Rug Repair: What Can Be Fixed, and What You Can Do Yourself
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Rug repair is one of the real advantages of a hand-knotted rug. Because it is made of knots on a woven foundation and is not glued together, almost any damage can be put right by someone with the skill. Fringes can be secured, edges rebound, holes rewoven knot by knot. The catch is timing. Small problems are simple to fix and grow quickly if they are left, and a clumsy home repair can be harder to undo than the original damage. This page explains which repairs are for a specialist, which small jobs you can safely do yourself, and how to stop damage from spreading in the meantime.
From the Atelier
Currently in our collection
Fringe and ends
The fringe is the end of the warp threads that run the length of the rug. When it wears away, the last rows of knots have nothing to hold them, and the pile begins to come loose from the end. This is the commonest rug repair of all.
A restorer secures the end with a line of overcast stitching, which stops the loss and is nearly invisible. A worn fringe can simply be left short, which is perfectly sound. Sewing on a new machine-made fringe is a cosmetic fix and looks it. At home, the useful step is to keep the vacuum off the fringe and to act as soon as the end rows begin to loosen.
Sides and edges
The long sides of a rug are bound with a wrapping of wool, called the selvedge or overcasting. It takes the scuffing of feet and vacuum heads and eventually wears through, exposing the outer warps. Left alone, the edge frays inwards.
Rewrapping an edge by hand in matching wool is routine work for a restorer and makes the side strong again. If you see a short section opening up, you can hold it for the time being with a few stitches of strong cotton thread through the edge. Do not use glue or iron-on tape. They stiffen the edge and make a proper repair difficult.
Holes, tears and moth damage
A hole is repaired by rebuilding the foundation, thread by thread, and then knotting new pile into it with wool matched to the old in colour and thickness. Done well, the repair is hard to find from the front. It is slow, skilled work, and the smaller the hole, the better the result.
Moth damage usually shows as patches where the pile has been grazed off, often under furniture. If the foundation is intact, the pile can be knotted in again. First the rug must be cleaned and the infestation ended, or the repair will be eaten too. Until a damaged rug reaches a restorer, stitch a piece of cloth loosely behind any hole so that it cannot spread, and keep traffic off it.
Small jobs you can do yourself
A tuft that sticks up: trim it level with scissors and never pull it. A corner that curls: roll it the opposite way overnight, then weight it flat for a few days. A dent from a furniture leg: lay a damp cloth on it for an hour, then lift the pile with your fingers or the edge of a spoon and let it dry.
A loose thread on the back or at the edge: do not cut it flush and do not pull it. Tuck it in or secure it with a stitch. Anything beyond these belongs with a specialist: missing pile, loosening ends, opening sides, holes, stains that have set, colour that has run. Take clear photographs in daylight, front and back, before you ask for an estimate.
Preventing rug repair, and a note on our rugs
Most repairs can be put off for years by four habits. Use a pad, which takes strain off the foundation. Rotate the rug every six months so that wear is even. Vacuum with suction only and stay off the fringe and the edges. And inspect the back, and the areas under furniture, twice a year for moths.
All 275 rugs in our collection are hand-knotted in wool, which is the construction that makes this kind of repair possible. A tufted rug with a glued backing cannot be rewoven. Each rug is one of a kind, with its exact measurements on its own page. Delivery is free worldwide, duties and taxes included.
What you can verify about us
- Origin
- Made in MoroccoHand-knotted Berber rugs from the Atlas regions. Every rug is one of a kind.
- Construction
- Hand-knotted woolVerified at every stage — never machine-tufted.
- Delivery
- Duties includedFree shipping; import duties and taxes are included in the price.
- Returns
- 14 daysIn condition received, full refund of the purchase price.
Frequently Asked
Questions
- Can a hand-knotted rug be repaired?
- Yes. Fringes, edges, holes and moth damage can all be restored by hand, because the rug is knotted and not glued.
- Can I repair a rug fringe myself?
- You can stop it getting worse by keeping the vacuum off it. Securing the end properly is a job for a restorer.
- Is it worth repairing a wool rug?
- For a hand-knotted rug, usually yes, and the sooner the better. Small damage is simple to fix and spreads if it is left.
- How do I fix a pulled thread in a rug?
- Trim a raised tuft level with scissors. Never pull it, because that can remove the knot.
Sources & References
What this page rests on
- 1. Oriental Rug Repair Association
- 2. Master Restorer Guild
The person behind the piece
“Before you buy, I’ll send you a video of the actual rug in natural light — not a stock photo. I answer the messages myself.”
I’m Youssef. I started ARINID because this market is full of middlemen and machine-made imitations sold as the real thing — and I grew up close enough to the looms to know the difference.
Every piece we list is one of a kind, hand-knotted in Morocco. If you want to talk through sizing for your room, I’m on the other end of the message. A rug at this level is a thirty-year decision. You should be able to look the person selling it to you in the eye.
Youssef
Founder, ARINID
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Each piece is hand-knotted in Morocco and delivered to your door, with shipping, duties and taxes included.