Repairing Damaged Carpet

If burn marks or worn patches mar your carpet but you don't want to replace it, you can mend the carpet to dramatically improve its appearance.

To fix burn holes, trim away scorched fibers with a sharp craft knife to expose the backing. Cut matching tufts from a spare piece of carpet or from an area of the carpet that is not normally visible. Spread an appropriate latex adhesive onto the backing and dab it onto the ends of the tufts, then press them into the hole and onto the backing. Let the adhesive dry, then trim and brush the tufts to blend with the pile of the surrounding carpet.

To repair worn patches on carpets that have the pile woven into the backing, turn the carpet over and mark a square on the backing under the damaged area. Spread latex adhesive over an area that extends one inch in all directions from the backing square. Place a piece of wood under the pile and cut out the marked square from the backing side with a sharp trimming knife.

Cut strips of carpet tape (available at a hardware store) two inches longer than the sides of the square, and cover the hole with them. Using the old square of carpet as a template, cut a new square from a spare piece of carpet or from an area that won't show the hole. Make sure the new piece matches the old one in pattern and direction of the pile.

Spread adhesive over the back and edges of the new piece, but make sure you don't get it on the tufts. Press the new square into the hole onto the carpet tape strips and tap the edges with a hammer so that they lie flush with the rest of the carpet.

With foam-backed carpet, cut a square of the worn area from the tufted side. Cut a square slightly larger than the old one from a new piece of carpet. Tack it in place. Then carefully cut round the new patch and through the carpet beneath it. Take out the tacks and lift out the new and damaged pieces.

Turn the carpet back and stick adhesive tape over the hole. Working from the tufted side again, stick the new piece firmly onto the tape, and lightly hammer the edges flush with the rest of the carpet.