Are you thinking of a living room renovation? If you are, then the first one to go would probably be your couch. As the focal point of your receiving area, you may need to overhaul your sofa. It is usually the first one that guests see and experience since they sit on it most of the time they are in your house. There are a lot of leather sofas for sale, so it should be easy for you to get one.
Many furniture stores offer a wide array and variety. However, not all people are knowledgeable about the types and material of the leather sofas for sale. If you are seriously considering leather as your next living room theme, then it may be a good idea to at least have the basic facts about leather and its five most common types.
What is leather?
The term “leather” is synonymous to either animal hide or skin. Once rawhide is properly tanned, it becomes a flexible and durable material that is incorporated in a myriad of products – shoes, bags, clothes, bags, car seats, and furniture. There is no one type of leather for a sofa. Different types call for different needs as well.
Full-grain leather
Whether it is Italian or otherwise, full-grain leather is considered of high value due to its equal-to-none quality. It is best to use in different types of upholstery. Stretches and nicks are strong indicators, which makes it look more natural as compared to others. Long cuts are usually more expensive since it went through lesser chemicals and processing times. It is often the best choice for sofas, especially if you want your furniture to last you more than several lifetimes.
Split grain leather
Cowhide is usually five to ten millimetres thick. Split grain leather is the bottom part when the skin separation happens. Also called suede, it is commonly used as material for shoes and work gloves due to its resistance to high abrasion. But it is not uncommon to see it as one of the substances to make sofas and couches, although it is not as tough as full grain or top grain.
Top grain (or grain) leather
If the split-grain is the bottom, then top grain leather speaks for itself. It is one of the most conventional sofa material because appearance-wise, it looks beautiful with a uniform finish. This part goes through a buffing process that makes it soft but durable.
Bonded leather
Have you ever wondered what happened to the scraps after splitting the other kinds of leather? Bonded leather is made out of these. The strips and shreds are put on a fibre sheet and glued together using latex or polyurethane on top. It is very cheap, but not that durable. These are only used as accents in furniture upholstery.
Bi-cast leather
Normally made out of split-grain, bi-cast has a split leather backing with a covering of polyurethane on the surface before embossing. However, while it looks like genuine leather and is easy to clean, it is far from the actual thing. The wear and tear of the couch become apparent because it peels and rips easily.
When it comes to choosing your leather sofa, quality should always be your main consideration. More affordable furniture may seem like a steal, but durability is still a factor that should not be ignored. It is best to know the types of leather to make an informed choice.
Author bio: Helen Harry is a freelance writer and a GOT fan. Apart from writing Technologies, she likes to read & write fiction. More than anything, she loves to spend her time with her family, explaining technologies to the elders.