How Do You Repair Vinyl?

Use an appropriate vinyl patch kit for the vinyl surface that you want to repair. While most vinyl surfaces can be repaired with a standard vinyl patch, if you need to repair a waterbed or a swimming pool, make sure you have a patch designed for that use. Waterbed patches are made to hold up in wet conditions and swimming pool patches are designed for installation underwater.

Keep a vinyl mattress filled with either water or air so that you have a solid surface to repair. If a waterbed mattress is wet, wipe the mattress with a towel to keep as much as the surface dry as possible.

Hold the vinyl patch up against the vinyl surface that you want to repair to determine how large you need to cut the patch. Cut the patch down so you have roughly 1 inch of extra material on each side of the rip in the vinyl. Trim around the corners of the patch to round them off, so no sharp corners are left on the patch.

Turn the patch over and spread the adhesive provided with the vinyl patch kit onto the back of the patch. Apply more adhesive around the rip on the vinyl surface that you want to repair. Put the patch over the rip and hold the patch in place for 30 to 60 seconds, being careful not to apply too much pressure to waterbeds, which may leak water and prevent adhesion.

Spread additional adhesive over the edges of the vinyl patch with a putty knife on surfaces like air mattresses and waterbeds, which require full adhesion in order to be able to use the product again. Allow the adhesive to dry for at least 1 hour before attempting to use the repaired vinyl product.