How To Match Carpet – Repair Or Replace? Ultimate Guide

If you’re wondering how to match carpet in your home you’ve come to the right place. We’re going to take you through the slightly challenging process of finding a match for your existing carpet.

You can do a repair to your carpet if you find a piece that will match as closely as possible. However, it won’t be an easy task and if the repair area is large it may be better to replace the carpet rather than trying to repair it.

Replacing One Area Of Carpet

When the worst happens and an area of your carpet has been damaged you may think you’ll have to pull it up and replace the whole area.

Well sometimes you may not have to. Depending on the extent and location of the damaged area you may be able to repair it. 

With a little planning, research and a huge dose of courage it’s possible to replace a section of carpet. 

Finding The Right Piece

The biggest obstacle you are going to come across will be matching the new piece of carpet to the old. 

If you’re lucky enough to have some carpet left over after fitting and had the foresight to keep it then happy days! You’ll have the same color, texture, pile and pattern of carpet to replace the damaged part. 

When this is not an option, and you’ve no idea where the carpet came from then you’ll have to do a bit of research and not a little planning. 

Old Carpet

There are several obstacles to overcome with finding a match for carpet that is dated. The first is matching the color and if there is one, the pattern.

The shades for standard colors change over time and one batch of carpet will never be exactly the same as the last. 

Another issue is that carpet that has been laid for some time will be faded from the sun, exposed to cleaning products and grubby from use.

So even if you found exactly the same carpet it would not match precisely to the old carpet. 

Blending The Carpet In

But all is not lost, you can still blend a piece of carpet into the existing with a little maneuvering of furniture and strategic lighting.

Getting the closest match to the color that the carpet is now rather than what it was originally may help. 

If you have carpeted in closets or other hidden areas with the same carpet you may be able to source a repair piece from there. Even sourcing from under the bed is an option. 

Use The Same Type Of Carpet

It’s important to use the same type of carpet even if you can’t get exactly the same color or shade. The depth of pile and texture should be as close a match as possible to prevent the repair standing out too much.

Repairing A Piece Of Carpet

So you’ve decided to take the plunge and repair your carpet. Now what? Well first, you need to assemble some tools. You’ll need:

• Carpet or utility knife
• Seam roller
• Piece of new carpet
• Double sided carpet tape or glue

Mark The Section

Use a pen to mark out the section to be removed making it slightly bigger than the area that is damaged or stained. A regular shaped piece is easier to replace than cutting around a random shape.

Cut It Out

Use the carpet or utility knife and cut out the piece of carpet, working between the tufts to avoid cutting too many of them. Cut any loose carpet fibers rather than pulling them. 

Trim Donor Carpet

Now trim the donor piece of carpet to fit as closely as possible to the removed part of the carpet. 

Find Nap Direction

The nap is the direction that the tufts naturally lay in. Find which way the nap lies on the carpet and insert the donor piece in the same orientation. This doesn’t apply to low pile or trackless carpets. 

Apply Carpet Tape

Cut four strips of carpet tape with the protective paper still on to go around the perimeter of the repair area. Remove the protective paper from one side and apply to the floor.

You’ll only get one chance to do this as the carpet tape is very sticky so take your time. 

Install Carpet Piece

Remove the top protective paper from the carpet tape and carefully line up the carpet piece. Press it firmly into place, apply equal pressure all around the perimeter to make sure the tape sticks. 

Blend With Rest Of Carpet

Now use the carpet roller, comb or dry cloth and blend the edges of the repair piece into the rest of the carpet. Be gentle with the edges however to make sure you don’t rip out any tufts.

Should You Replace Rather Than Repair Carpet?

You will never be able to make a seamless repair to a carpet even with a piece of the original. 

Wear and color fading will always occur and any new piece of carpet will stand out to some extent. The best you can do is move some furniture around to try and disguise the repaired patch. 

If the damaged piece of carpet is quite large then it is probably best to replace the carpet rather than trying to repair it. 

Conclusion

Small repairs can be done with carpet if you can find a matching piece or use some from an inconspicuous area. The final result may not be perfect, but you may be able to disguise it by rearranging some furniture.

Frequently Asked Questions