How to Repair Carpet
One of the luxuries that has become an everyday home convenience is carpet. Almost every home has carpet in it. Not only is it very comfortable to walk on, but carpet is excellent at insulating the floor from cold and noise. Although carpet for the most part is durable, many times damage can be caused to it. The three most common types of carpet damage are stains, tears and rips. While some carpet damage can be very inexpensive and quick to fix, other types of damage can cost lots of money and take some time to repair. Here are some tips.
How to Fix Stained Carpet
One of the most common types of carpet damage is staining. The severity of the stain will depend on the staining liquid and its color and how much treatment the carpet has received. For instance, grape juice or **** spilt on light colored carpet without any treatments (such as stain master, etc) can mean that the area might never fully recover from the spillage. However, for best results tend to the stain immediately. Try to absorb the liquid as quickly as possible. Use blotting action instead of scrubbing the stain. When scrubbing, you are actually pressing the liquid deeper into the carpet fiber. Absorbent materials that work best are common paper towels or a kitchen towel.
Vacuuming the area can also help remove any liquid or moisture within the carpet. Many homeowners now own carpet cleaners that shampoo or deep clean carpets; this may also be a good tool to use against spills. If you don’t own a carpet cleaner, you can usually rent one from your local supermarket for about $30. In addition, many products are sold that specifically target stains. While these products aren’t considered the cure for all stains, they can definitely help remove most tough or stubborn stains deeply embedded in carpet.
How to Fix Split Seams and Carpet Tearing
Unfortunately, split seams in a carpet that is installed wall to wall can be difficult and time consuming to fix. In order to fix split seams or a tear, you must first release the tension of the carpet. If you think you are up to the task, go to your local home improvement store and talk to the assistant about your problem. They will be able to point you in the right direction as to which tools you must purchase. However, one tool you might need is a carpet seam sealer. While some jobs are difficult, repairing a carpet snag is a fairly easy job to complete.
Using a carpet seam sealer and a screwdriver, you can usually accomplish this task in a relatively short period of time. First, count the amount of curls that have been pulled out. Now, make a cut that equals the exact number of loops for the run on each side. You will need to apply a sealer inside the run. Now you just need to press with your screwdriver, portions of the old carpet yarn back down onto the newly sealed backing. This will create properly sized loops.
It is important to note that when you originally have your carpet installed, keep a few spare pieces that can be handy in the case of a rip or a tear. This way if damage occurs, you have a piece of carpet that matches the room. Keep in mind that carpet does fade over the years, so their might be a slight difference in color.
Stop Your Carpet from Fading
One of the problems with carpet is that over the years the color fades. One of the major reasons that carpet color fades is direct sunlight. Ultra violet light waves usually damage the color of carpet over time. In order to reduce the amount of color fade think about adding UV protection to your windows. Another easy option is to add shades or blinds to a room and keep them closed when the room is not in use.
Stop Carpet Wrinkles
Actually, carpet wrinkles or ripples occur mostly due to humidity. Many times your carpet will ripple during certain seasons and be taut and tight during other seasons. If your carpet has too many wrinkles you might want to restretch the carpet. For this method you would either have to buy a carpet stretcher or hire someone to restretch the carpet in your room.
Stop Carpet Indentations
Carpet indentations usually occur when heavy objects are left for a considerable amount of time on carpet in one place. One way to reduce the amount of carpet indentation is to gently move your furniture or objects a few inches on a regular basis. Another way to combat this problem is with furniture gliders.
Carpet Bunches
Carpet bunches is when a small piece of carpet sprouts over the length of the rest of the carpet. Many people incorrectly try to fix this problem by pulling on the carpet, however it is much easier to just take a small scissor and cut the sprouting bunch making it even with the rest of the carpet.
Each carpet is obviously different, if you encounter a problem that you do not know how to fix, first contact the carpet store or installer who originally laid the carpet or the manufacturer. Sometimes they can offer great advice on how to fix a specific type of problem you are experiencing.