Just because your carpet has had an accident doesn’t mean you need to replace it. You may be able to fix up or patch up the damaged section. Here are some tips to do it conveniently and effectively.
Image Source: Flickr
Clean the Affected Area
Use carpet cleaner or a commercially available stain remover to remove traces of dirt and stain on the damaged area. Spot damage is usually caused by spilling drinks or food items that produce dark stains such as red wine or catsup. Follow the instructions provided on the carpet cleaner and have a few pieces of white paper towel ready. You may also use a chamois because it is capable of absorbing more liquid.
Do not rub the damaged area with the cleaner. Use a paper towel or chamois to gently press on the stained area. Cigarette burns are more difficult to remove. Use a sharp pair of scissors to carefully trim the damaged part of the carpet. Trim only the top part of the damaged area. Severe spot damage caused by cigarette burns should be cut and replaced when appropriate. Source: DoItYourself
Cut Out the Damage and a Matching Plug
Be sure the area you’re working in is well lit. To mark the area you’ll cut out, part the carpet fibers around the damage as if you were parting your hair (Photo 1). Keep the part lines at least 1/2 in. from the damaged spot. Cut along the parts using a sharp, new blade in your carpet knife (Photo 2).
Next, cut a replacement plug, using the cutout as a template. To start, make a first cut in the replacement material, using a straightedge to guide your carpet knife. Then set the cutout on the replacement material with one edge aligned along that first cut. When you lay the cutout on top of the replacement material, make sure their naps are running in the same direction. You can tell which direction the nap is running by rubbing your hand over the carpeting and watching which way the fibers fall or stand up. Once you have the cutout lined up correctly, part the fibers around the three uncut sides just as you did before.
Cut along the parts and test-fit the plug in the cutout hole, making sure the nap of the plug matches the nap of the surrounding carpet. If the plug is a little too big, trim off a single row of fibers with sharp scissors (old, dull scissors will tear the fibers). Source: FamilyHandyman
Cut Replacement Carpet & Apply Carpet Adhesive
Wet the carpet patch pad. Carpet patch pads are used to iron on specially made adhesive disks that activate with the help of heat. Your carpet patch pad may be aluminum-sided on the top and contain a previous material on the bottom. Wet your carpet patch pad under water and wring out the excess; the pad should be damp but not dripping.
Slide the adhesive pad underneath the cut-out carpet, centering it. Make sure the adhesive pad is adequately bigger than the patch, specially made for heat-application, and centered for even distribution. Smooth out any wrinkles if necessary
Place the replacement patch onto the adhesive disk. Go over the patch with a carpet brush to remove loose fibers. Make sure that the direction of the fibers on the patch matches the direction of the fibers on the carpet. Using an iron set on high, heat the patch pad up for one minute. Press down on the iron so that the heat transfers from the patch pad, through the carpet, to the adhesive pad underneath. Remember that the adhesive pad activates when subjected to heat.
- You should hear a light sizzle when you touch the iron onto the patch pad. This is the water reacting to the heat, not the carpet burning.
- If the patch is big, go over different spots the patch with the iron — enough to cover the entire patch. You don’t want to fail to activate the head beneath the patch. Source: wikiHow
