How to Patch & Repair a Carpet

Small tears and burns in carpeting can make any room look old and neglected. Unfortunately, replacing the entire carpet can put a huge dent in the household budget. Luckily, you can repair small burns and tears in the carpet fairly easily. Make those unsightly areas disappear using a little glue and a few donor carpet fibers.

Things You'll Need

• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Fabric glue
• Paper towels
• Book

Instructions

Determining the Extent of the Damage

1. 

   Lightly trim burnt or torn ends off the damaged carpet area. Small tears or surface burns can be disguised with a slight trim of uneven lengths and/or discoloration. If the burn or tear extends down to the base of the pile, trim or pull out all damaged or burnt carpet fibers.

2. 

   Pull carpet strands from an inconspicuous area of carpeting in the room. Behind doors and on the floor of closets are great places to find donor carpet strands. Pull them from the edges where they are loose.

3. Place a liberal amount of waterproof fiber glue on the bottom of burn hole or tear. Grab the loose carpet fibers with a pair of tweezers and push them individually down into the glue. Continue this process until damaged area is filled with donor fibers.

4. Cover the repaired area with a paper towel and a heavy object, such as a book. Let the repaired area dry for a few hours.

5. Remove the book and paper towel and vacuum area. This helps the replaced strands stand up and blend with the surrounding fibers. Carefully trim any fibers that are noticeably longer than the outlying carpet.

Tips & Warnings

• Try to find donor fibers that have an equal amount of wear. Areas larger than 2 or 3 inches in diameter will require plug replacements. Areas of damaged carpet will need to be removed, measured and replaced with a donor section of equal measurement. Place donor carpet fibers and glue container on newspaper or paper towel to avoid contact with surface areas of the carpet.

• Follow all safety instructions on glue container.

References

• Creative Homemaking: How to Repair Cigarette Burns in a Carpet

Resources

• Carpet Pros: Carpet Patches and Repairs