How to Patch Damaged Carpet

If you have carpet in your home, there's no getting around the fact that it will become damaged over time. Most stains can be removed with the proper technique, but more extensive damagewill require a carpet patch. Contact burns, paint spills, severe snags, and so on, will require you to learn how to patch damaged carpet to fix the problem. When done properly, the damaged carpet can be repaired so that the patch isn't visible at all. Yes, you can do this yourself!

Quick note - It's always a good idea to save leftover carpet remnants when you initially install the carpet. This way you'll have the original carpeting to make a carpet patch when and if the you ever need to repair damaged carpet. If you didn't save a carpet remnant, don't panic! You can simply remove a small section of the carpeting from inside a closet.

Materials needed to patch damaged carpet:

- Carpet remnant

- Retractable blade

- Sharp scissors

- Round cookie cutter, metal lid, drinking glass, or other circular object

- Vacuum with crevice attachment

- Carpet adhesive

- Small paintbrush

If you're making this repair in order to resolve a stain issue, be sure to read our 'Guide to Common Carpet Stain Removal' first. Most stains can be removed - even stubborn blood stains. Once you've ensured that the carpet must be patched, go ahead and follow these steps.

How to patch damaged carpet -

1. Vacuum the carpeting to remove any debris.
2. Use scissors to cut out a section of the carpet remnant that is larger than the actual carpet patch needed. Set aside.
3. Find a circular object, such as a round cookie cutter, lid, beverage glass, etc., that is slightly larger than the damaged carpet area. Place the object over the damaged carpet and use it as a guide to cut out this area. Press down firmly with a sharp retractable blade to cut evenly through all the carpet fibers.
4. Lay the remnant you cut earlier on a hard flat surface and place the circular piece of damaged carpet in the middle. Use a sharp retractable blade to cut out the carpet patch. You will need to press down very firmly to get an even cut.
5. Vacuum out the area of carpeting that you removed using a crevice attachment. You want this small area to be as free of debris as possible.
6. Dip a small paintbrush into the carpet adhesive and carefully brush it onto the back only of the circular carpet patch. It's very important that you don't skimp on the adhesive when you patch damaged carpet! This will be what helps to hold the carpeting in place.
7. Quickly press the carpet patch into place and allow it to sit undisturbed overnight
8. Vacuum the entire area to help blend the carpet fibers together.

More from Jennifer Wagner:

Guide to Common Carpet Stain Removal

DIY Home Improvement: How to Paint Over Vinyl Flooring

How to Remove Candle Wax from Surfaces

SOURCE:

Personal knowledge and experience

Jennifer Wagner - Yahoo! Contributor Network