Your home carpet has always stood by you. You’ve had it for years and you’ve taken great care of it, taking it regularly to Tacoma’s Rainier Chem-Dry when it got too dirty, and stretching it over time to make sure it stays taut. But what happens when a hole appears in your beloved carpet? Don’t worry: It’s not your fault. Even when you choose carpet of exceptional quality, carpet holes happen to the best of us. Luckily, there are a few different fixes you can use for this problem, none of which require too much time or energy. With the right tools and the right know-how, you can easily patch any carpet hole without having to go out and invest in a brand new rug for your home. Whether you buy a patch kit or try something a bit more experimental, patching your carpet can restore that fresh-from-the-manufacturer feeling that homeowners love. If you’re dealing with a hole in your carpet, here are some things you should try.
Buy a Patch Kit
Most hardware stores will sell a generic patch kit you can buy to repair your rug. Of course, if you already have the necessary materials at home, such as a carpet cutter and adhesive patch, it’s not absolutely necessary to go out and buy a kit. If you have your carpet cutter ready at home, use tape to block off the area of the tear and cut it out using your carpet cutter. Try to keep the area small, and put pressure on the edges so as to make a clean cut. Failing to pull the edges taut could end up creating a larger tear in your rug, so perform this with caution. Once you’ve cut out your section, you can start getting your patch ready.
Measure, Cut, and Fill
Before assembling your tools or purchasing your kit, however, you’ll need to measure the area of the tear. If it’s a small tear, you won’t need to take too much material from your rug to cover it. With area rugs or smaller rugs, this is a harder task, and you may end up having to hide a piece of your rug under a couch or coffee table. However, some homeowners keep scraps of rug from re-stretching or from installation in order to create a patch. If you have a large rug, choose a spot that’s already hidden under furniture to cut from. After you’ve measured your area and cut away the ragged sections to create a clean rectangular or square shape, you’re ready to create your patch. A patch kit will provide you with an adhesive to stick to your patch of carpet to create a perfect seal. However, even if you don’t have a kit, you can use a strong adhesive strip to create your patch. Let your patch stick to the adhesive, leaving enough room around the edges for it to adhere to the rug itself. Flipping your rug over, center your patch so that it lines up perfectly with the area. The adhesive strip will dry in about 10 minutes, so you won’t have to work too fast, however, it’s better to align your patch quickly so that your adhesive will have more time to dry in place. After you’re finished, flip the rug over and use a brush to smooth over the patched area.
Use Heat
Another way to use a patch is to forgo adhesives altogether and use steam heat to bind your patch to the rug. This is a bit more labor-intensive, but also a potentially cleaner job that will leave your carpet looking more seamless. By using heat to bond the adhesive to the rug, you’ll create a more protected patch that will be less likely to come undone with time. The steam heat will provide an extra layer of protection after the adhesive begins to wear down. All the steps for this method will be the same, with the exception of your patch. Using a patch that’s designed as an iron-on, you’ll measure and cut your patch area and wet your carpet patch pad until it’s damp. After that, lay your adhesive on the bottom of the rug and place your patch down. Place your damp pad over the area with the aluminum facing up, and iron over the area on high heat for a full minute. Let your patch cool and remove it after about 15 minutes. When you’re done, smooth over the area with a brush or pad.