Will placing a new brown leather chair in direct sunlight discolor or ruin it?
Joseph F asked:
I would like to place a dark brown in color leather chair in my sunroom. I live off a lake and the sunroom faces northeast so that it is flooded with alot of sunlight during the morning hours. I have no window treatments right now, but still would like to keep the chair in there. Will the direct sunlight fade the color immeadiatly or will it occur over a longer period of time. Thank you for your help.
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I would like to place a dark brown in color leather chair in my sunroom. I live off a lake and the sunroom faces northeast so that it is flooded with alot of sunlight during the morning hours. I have no window treatments right now, but still would like to keep the chair in there. Will the direct sunlight fade the color immeadiatly or will it occur over a longer period of time. Thank you for your help.
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July 13th, 2010 at 10:01 am
read the owner’s manual or contact the salesperson for specifics.
July 13th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
Yes. May dry and crack it as well.
July 14th, 2010 at 9:15 pm
Just from what ive observed, it will fade, but it should take awhile. Dont leave it too long, because one day, you’ll just notice it.
July 18th, 2010 at 3:08 am
yes according to them.
July 21st, 2010 at 6:52 am
It takes time but the sun discolors anything over a period of time
July 23rd, 2010 at 12:53 am
Yes it will fade after a matter of time. Be careful
July 23rd, 2010 at 10:11 am
yes!!!! it will fade and start to lift, bubble, and CRACK!!!
July 26th, 2010 at 4:36 am
the sun warps leather — i dont think its a good idea to put it in direct sunlight
the leather will start to shrink and curl
July 27th, 2010 at 10:58 am
Yes, it will eventually. You could try covering it with an afghan or something. Sometimes the faded look is quite cool, though.
Of a bigger concern might be the temperature swings. You might check into leather conditioners, and do it pretty often (once a month?) to make sure your leather stays smooth and supple, not cracked and sunburnt.
July 28th, 2010 at 5:58 am
It takes a while, but it will eventually. Best to keep it out of direct sunlight, or at least keep it covered on those areas exposed. Using leather cleaner to keep it supple helps, too.
July 28th, 2010 at 9:54 am
Yes, it will fade it, but It will probably take a little while. When the sun shines through glass, it’s much hotter! You may want to go with a wood chair and put a removable cushion on it. You could try covering up your chair with a cover.
July 30th, 2010 at 6:58 pm
I believe that the area of the chair that the light catches the most will be a different shade from the other areas
July 30th, 2010 at 9:49 pm
Through a blanket over it while you are away.
August 1st, 2010 at 3:59 pm
If the direct sunlight shines on the chair it will fade it. If the light shines on it, not the direct sun, less likely but may over time.
August 3rd, 2010 at 9:03 pm
It will most definitely damage your chair. The sun will fade it out in a spotty manner because of lanolins and oils that occur naturally in the leather. Think about it. Leather is skin, so how does your skin react to sun exposure without protection? Not only will the leather deteriorate but the stitching that was used in the upholstery process will break down faster. Ok, next question. How much do you value the chair? Is it valuable or are you willing to condition it monthly during the hot months and every 2 months during the fall and winter? (Sun still shines then too but not as intense) Options are to treat the windows with a UV blocker so that you can enjoy the view without the sun damage to any furniture you put in the room. Also you may want to keep a cover on it except when in use. One of the benefits of this placement and continued care and conditioning is that your chair will be supple and can age beautifully. Make sure your conditioners have UV protection in them.
August 7th, 2010 at 1:39 am
it really depend on how the leather is tanned as to how quickly the sun will effect the coloration. If this is a “full aniline” or semi-aniline” leather it could be parchment colored after one season on sun. If it is a fullu finished leather it could take several years or more before you see color distortion.
Conditioning will help with the structural integrity of the leather- but really do nothing for color longevity.
If you are determined to have the chair there, there is a simple solution- I can make a color restoration kit and you can apply whenever you see the color being effected.
you can visit if you think this is the best option for you and contact me there.
Best wishes
David
August 7th, 2010 at 9:52 am
This will very much depend on what type of leather you have. If you are not sure check out the following link
If you have an aniline style leather it is likely to fade a lot faster than a pigmented (finished) leather. We have seen aniline leathers turn almost white within 6 months but these also restore very successfully.
Whilst it is generally not recommended to put leather in sun rooms we accept now that people do want to do it as the look is very pleasing so there are steps that can be taken to help the damage of the sun from happening quite so fast.
Using a good full strength leather protector (Ultra Protect) which has UV protection built in will give it a good start. Maintain with a water based maintenance product (like Lazy Leather) on a regular basis to keep it rehydrated and then (on an aniline) invest in some aniline dyes matched to your leather colour which you will be able to apply yourself on a yearly basis to enhance the colour. (Leather Protect will also bring out the richness of the colour to a certain extent).
Aniline dyes are the products that are used during the tanning process and actually soak into the leather so do not come off on your clothes (some products do so be careful).
If you have a pigmented leather and it fades you will need different products for the restoration of the colour (Easy Colour may resolve some of the probelm if used on a regular basis) again this will not come of on your clothes. Further restoration products are available mixed to match your colour.
Hope this helps
Enjoy your leather