Replacing the carpet throughout your home can get expensive. But not only that, carpet replacement is also somewhat of an ordeal with moving around furniture and setting aside the time for the work to be done in your home.
While carpet replacement is inevitable after years of wear and tear, sometimes you can prolong the life of your carpet with a repair. Carpet repair allows you to get the most out of your investment.
Plus, carpet repair can ensure that your home stays safe by fixing lumps and tears that could lead to trip and fall scenarios if left the way they are. So here’s a look at a variety of scenarios where it makes more sense to repair your carpet instead of replacing it.
Lumps from Poor Installation or Stretching
Carpet installation is an art and when done improperly, it can lead to lumps in the carpet. As the carpet wears, it often stretches and moves a bit. Carpet installation professionals can often prepare for this wear when they install the carpet to prevent these lumps.
Despite best efforts, sometimes the carpet still wears in an unexpected manner, leaving lumps.
The best way to fix this is to have these lumps removed. Leaving the lumps there could be a hazard, especially if you have guests in your home who aren’t aware of them like the people who live there.
You certainly don’t need new carpet just because of lumps. This is an easy repair scenario that should not be a big deal to fix and can easily be fixed in a day.
Carpet Burns
Carpet burns are fairly common. A common cause of carpet burns is from curling irons or flat irons that people leave on accidentally that get knocked off a counter. And then you have an unsightly area of carpet with black or brown burn marks around it.
The good news is, carpet burns are not the end of your carpet life. A carpet repair specialist can remove the burnt area of the carpet and add a patch that makes it look good as new.
While you might be able to put a patch in yourself, the benefit of hiring a professional for this work is they’ll bring their expertise to ensure that the patch isn’t noticeable. Sometimes, you can remove the singed fibers without taking out that area of the carpet. This tactic will likely still leave some remnants of the damage but can be a way to make it less noticeable if you think you’ll be replacing the carpet soon anyway.
Set-in Stains
When you spill something on the carpet, it’s important to clean it as fast as you possibly can. And if a stain remains, contact a carpet cleaning company immediately to avoid allowing time for the stain to set in.
If you’re still left with a pesky stain or you purchase a home with a carpet stain already there, carpet repair can help.
Much like carpet burn repair, carpet stain repair often means removing the stained section of carpet and patching the area with the same or similar carpet.
A stain is no reason to replace healthy carpet. You can easily make that carpet look good for several more years using carpet repair to elongate the life of the carpet.
Low-traffic Areas of Your Home
Damage to carpets within low-traffic areas of your home might not warrant a full replacement just yet. For example, carpet damage within bedrooms where no gusts in your home will see the repaired carpet might make you feel better than repairing carpet damage in your main living space.
Sometimes, carpet repair is less about what the carpet looks like and more about preventing further tears and damage. For example, you should still replace tears in the carpet even when furniture sits overtop of such tears. That’s because when you move the furniture or clean there, you could tear the carpet further, making the damage visible.
Getting a small burn area fixed within a bedroom or low-traffic area can prevent the carpet from tearing due to the weakness the burn creates. In these scenarios, the carpet repair is more about preventing future damage than it is about what the carpet looks like.
When to Replace Your Carpet
Now that you know common cases and scenarios when you can avoid replacing your carpet and instead just repair it, let’s look at some reasons why you might want to replace the carpet.
Carpet Wear and Tear
Even with the best maintenance and proactive repair habits, your carpet will wear and break down with time. The fibers will break down and begin to look worn out. You might find that you have many rugs throughout your home to cover high-traffic areas where the carpet is showing signs of wear. And at that point, it’s likely time to consider replacing the carpet entirely.
Some homeowners rearrange their furniture constantly to cover stains, defects or signs of wear. While it’s a good idea to move furniture around to wear your carpet evenly and prevent damage from the feet of furniture, there will still come a day when you’ll need to replace the carpet instead of moving the furniture again.
Your carpet’s fibers will eventually become matted down and lose their form and fluff. At this point, even professional cleaning cannot make the carpet look new again. If you’ve purchased a home with many carpet stains or tears, you might be better off replacing the carpet than trying to repair it in many places.
Carpet That Smells
Regular carpet cleaning can prevent it from building up an odor. However, if you’ve acquired a home that has never had regular carpet cleaning or you had to discontinue carpet cleaning due to a job loss or other financial hardships, your carpet can develop an odor that no professional can remove.
Smelly carpet might be due to moisture buildup and mold or from pet accidents that have actually soaked through to your carpet padding and floorboards. At this point, your only option might be to replace the carpet and even your floorboards to remove your home’s smell.
Worn-out Carpet Padding
The carpet padding offers cushion and comfort for your carpet. And although your carpet might still look fine aesthetically, after many years of wear, your carpet padding might be worn out. Carpet padding that is no longer supporting the carpet will make your carpet uncomfortable to walk on and lacking a firm foundation.
Plus, worn-out carpet padding might lead to creaks and noises as you walk across the floor. That’s because the carpet padding’s other job is to reduce such noise. Signs of worn-out carpet padding include carpet wrinkles, uneven spots or a crinkling sound when you walk across the carpet.
If your padding is worn out, it’s time for new carpet.
Severe Indoor Allergies
Carpet cleaning is a great way to manage dust, mold and mildew within your home to mitigate indoor allergies. Without maintenance and cleaning your home can build up allergens, leading to sinus problems and discomfort in your home.
Old carpet where the fibers are broken down and can no longer prevent dust and debris from getting pushed down into the carpet can lead to severe allergies.
The best way to remove these allergens is to put in new carpet that has a defense mechanism against allergens.
Old Out-of-date Carpet Styles
No amount of carpet repair can make your home look modern and fresh if your carpet is out of style. Whether it’s shag carpet that looks like it’s from the 1970s or bright colored carpet that doesn’t match your décor, it’s time for new carpet.
Whether your carpet needs a thorough cleaning, repair or total replacement, A Advanced Home Care is the premier choice for Everett, Washington, and the surrounding area. Contact us to discuss your needs or book service online!
Further reading:
