carpet edges

How Do You Fix Carpet Edges?

One commonly asked question is: How do you keep carpet edges from fraying? No one wants to invest money in a beautiful piece of carpet only to see it come apart at the edges after it’s seen a little use. There are solutions to this problem of fraying carpet. Here we will walk you through them.

Fraying Carpet Edges

One typical carpet use involves permanently installed wall-to-wall carpet. This kind of carpet is constructed by weaving the threads of the carpet through a rough textured crosshatch mesh and then glueing them to that mesh. Usually when this kind of carpet is installed, the edges are tucked under baseboards and trim where they will not be seen and are protected from fraying. When the carpeted area abuts a section of hardwood or tile flooring, transition strips are affixed to the floor to make the transition look neater. This will also stop the carpet from getting snagged and fraying.

If the carpet is used as a stair runner or an area rug it will not be covered by baseboards or transition strips. You’ll have to do one of two things to keep those raw cut edges from coming apart. The first solution is to treat them with a carpet adhesive or liquid resin. These products can be found at hardware or craft stores and at stores that sell carpet, of course. 

To apply the carpet adhesive, first trim the edge of the carpet with a carpet cutter to create a clean edge. Then apply a narrow bead of the carpet adhesive or liquid resin along the raw edge for several inches. Spread the resin with a paintbrush or a popsicle stick. Keep applying it a few inches at a time until you’ve finished painting the entire edge. Then allow it to dry. 

The second, more attractive solution to stopping fraying of a piece of carpet is to bind it. You can take your carpet in to a carpet shop and have them bind it with a binding machine, or you can bind it with a carpet binding tape such as Instabind. Doing this will turn a carpet piece or remnant into an area rug

How Do You Fix Carpet Edges?

It’s very simple to turn a carpet piece into an area rug with Instabind. Bond Products offers many different varieties of Instabind to complement any kind of rug. Instabind is available in up to 50 colors and styles, including:

  • Regular binding style
  • Faux leather style
  • Cotton binding style
  • Synthetic serge binding style
  • Cotton serge style
  • Rope edge style
  • Outdoor marine style
  • Safety edge style

We also offer an Instabind Starter Kit if you’d like to try carpet binding with a number of projects and styles. Our rule of thumb for selecting a binding is: if it’s a cotton or wool rug or carpet, use a natural (cotton) binding or serging style. If it’s a synthetic rug or carpet, use a synthetic binding or serging style. The highest quality look will still be the cotton one, but the synthetic Instabind looks great too.

To attach Instabind to a carpet piece, you:

Step 1 – Assemble your tools: a hot glue gun, scissors, and clear tape.

Step 2 – Use a carpet cutter and a straight edge to trim off any strings or frayed pieces along the sides of the carpet and make sure that its sides are straight. 

Step 3 – Take the Instabind you’ve chosen and make a clean cut. 

Step 4 – Pull back the paper on the Instabind and begin applying it to the carpet in the middle of one cut edge. Extend the Instabind past the corner of the carpet, and, using the corner as a guide, snip the flat part of the Instabind, stopping at the piping. With the paper turned back, overlap the backing while rounding the corner. Continue around the carpet until you return to the beginning. You can readjust if necessary at this stage in the project. Using your starting point as a guide, make the finishing cut with your scissors and trim any excess strings.

Step 5 – Seal the beginning and ending pieces of the Instabind together with a bead of hot glue. Now apply a ⅛” bead of hot glue between the edge of the Instabind and the carpet and hold in place a few minutes to let the glue set. Continue this process all the way around the carpet. For a more finished looking back, trim the Instabind backing at a 45 degree angle.

Step 6 – Put your beautiful new bound piece of carpet in the place you’ve selected for it in your home.

That’s all there is to it. With the Instabind attached, you should have no problems with your carpet edges fraying!

If you have any questions about carpets, rugs, and what Instabind would work best for you, please call us at 1-888-800-BOND. We will be happy to advise you. 

 

Leave a Comment

 

Enter code "RISE10" TO SAVE 10% ON ORDERS OF $50+

00
Months
00
Days
00
Hours
00
Minutes
00
Seconds

HAPPY EASTER!!

BOND OPEN HOUSE APRIL 18TH 2024- *APPT. REQUIRED* 

call in today to make your appointment: 888-800-2663

Scroll to Top