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NC Mckinley full top grain pure aniline maintenance
Hello all. Long time lurker - first time poster after purchasing a used leather set from an NC company I read good things about here on the forum. I was looking for a set that was 8 way hand tied, made in NC (where i grew up and where I grew an appreciation for quality furniture) and wanted a nice set for a bigger place I just moved in to
Its a Mckinley Frazier sofa thats about 8-9 years old. Still in production. I was able to ascertain the info regarding the leather choice that the original owners chose. "harness chocolate" - an "L5 top full-grain pure aniline leather" and I'm wanting to take care of this set. The original owners didn't mention anything about regular conditioning/treatment of the set so its long overdue I think.
There is so much info on specific leathers requiring specific kits for regular maintenance and I knew I could come here and get a proper recommendation. Another part of this inquiry is regarding UV ray protection. I live in a place in upstate NY that has a big A-Frame window that shines light directly on the set. I know that I need UV film but I have no Idea what company comes recommended and this is something that I need to address before anything else I think.
I'm attaching 2 photos of the set - a sofa, club chair and ottoman and a photo of the room to see the sunlight predicament i'm having. I've been surfing around and at the end of the night i'm always scratching my head wondering If i'm ordering the right UV film, the right treating kits for the leather etc. Im also attaching a photo from Mckinleys website on the leather used for the set for reference.
A side note - The set is really comfy, and pictures don't do it justice - the chair is in better condition than the sofa but i'm wondering if new foam cores/stuffing is needed? or if thats something that can wait. In any case. I very much appreciate any advice
Re: NC Mckinley full top grain pure aniline maintenance
You don't need new cores, those are nearly new and lightly used, When the cushions are flattened out, then you need new ones. They are not inexpensive from McKinley, so don't rush to replace them.
You do need window UV blocking tint, otherwise that dark brown will be a sickly light milk chocolate in short order. Contact someone in your area that does home window tint, they will come to your home with samples and show you the choices, and measure for a quote.
Kit # 2 if regular aniline, Kit # 3 if pull up leather. If you don't know the difference, call the maker and ask them which leather type it might be. It sounds like its a pull-up, but I can't tell for sure from the description.
Re: NC Mckinley full top grain pure aniline maintenance
Quote:
Originally Posted by
drcollie
You don't need new cores, those are nearly new and lightly used, When the cushions are flattened out, then you need new ones. They are not inexpensive from McKinley, so don't rush to replace them.
You do need window UV blocking tint, otherwise that dark brown will be a sickly light milk chocolate in short order. Contact someone in your area that does home window tint, they will come to your home with samples and show you the choices, and measure for a quote.
Kit # 2 if regular aniline, Kit # 3 if pull up leather. If you don't know the difference, call the maker and ask them which leather type it might be. It sounds like its a pull-up, but I can't tell for sure from the description.
Awesome - and THANK YOU for the prompt reply. I'll call Mckinley and ask them if the harness leather choice is pull-up and order the kit accordingly. Curious how long until I should start worrying about the leather fading. I've had them in that room for a month. Is that long enough for sun damage to start appearing I wonder? Obviously going to make an appt ASAP to get some filters un that big window.
Re: NC Mckinley full top grain pure aniline maintenance
UV rays are ongoing and relentless. It will take about four years to ruin those pieces in that window with that exposure. Until you can get some solar film on the windows, take a throw and place it on the back of the pieces to partially shield them, that will help quite a bit.
Re: NC Mckinley full top grain pure aniline maintenance
Quote:
Originally Posted by
drcollie
UV rays are ongoing and relentless. It will take about four years to ruin those pieces in that window with that exposure. Until you can get some solar film on the windows, take a throw and place it on the back of the pieces to partially shield them, that will help quite a bit.
Thats exactly what I did - threw the sofa throw blankets over the back of the chair. It might be my mind playing tricks on me but I can already see some fading on the back left corner of the chair where there is a side window that converges with the light from the big window. Sunlight = no joke i'm finding out. Thank you again!
