Your ultimate guide to repair and restore antique rugs
Owning an antique rug that has either been passed down to you by your grandparents or purchased at an exquisite exhibition, is a matter of pride. Skilled artisans spend a good amount of time and effort in weaving antique rugs with utmost care and sheer talent. Taking proper care of these carefully crafted carpets is our responsibility.
Imagine throwing a housewarming party for your kith and kin to experience your new abode. While there is cheer in the air, there are also stains on your rug. Whether it is a dark coffee stain or a tough ketchup blotch, a grubby rug can spoil your mood and the aesthetics of your living space. Thus, antique rug repair is essential at such times to restore your rug and make it shine like before.
This article gives you an insight into the correct repair process of antique rugs and interesting care tips for high-quality rug restoration.
Determining the type and degree of damage
Any antique rug restoration specialist would first recommend identifying the type and degree of damage that has happened to your rug.
1. Holes in your rug
Insects, rodents, and other creatures may damage your antique rugs leaving behind small holes. These holes can also be a result of the regular wear and tear of your rug. However, the holes, whether small or big, cannot be left unattended. Intricate repairs by skilled rug restoration technicians may be needed in such cases.
2. Loose fibers in your rug
Rugs are carefully handpicked but are not maintained with as much care and attention. There is a lot of foot traffic, thanks to friends, family, and our beloved pets, so we tend to ignore the loose fibers resulting from all this wear and tear. This type of damage needs proper techniques to repair and restore the rugs.
3. Breakage of rug fringes
Fringes add a lot of drama to an antique rug and lose their beauty if the fringes start breaking. Fringe & edge repair by a restoration professional can fix the issue and reinstate the class of your antique rug.
4. Color bleeding in rugs
Antique rugs are subjected to harsh weather, regular wear and tear, home cleaning methods, and spillage of food and beverages. These incidents cause color bleeding and need precise restoration methods to fix the faded portions of the rug.
Having determined the type of damage, it is vital to establish the degree of damage as well. If the rug damage is minimal, then you may use simple home remedies to restore the beauty of your rug. However, if the rug has undergone severe damage, then a professional restoration artisan would have to take care of the job.
The reason for antique rug restoration
Have you ever thought of replacing a worn-out antique rug? Most likely, the answer is NO. Then why would one go through so much trouble and investment to restore an antique rug?
1. Memories and sentiment
Antique rugs are often passed down from generations, thereby holding several sweet memories. It is very difficult to part with those sentiments and thus, restoration seems the best way to hold on to those memories for a longer time.
2. Cost-effective
Sometimes, the cost of restoring antique rugs is much lower than purchasing a new one. In such cases, carpet repair is the most convenient option.
3. Look and feel
The selection of an antique rug is done based on the aesthetics of the space and the furniture in that room. Replacing the grubby rug is not an option in such cases as you may want to repair the same one to maintain the look and feel of the room.
Is it worth investing in a rug repair service?
The most frequently asked question by antique rug owners is - 'How to identify if antique rugs are worth a repair or need replacement?'
If your antique rug falls under one of the below-mentioned categories, then you probably must invest in restoring them rather than replacing them.
- Carpets that belong to a famous dynasty or hold historical significance due to the era in which they were woven.
- Rugs that contain specific carpet patterns like the tree of life patterns, vase patterns, etc.
- Exquisite rugs created by master weavers Haji Jalili and Kermani
- Rugs that hail from renowned places like Persia, Morocco, etc.
What are the steps to be followed in the rug repair process?
Unlike antique rug cleaning which can be done at home with simple DIY techniques, rug restoration requires an experienced team of rug repair professionals. The repair process involves several steps including -
1. Identifying the different kinds of damage by carefully inspecting the rug.
2. Determining the nature of the repair. It could be a tear repair, knot repair, fringe repair, hole repair, or rot repair.
3. Treating the rug with the right solution to repair the damage.
4. Reweaving/reknotting the rug after it has been fixed.
5. Elevating the shine and fragrance with apt products to restore the true beauty of the rug.
What is the cost of repair?
Estimating the cost you would incur for an antique rug restoration depends on the following factors -
1. Size of the rug
The average cost of restoration would range between $1 to $10 per square foot.
2. Hours of repair
The number of hours spent by repair artisans would be another factor to determine the cost of rug restoration.
Engage professional rug repair experts to restore the charm of your rug
Antique rugs are stylish statement pieces of upholstery that hold sentimental and aesthetic value. Just as you rely on a professional electronics technician to fix your broken TV, you need to deploy an antique rug repair artisan to restore your dull and damaged rugs. Rug restoration involves a lot of skill and special tools to justify the cost and sentiment associated with well-crafted antique rugs. Restore your rugs to relive those cherished memories!
