Slate Vinyl & Leather Finish
$16.00 – $70.00
Slate is a medium grey color. It is much darker than Ash or Stone but also much lighter than Peppercorn.
How much do I need?
Use our conditioning colors to restore:
- absorbent aniline and semi-aniline leather
- non-absorbent full-grain leather
- and vinyl upholstery.
Our finishes won’t sunfade or backstain like leather dyes. They won’t alter the feel, flake or peel like spray paints. Each bottle comes with gloves and stir stick. Sponge sold separately.
Do not use on fabric, suede, nubuck or faux (bonded) leather.
Do I need Flite cleaner?
Does the material absorb water?
Absorbent leather should only be cleaned with denatured or rubbing alcohol.
Non-absorbent leather and vinyl should be cleaned with:
- our Flite™ cleaner (Formula 409® is okay too),
- followed by denatured or rubbing alcohol.
All surfaces, regardless of absorbency, should be tape tested to ensure adhesion of a new finish.
If painter’s or masking tape strongly adheres to the surface, such that you have to pry it off with a fingernail, you’re ready to proceed with restoration.
If the tape does not stick well or curls up at the corners, continue to clean and re-test until good adhesion is achieved.
Do I need to repair?
If you can feel the damage, such that a gentle sanding won’t correct it, then it would benefit from repair.
Isolated cat scratches, small scrapes or nicks on real leather (like the images below) are best repaired with tiny beads of super glue catalyzed with sanding. Learn how here.
More severe ‘scratching post’ damage, scaliness, cracking, and vinyl should be repaired with a flexible filler. Any holes must first be subpatched, before filler can be applied. This article has more info and a video demonstration. For holes larger than 3" in diameter, consider glueing a top-patch of similar material to the subpatch before applying filler.
We do not recommend repairing peeling faux leather or bonded leather. Learn how and why here.
Faux leathers that wear more naturally down to their fabric backing can be painted using these instructions. No filler is needed.
Filler is available in 1 oz. and 2 oz. tubs either alone or in a kit with application tools and sandpaper.
| Type of Damage | Total Area of Damage | Filler Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Scaly, cracked, worn or thin but no large holes or voids | 4 sq ft (2ft x 2 ft) | 1 oz. |
| Scaly, cracked worn or thin but no large holes or voids | 8 sq ft (2 ft x 4 ft) | 2 oz. |
| Holes or tears (requires a subpatch & more layers of filler) | 12 sq in (1 in x 1 ft) | 1 oz. |
| Holes or tears (requires a subpatch & more layers of filler) | 24 sq in (2 in x 1 ft) | 2 oz. |
Change color or match color?
Changing color is fun but not for everyone!
| Change Color | Match Color |
|---|---|
| More product needed | Less product needed |
| More labor required | Less labor involved |
| Touch-up likely and varies | Little to no touch-up |
| Available now | Wait until sample received; our turnover is swift |
| May be as expensive as matching, depending on scope of project | Matching fee; 8 oz. order minimum for Advanced Custom Color |
| Discouraged for auto, RV, boat interiors | Recommended for auto, RV, boat upholstery, primary or secondary colors |
Absorbent leathers are the best candidates for a color change. The following are not good candidates due to the greater potential for touch-up:
- damaged, scaly, thinning upholstery;
- loosely upholstered furniture with lots of wrinkles and folds (and therefore stress);
- pieces that receive a lot of contact with chemicals / liquids or rough kids and critters (particularly dog claws);
- changing from medium, dark, or bold colors to very pale colors;
- or bonded, faux or polyurethane (PU) ‘leather’ which resist all coatings (including their own).
Here's what wear can look like:
Touch-up is easy and minimized by:
- choosing a color that complements the original or has a similar value (light vs. dark);
- dabbing, stippling, or printing the color to create a marbled or distressed appearance, rather than a solid color, so future wear looks natural and intended.
Whites and off-whites get poorer coverage. If you are changing from dark or red to pale, you may need 2-3 times the quantity of color. Consider a coat of Stone grey as a primer to minimize this.
Do I need a clear finish?
So I thought I’d give it a try on ...More
So I thought I’d give it a try on my 1999 Caribe dinghy with hypalon neoprene tubes which were faded and worn. Many people use “dinghy paint” on the hypalon tubes, but it cracks and looks “fake”. I used two colors of gray and applied two coats of this product. Bam! Dinghy tubes look new. The product doesn’t wipe off, it’s been in salt water, rain and FL sun. The photos show the product being applied (note all the little cracks it fills in) and then hanging off my trawler boat all finished.
