How To Fix Fraying Carpet For Seamless Results

Avoiding carpet damage is nearly impossible, especially for those who have been living in their home for years. Over time, carpet fraying can be caused by things like heavy foot traffic or wear and tear from children or pets. Additionally, cheap carpet is also more likely to fray. 

You can identify this type of damage by looking for patches of unraveling carpet with exposed white threads. It disturbs the visual appeal of flooring and results in an uneven appearance. Luckily, fraying is pretty easy to repair on your own. Small amounts of fraying around the outer edges of your carpet or a damaged area rug can be fixed by applying carpet seam glue. However, larger patches of damage will need to be cut out and replaced.

The process is still simple, even if you have to tackle a big section of frayed carpet. Just cut it away, measure the empty patch, and cut a separate piece of carpet to size to replace it. If the identical carpet color and pattern is available at your local home improvement store, you may want to purchase some from there. Otherwise, you may need to cut a replacement patch out of a section of your flooring that is not easily visible, such as a closet or a spot underneath furniture. The great thing about both of these DIY methods is that you do not have to worry about the cost of having worn carpet repaired by a professional.

To use the glue trick for carpet that has a small frayed section along the outer edge, you will need to start out by cutting away the unraveled material with scissors. Next, apply your glue. The ROBERTS UNIVERSAL Carpet Seam Sealer is a highly-rated option you may want to consider. At this point, you will need to seal off the edge of the carpet by sewing it up. Use a 6-inch upholstery needle and strong thread that is as close to the color of your carpet as possible. Thread the needle and whip stitch along the edge of the carpet until no loose ends remain.

To repair large patches of frayed carpet, start out by cutting around the perimeter of the damaged area in the shape of a rectangle with a utility knife. Remove the carpet and place a piece of paper inside of the empty spot that remains. Trace the size of the hole onto the paper with a pencil. Cut away the excess paper to create your pattern for your new piece of carpet. Place the paper onto your donor carpet and trace an extra inch around the perimeter of it to make room for error. You can remove a patch from an area of your floor that is hidden out of sight. Once done, use your paper again to trace and cut the carpet patch down to the exact size needed. Finally, use carpet tape to install your new patch in the spot where you removed the frayed carpet.