Can I save this rug? It’s a question asked whenever someone notices a stain, tear, or a hole made by a diligent dog. In many cases, you can repair your damaged area rug.

Before you roll up that frayed oriental rug for good, read our guide to rug repair. In today’s post, we’ll cover different types of damage, and which ones a carpet cleaning and repair expert can fix.

You may find out that small tear or unsightly wine or juice stain isn’t nearly as bad as it looks.

Repairing an Oriental Rug with Fringe

If you’ve had your Oriental rug for several years, you’ve likely noticed fringe wear. It’s the area of the rug that receives a lot of wear and tear.

Fringes make a beautiful decorative finish to an area rug, but they serve an even more critical purpose. Rug makers use fringes to prevent unraveling.

If you notice loose fringes, you shouldn’t wait to get them repaired. Fringe repairs are usually not as complicated or as expensive as other rug repairs.

Depending on the extent of the damage, your carpet repair specialist may serge the fringe or add replacement fringe. Sometimes people attempt a DIY repair and glue the fringe down. Don’t do it!

To avoid causing further damage, you should have fringe repaired by a professional.

Yes, You Can Repair a Tear

When you discover small tears in your area rug, don’t panic. Like frayed fringes, tears are a common repair project.

That said, if you wait to get the rug repaired, things can get complicated. Torn rugs often unravel, making them harder to repair.

In this case, time isn’t your rug’s friend. A rug repair professional can usually work with a recent tear, especially if it’s clean. They’ll put the warps back and reconstruct only that part of the rug.

If you have a tear repaired soon enough, you won’t even know there was damage.

How to Fix a Hole in a Carpet from a Dog

There’s nothing more irritating than the sound of your dog’s toenails shredding your rug fibers. Whether Rambo can’t stop digging until he finds that last crumb, or he’s digging because of stress anxiety, your dog can do some severe damage to your area rugs.

Holes are another repair rug owners sometimes attempt on their own. After all, you’ve watched a few reality TV shows, why not just patch it up?

Why not just let a professional look at it first?

A rug repair professional knows to examine the material around the hole before determining the type of repair needed. If the material is in good shape, they can usually repair the hole. On the other hand, they can also tell you if the damage is beyond repair and save your time and your money.

The Consequences of Ignoring Small Holes

It’s a small hole, how bad can it be? While that might be your initial reaction when you discover a tiny hole in the middle of your expensive area rug, you shouldn’t ignore even the smallest area of damage.

A professional can typically repair a small hole if the surrounding material isn’t too damaged. Fixing a hole in a rug costs more because it requires reweaving.

The longer you avoid repairing a hole, the more money you’ll pay. You may also find out it’s not even possible to fix it.

Reweaving is a complicated process because it’s not easy to recreate the original look of the rug. While your repair expert can usually make other types of repairs look unnoticeable, that’s not always the case when repairing holes.

Other Issues with Oriental Rug Repair

Beyond the relatively simple frayed fringe, tears from the dog’s toenails, and small holes, you may also deal with two other types of rug damage.

For example, a rug at the mercy of hungry moths may show areas of missing colors or patches of thread. Moths love wool. Even so, if it’s not severe, a professional can usually repair the damage.

Depending on the humidity level in your home, you may notice water damage on your area rug. If ignored, a damp rug creates a breeding ground for mold. Mold can rot the underlying rug fibers.

If it’s only mild water damage, repair may be possible. Even the most experienced rug repair specialist may tell you to replace the rug if it’s moldy. Rot is another problem that typically results in irreparable damage.

Sometimes you can save the rug if you cut out the rotted section. It means you’ll have a smaller rug, but you can still enjoy using it for a while longer.

Why Go to the Trouble of Repairing Carpet?

After looking at the costs and the fact that sometimes repairs look too obvious, you may wonder why you should even bother repairing a carpet.

Consider a few things before you make your final decision.

First, did you spend a small fortune on the original rug? Oriental and other hand-made rugs require regular maintenance, and it can get expensive. It’s more costly to replace the rug.

Perhaps your rug is a family heirloom. In this case, it doesn’t matter whether you paid a considerable amount for the rug. It’s the sentimental value that trumps the cost to repair it.

If the rug ties the décor of a room together and you know you won’t easily find a replacement, it might be worth it to repair.

An Ounce of Prevention

You know the old saying. It’s true, and if you take care of wear and tear, snags, or minor unraveling now, you can prevent severe, unrepairable damage in the future.

You already know time isn’t a friendly factor in a rug’s life. With age, your rug may lose some of its vibrancy. Maintenance can restore a rug to its original condition—or at least close to it.

Looking for Professional Rug Repair?

As you can see, frays, tears, and even more serious damage isn’t beyond repair if you take care of the problems quickly. The best thing you can do for a beloved rug is to take it to someone who specializes in rug repair.

With over 20 years of experience caring for all types of rugs, we’re the team you want caring for your area rugs and other carpets. Contact us today and schedule repair or cleaning.