After many years under its belt, it shouldn’t be of much surprise if your once-new carpet starts to look a bit worn down all. Around if the edges get way too frayed and additionally are left unkempt for long periods of time. In this case, you might think that replacing said carpet must be the best course of action, you might’ve wondered if it is possible or even how to repair carpet edges?
We’re here to lend a hand and to let you know that there’s an easy and convenient way to repair those pesky frayed carpet edges and maintain the decor’s true quality over time without having to call a professional or break the bank while trying it. Even if your pet has a soft spot to play with those enticing carpet edges, in our opinion and as proved by many, repairing them in time is the best move in order to indeed elongate the carpets good looks and lifecycle.
The carpet police.
For starters you might need to monitor all your carpets. As easy as it gets, the damage on any frayed edge can be prevented earlier on with a quick weekly or monthly check up or placement adjustment of any carpet that is in range of pets or children, is best to look out for those type of placed carpets first as they tend to be the first with frayed edges.
Trim early.
As soon as you have your eye on all these prone to fray edges, you will start to notice when they get too long or if a thread is out of place. At times like this, acting quick is indeed the best remedy there is and will save you a few maintenance points in the journey of housekeeping. Trimming away -not pulling, avoid it at all cost- any odd ends or loose strands will do the trick of keeping the fray at bay.
Look down and under.
Thresholds, baseboards or carpet bars are used to transition between the carpets of two rooms, these are especially prone to fraying, to keep an eye out for those places when doing a rundown of your carpet’s condition, or if you notice a zone where the carpet is loose and even pulled from it. In this step of learning how to repair carpet edges, you’ll need to remove the baseboard, pull the carpet taught and tack it into place before replacing the threshold or carpet bar if necessary.
It’s best to do this step carefully to avoid doing further damage on the carpet while trying to repair it. Also, any screws, nails or tacks used in the repairs must be flushed to the floor and barely noticeable as clothing can get snagged on them or they may cause injuries if children go barefoot around the house.
Adhesive is your ally.
For those zones mentioned above and any long standing loose side, you might also run a line of carpet adhesive on said edge to prevent the carpet from moving and fraying further or at all. Once the adhesive is set, pulling the carpet taught and pressing firmly down on the adhesive will do the trick for it to stay in place.
Two methods for stronger repairs.
Method one: sewing the edges.
Fret not, although it may sound daunting, sewing a carpet’s edge is one of the easiest ways on how to repair a carpet’s edge. The hardest part was mentioned above, as by trimming the edges you get one half of the work down. Proceed to get heavy duty polyester thread that matches the carpets color and use a whip stitch to cover as much ground on the edge as possible, creating loops that will tuck the frays away.
Method two: carpet bar.
This method was briefly mentioned but here it is more in detail. First, trim your edges, as stated. Then, gather your materials, scissors to trim, glue for the edges, thread and needle for more pesky zones, tape measure to get the measurements of the threshold, and lastly, hammer and hacksaw to prepare and install the bar.
After having measured all sides of the installation, glue down any remaining edges and take care of loose ends before installing the baseboard, since once it’s hammered down, it should be a real hassle to pry away if done correctly.
Prevent any further damage.
You may spend your days looking for edges out of place, but the best way to not have to repair frayed edges is to determine why they get like that in the first place. Some common causes are: pets playing on loose threads and pulling the carpet to entertain themselves. Fight this back by providing a relief for your pet and distract/discourage this behavior. Ways to do this are: to spray the carpet with a bitter spray, using heavy duty double-sided adhesive on the edges to discourage stepping or biting on it.
Another common cause is a poor carpet installation job, or a carpet without the proper maintenance being done on it after a while of it being installed. For these you may need to take the solution into your hands as soon as you determine this is the cause of the fraying.
Lastly, on how to repair carpet edges, you may need to be attentive to the timely tear and wear from using your carpet. For this you can take some steps into maintaining the carpet’s general quality by truly keeping it thoroughly clean, with either carpet shampoo or baking soda washes from time to time or as soon as they get heavy stains or other spillage, right as they occur; as well as not keeping your furniture stagnant to one place for extended periods of time.
Once you master these steps you might notice that your carpets will outlive the conditions and keep as when first laid on your floors. Tackling the problem early is the best way on how to repair carpet edges for once, and sometimes, for all.
