Sun and Water Damage, Stiff and Water Marks, Veg-Tan Leathers.

[Meghan]

Voila! Finally got the post to work ! Thank you Roger!

https://www.the-citizenry.com/produc...l-safari-stool I purchase the above chair (x2) and stool (x2) second-hand with sun and water damage. I don’t know if they were treated before I got them but they are pretty faded and dry. The chair in the attached photograph has the most damage. The other 3 pieces are just really faded and dry with a few small water marks.

What would you recommend doing to all of them to maintain a consistent look and would you treat the stained chair any differently?

The leather is very stiff- feels like cardboard - it can come off in a single sheet from the chairs and stool for treating/cleaning (just little metal posts that holes in the leather slide over to secure it in place)

Thank you! Sorry for the many posts - evidently one the special characters, the use of parenthesis, in the title was causing a 404 page redirect. Thank you Roger for helping me figure out what was going wrong!

Meghan

[Boris]

What a beautiful set! Please keep us updated. I'm interested to see how these turn out.

[Roger Koh]

>>> Thank you Roger! Very much appreciated. I thought they were veg tan but then was confused by how much they have faded in the sun vs darkened. Where the leather wraps under the chair it is much darker like the photo on citizenry - so started to think I had aniline leather.

We need to positively identify the leather type and finishes before we can achieve our desired result. So, show some pictures of the hidden away from sunlight to show its original appearance you want to accomplish.


>>> Is this process pretty stinky? I live in a small studio apt so needed to consider the airflow.

The only product that has an odor until it dissipates when dry is Vachetta 2.8. Wear a mask or fan blowing away from you recommended.


>>> I purchase the above chair (x2) and stool (x2) second-hand with sun and water damage. I don’t know if they were treated before I got them but they are pretty faded and dry. The chair in the attached photograph has the most damage. The other 3 pieces are just really faded and dry with a few small water marks. The leather is very stiff- feels like cardboard - it can come off in a single sheet from the chairs and stool for treating/cleaning (just little metal posts that holes in the leather slide over to secure it in place)

Assuming this is Veg-tan leather, it should darken under sunlight, only Aniline dyed would fade in sunlight. But it is unlikely Aniline dyed as it will need a topcoat to seal the dyestuff from bleeding or crocking. The lightening of the color would be attributed to the lack or diminishing of its existing fatliquor (fat and oil). This lightening of the color is revived through the Hydrator 3.3 and Fatliquor 5.0 system.

Besides imparting the faded leather with a deeper color saturation, it will soften up the leather with suppleness. This Hydrator 3.3 and Fatliquor 5.0 main function is to soften up the leather solving the problem of "the leather is very stiff - feels like cardboard".


>>> What would you recommend doing to all of them to maintain a consistent look and would you treat the stained chair any differently?

I recommend that they receive the same treatment for consistent appearance and leather structure chemistry integrity.

The first phase is to restore them as standard unfinished Veg-Tan or Vachetta leather. The second phase is to examine the need to match up the color loss if it is indeed aniline-dyed leather.

Phase 1 - Water Damage Restoration Sequence of Process.

Step 1: Vachetta 1.2 and Acidifier 2.0 system.
Step 2: Hydrator 3.3 and Fatliquor 5.0 system.
Step 3: Vachetta 2.8 system.
Step 4: Protector D system.


Why Step 1: Vachetta 1.2 and Acidifier 2.0 system?

Vachetta 1.2 is a low-pH balancing cleaner for restoring Veg-Tan and Vachetta's common blotchy browning water stains.
Acidifier 2.0 is a pH 2.0 balancing rinse for alkaline overexposure problems, such as watermarks.

Leather is an amphoteric or pH-sensitive material with a pH value average 3 to 5. Clean water has an average pH value of 7. This difference in pH value causes the leather to denature as its constituents like the tanning agent and fatliquor (fat and oil) break the hydrogen bond between them and migrate.

To solve this pH imbalance we use Vachetta 1.2 which has a pH value of 1.2 to bring the leather to its neutral pH to restore its pH chemistry integrity. Besides pH balancing, it also cleans the leather of oily, greasing soiling, but it is not a strong degreaser like Degreaser 2.2. If these marks are really from oil or grease, then Degreaser 2.2 would be a better choice to emulsify or break up the oily or greasy particulates more effectively.

