but I had already informed the customer that the damage looked permanent but I might be able to improve its look, so she was happy with the results. I wasn't though, but didn't know where else to go with it.

I really don't like leaving a job feeling it wasn't perfect but sometimes you've just got to draw a line under it and move on.

 

[K.O. (Shorty) Glanville]

Thanks Judy, you have confirmed what I was originally thinking.

I did tell the client that I thought it was Bycast/Bicast, but most of this rubbish I have seen down under tends to peel away, similar to sunburn, more so than just disintegrate as this is doing.

I really wanted confirmation, which you have given me, thank you.

Here's a typical Bicast that I often see.

 

[Mark Roberts]

I went to see a DFS bicast sofa the other week that had peeled just like that, I declined doing a repair. Just cant see the point, I knew it would happen again with hot sunlight on it everyday like it had.

There are some really good imitations around, the repeated grain and problems always gives them away.

 

[Steve Swinney]

DFS is ..The amount of times I have heard the customer say " Its a good suite as I paid good money from DFS" ...Yeah but its

 

[Judy Bass]

DFS actually have some very nice leathers in their range. The problem is the ones that the customer is lured in to buy by the TV ads are usually the inferior quality and therefore cheap.
You get what you pay for
Cheers
Judyb

 

[Steve Swinney]

SOME......Judy...that is the keyword with DFS

 

[Ian Hare]

Dreadful Furniture Store

 

[K.O. (Shorty) Glanville]

It's the same the world over.

Many sales people are only interested in the sale & do not know what they are talking about.

Because of this, false claims as to the quality of furniture & how to care for it can be made, much to the customers chagrin.

I have had one manager of the largest furniture store chain in Australia, tell me that customers have paid a lot of money for their leather furniture, and therefore they do not want to spend more on having it protected.

His words, "Leather looks after itself".

Okay mate, you .

Now, this Bicast garbage is coming back to bite them on the RRR's.

Sorry, but I WILL NOT call it Leather.

I'm just a C.O.B.

 

[Judy Bass]

It is illegal to sell it as leather in the UK. Just helping someone through a court case claim at the moment.

We have had problems with retailers for over 20 years not giving the correct POS information. I think things might be slightly better now and we have a couple of smaller retailers who use our protector prior to sale of their sofas which is working well for them and reducing customer claims - there is still a long way to go. Fortunately because of our status in the industry many retailers now come to us for correct training and advice.

Cheap leather will always be just that unfortunately but it does keep us all in a job
We do always have to be careful though in the fact that some people will think that £700 for a suite IS a lot of money - it may be to them and in the absence of good information from the retailer it is up to us to give them good advice - trouble is we only get called in when there is already a problem.

If I could get to everyone who buys a new suite every week I'd be a millionaire as it is the easiest job in the world selling protection when you know what you are talking about!!!

Cheers
Judyb

 

[John Bolton]

The majority of the sticky leather that I have encountered is due to the salesman telling the customer to use baby wipes as the cleaning agent. In their ignorance the poor client thinks that because the wipes are gentle enough for a babys bottom they must be safe to use on leather.

 

[Ian Hare]

The wipes are not actually gentle enough for a baby's skin. They are designed to be effective on faeces and urine. A baby's skin would suffer from these wipes too. That is why talcum powder and cream is used during the nappy / diaper changing process.

 

[Alan Lui]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...skin-Chemical-wipes-cause-itchy-red-rash.html
Hmmm.

 

[Ian Hare]

Alan

 

[Judy Bass]

Who knew a leather care enquiry would turn into a baby care lesson!

 

[Ian Hare]

We did Judy.

 

[K.O. (Shorty) Glanville]

Only in, dare I say it??................................................................................. Mother England.