I washed with warm water and Dawn dish soap (bucket w rag and wrung out the rag). Then rubbing alcohol on all surfaces. Then three coats of SLATE. In the after photo, you can see the seats are glossy. I had used one coat of sealer on the cushions. I revised my strategy and mixed color/sealer 50/50 and did another two coats to make it more of a matte finish. Worked perfectly.
Thanks again! I’ve told ALL my friends about this product!
https://operation1302.wordpress.com/2020/08/29/miracle-leather-couch-transformation/
Absolutely amazing result. Almost unbelievable. Very painstaking and time consuming (6 hrs on the couch) but well worth the result. Took 4 + coats as I was making a major color change. I suggest starting in an area that won't be seen (if possible). Best applicator I found were wax applicators from the auto parts store (none are included with the product). Definitely want to dampen the applicator before applying and to eliminate any streaks in the final coat - wet the sponge a bit more. This is the trickiest step. Again- results are amazing. Hair dryer is a critical tool for quick drying between cushions and subsequent coats. I did not use wax paper after application and had no issues. Can't say enough good things about the product and the owners. Great customer service. The only 2 items I would mention: the color samples they sent me were a bit darker than my finished product but that was fine with me. Also, I can't speak to the longevity of the finish as I just completed my project a week ago. Good luck to all! You wont be disappointed.
These ladies offer great customer service. I emailed and called with questions and they were patient and quick to respond. Thank you!
I bought it to paint a 28 year old couch, which is currently in our basement family room. It was a great quality couch, ...More
I bought it to paint a 28 year old couch, which is currently in our basement family room. It was a great quality couch, but old nevertheless not to mention the burgundy color, no longer matched the new decor. The product arrived as expected. I read in the instructions that to change a color from the deep burgundy to gray it would most likely take 3-5 coats and was fully prepared for that. I have only applied one coat as of right now. The product goes on easily and the coverage is great. The couch is completely covered and already looks brand new. I will definitely add 2 more coats tomorrow. I am extremely pleased your product and highly recommend it.
Purchased the Slate leathe...More
Purchased the Slate leather color to bring these benches into our new look.
Love the results! I also used their cleaner before coloring, and finished off with clear finish. After reading directions and reviews, I used a mixture of 2 parts color to one part of the clear finish and achieved a satin finish (just using the clear coat produces a high gloss finish that I did not want).
My pieces were in good condition (about 6 years old) and did not need repair products.
Very happy with the outcome.
Fyi, I emailed a couple of questions along the way and received a great response in hours, not days. Great customer service!
Easy to apply, but beware this is a very thin product. I managed to spill about 20% of my 16 ounce bottle but still had plenty to finish both benches.
Highly recommend this product.
The grain of our leather still shows thru.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
recliners. It took 4 applications on each but coverage is total and the chairs look awesome. Small learning c...More
recliners. It took 4 applications on each but coverage is total and the chairs look awesome. Small learning curve re how wet the sponge should be but otherwise, super easy application.
Got the 'slate' and 'stone' dyes (along with the patching compound) yesterday.
2 words: 'WOW' and 'THANKS'. Both the sofa a...More
Got the 'slate' and 'stone' dyes (along with the patching compound) yesterday.
2 words: 'WOW' and 'THANKS'. Both the sofa and chair (approx. 15 years old) literally look brand new. Unfortunately, I didn't take 'before' pictures, but the transformations are truly incredible. You're selling a phenomenal product (but you already knew that)!!!
The match was incredible and just what I wanted to achieve!! I am looking f...More
The match was incredible and just what I wanted to achieve!! I am looking forward to showing off my “new” over 20 years old suite.
A big thank you to your wonderful Company.
The lady said that she had a sofa that they were selling for $150, and as soon as I saw it, I knew it was coming home. It was the exact style that I wanted. It is vinyl, rather than leather, but it must have been an expensive sofa because it is not some cheap vinyl thing. It was taupe, which really isn't my color, but I knew it was meant to be mine.
I immediately started wondering if I could somehow dye the sofa either gray or black. I came upon your product and watched the video where you turned the dark green chair tan. Well, the charcoal colored dye came today and I got to work immediately. Right away, I knew I had a winner. The sofa looks great! Thank goodness I had taken a "before" picture because no one would believe the difference. Seriously, I am just stunned by how great it looks.
Thank you so much. I had budgeted $1,000 for the new sofa and got off for $150 plus the $60 for your product. The sofa is only a year and a half old and I love it - especially in gray. I have to put one more coat on because I missed a few places, but I am delighted with your product.