Repair a Damaged Carpet
Robert Besser
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Replacing Carpet, Like a Hair Transplant, One Fiber at a Time
One of those household disasters can strike if something hot falls onto your wall to wall carpeting. For the synthetic carpets of today will fray, or even melt, in the area which comes into contact with heat.If the damaged area of carpet is large, it is possible your homeowners insurance will pay for new carpeting. So do not hesitate contacting your insurance company if your carpet is badly damaged.
However, if the damage is not that great, you can take a page from the experts to cheat fate and repair the damaged carpet.
Using a razor blade, shave off the burned or melted ends of the carpet, trying not to cut to deep. However, depending on the depth of the damage, it may be necessary to cut fairly deep into the carpeting.
Next, find an area of carpeting you can scalp for fibers to transplant over the damaged area. Often, a corner inside a closet or under a radiator will provide these strands. Better yet, a remnant is the perfect source for these carpet fibers.
Continuing with this surgery, use a toothpick to apply a strong adhesive to the bottom quarter of the fiber. Then use a thin screwdriver to push the fiber into place on the damaged carpet. Repeat this process until you have filled the missing or damaged fibers.
Wait 24 hours for the glue to completely set and then shave back the new fibers until they are the same height as the rest of the carpet.
Another option for repairing carpet is to actually cut out the burned or melted section. Follow this by cutting out a similar size piece from the closet. However, most people have success cutting a triangle piece from the burned and the replacement carpet. Also, the replacement piece should be slightly larger than the piece it is replacing.
During this surgery, cut all the way through so you also are removing the backing of the carpet. (It may be necessary to use a pliers to pull up the carpet around the new piece.) Take the replacement piece and fit it into the hole cut out where the damaged piece had been.