Acidifier 2.0 helps further pH balance with a pH value of 2.0 and rinse of soiling at the same time. This pH balancing will result in the leather having a healthy squeak feel instead of a sticky, tacky, or slimy feel when tested with our fingers. Leather is a protein material, like fish and meat, sticky, tacky, or slimy is associated with not being fresh, and a squeaky feel indicates freshness especially when selecting fish for its freshness.

Why Step 2: Hydrator 3.3 and Fatliquor 5.0 system?

Hydrator 3.3 hydrates and relaxes leather allowing for easy softening in sync with the fatliquoring process using Fatliquor 5.0. Hydrator 3.3 has a pH value of 3.3 to work in harmony with the leather's pH-neutral while relaxing the stiff leather at the same time. It has to be followed up while the leather is still damp with Acidifier 2.0 to prevent leather drying with insufficient Fatliquor. The complete leather structure will need to be hydrated to take on a deeper color appearance. Besides plumping up the leather to relax its stiffness, it will activate and redistribute the tanning agent to resurface helping to camouflage any pH imbalance marks and even up color intensity level.

Fatliquor 5.0 begins when the leather is fully relaxed, it is applied to the leather structure to reach into the interconnecting fibrous network, the fat content plumping with fullness and its oil content lubricates the leather structure with suppleness. Each application will need to allow its water content to evaporate before the next application until the fatliquor will not be absorbed and the water content fully evaporates. Any surface shining residue is cleaned with Hydrator 3.3. Let to slowly dry with massaging or flexing until dry will produce a softer leather.

Why Step 3: Vachetta 2.8 system?

Vachetta 2.8 is a Redox (oxidation-reduction) reaction specialty cleaner for lightening browning stains from water. Vachetta 2.8 works by dwell time, applies with an even color saturation appearance, and allows slow natural drying to show its result. The powdery residue is rinsed off with Hydrator 3.3.

Why Step 4: Protector D system?

Protector D is a draggy feel non-stick protector for Vachetta leathers. This is applied when the water stain issue is solved, otherwise, the stain could be from oil or grease which will require Degreaser 2.2 to replace Vachetta 1.2 in the unknown stain removal process.

The products mentioned systems are found in this Kit V3, read over and I would be pleased to answer more questions.


Vachetta Leather Browning Remover & Care Kit V3
https://leatherdoctor.com/vachetta-l...r-care-kit-v3/


Roger Koh
Leather Care System Formulator
Consultant / Practitioner / Instructor / Coach
web: www.leatherdoctor.com
forum: www.leathercleaningrestorationforum.com
email: [email protected],
email: [email protected]
phone: 604 773 1878

[Meghan]

Thanks Boris, it is a beautiful set - required a bunch of repairs to the wood and some restitching of a few of the leather seams at the top.

Thank you Roger. I don’t know much about the different types of leather but my hunch was originally veg tan - now that I know that fading can be due to the depletion of the leather fatliquors that may close the gap for me. However, you will be a much better sleuth than I am- so hope these photos help.

These two photos show the discoloration of the leather from the sun. The left is the leather under the chair and on the right is the leather exposed to the sun.







This photo shows the fading between the two stools - one on the right is usually in the shade. The one on the left has been in the sun more with a tray on top so the fading is more pronounced around the edges.

[Meghan]

You mention Hydrator 3.3 in steps 2 and 3. Step 3: “The powdery residue is rinsed off with Hydrator 3.3.” - does that mean you apply hydration 3.3 at the end of both step 2 and 3?

[Roger Koh]

>>> These two photos show the discoloration of the leather from the sun. The left is the leather under the chair and on the right is the leather exposed to the sun.

OK, Veg-Tan with loss of fatliquor that shows discoloration. Will need both Hydrator 3.3 and Fatliquor 5.0 systems that saturate the color intensity and soften it.

>>> You mention Hydrator 3.3 in steps 2 and 3. Step 3: “The powdery residue is rinsed off with Hydrator 3.3.” - does that mean you apply hydration 3.3 at the end of both steps 2 and 3?

Yes, Fatliquor-5.0 may leave a surface sticky residue and Vachetta 2.8 leave a powdery residue. An option is to use Leather Scent Rinse 3.0 Plus which also imparts a leather scent after Vachetta 2.8, which you will need for your routine care. The usage of Hydrator 3.3 to Fatliquor 5.0 is typically in the ratio of 2: 1. You will need to order individual products accordingly. This kit is not bundled to complete the entire project. Fatliquor is the lifeblood of leather, lack of fat and oil stiff up the leather, and looks pale too.


Leather Scent Rinse 3.0 Plus
https://leatherdoctor.com/leather-scent-rinse-3-0-plus/