Can a Tear in a Carpet Be Fixed?

Small Tears and Seam Tears

• If you get small tears in carpet, especially in less traveled sections of the floor, such as in corner or against the wall, you may be able to repair the carpet with the same seaming tape used in the original installation of the carpet. Seaming tape can also be effective by itself at the original seams of the carpet. You can tell if the tear happens at the original seam, because the edges of the tear will appear less ragged than a tear in the middle of a carpet piece.

Seaming Tape for Small Tears

• When repairing a small tear in carpet, cut a piece of seaming tape just long enough to run the length of the tear. Lift the torn edges of the carpet and lay the piece of seaming tape under the carpet so that the sticky side faces up. Use a seaming iron to heat the tape until the glue begins to melt and press the torn edges down onto the tape.

Seaming Tape for Seam Tears

• If the tear lies at the seam of the carpet, pull up the edge of the carpet on each side of the tear and give the seam a tug. If the seam of the carpet has weakened, the seam will likely rip more when pulled. If more than a couple of feet of the seam splits, the seaming tape is no longer doing an effective job. Cut down the center of the seam to separate the pieces, lay seaming tape down the length of the seam, apply carpet adhesive to the top of the tape and press the edges of the carpet onto the tape to repair the seam.

Large Tears and Holes

• Unlike small tears and carpet seams, large tears and holes may not be able to be repaired with seaming tape alone. Instead, you may need a scrap of carpet to fill in a gaping space between the torn edges. Hopefully, you saved some scraps of the exact carpet that needs to be repaired when the carpet was installed. If not, you may be able to find a close match at a carpet store. When you find a scrap, cut a patch the same size as the tear or hole in the carpet and attach it with seaming tape at the edges.