FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We've listed some common questions and answers below. Don't hesitate to reach out if we can help further.

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My carpet join has opened, can this be fixed?

It is common for carpet to fray or come apart at the seams due to age and wear, especially in high traffic areas such as doorways. We can open up the existing seam join, burn off the old induction tape, cut off damaged rows of carpet and re-join the carpet back together. If the join is badly torn, we can patch the damaged section with spare carpet, or carpet taken from a wardrobe.


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Does patching damaged carpet work?

Yes. Absolutely. Patching works best for small spots that have become worn, scorched, stained or frayed beyond repair. It's most effective when the size of the patch fits under a dinner plate and the carpet is newer, meaning it's easier to match the wear, fade and fall of the existing fibre. If you have a big area of extensive staining or it's really difficult to match the existing carpet with spare carpet or carpet taken from a wardrobe, then you may want to consider replacing the entire room, which we can help with!


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What if I have no spare carpet for patching?

If you don’t have any spare carpet leftover from the original installation, we can normally use a door mat or take a section of carpet from a wardrobe, hallway cupboard or another discreet area. The benefit of doing this is that the donor carpet used for the patch will match the age, dye batch, colour and fibre type of the existing carpet, leading to a better end result. If desired, we're also able to replace what we steal from the wardrobe with carpet of similar quality and colour from our supply of offcuts for a small fee. in the unlikely event you don't have wardrobes, cupboards or any discreet areas, generally it's best to consider replacing the carpet throughout the room cutting off at the nearest doorway. Our assessors are able to colour match your existing carpet and provide options for you to consider.


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My carpet has ripples, can these be repaired?

Ripples, bubbles or corrugations in your carpet is a sign that the tension initially applied to the carpet has been lost. During installation, carpet is stretched onto smooth-edge or "tack strip" around the perimeter of the room. This tension can lesson over time as a result of heavy traffic, frequently moving furniture or your property expanding and contracting in changing temperatures. We frequently come across this issue when the carpet is around 7-8 years old. Generally speaking, yes the carpet can be re-stretched back onto the smooth-edge using a power stretcher. However, If the bubbles are left for too long, they will eventually peak and then tear open, which apart from causing a pretty significant tripping hazard, often can only be rectified by replacing the existing carpet. Keep in mind, your furniture needs to be moved out of the rooms that are being re-stretched so that sufficient tension can be reapplied to the carpet.


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How much does it cost to repair a small area of carpet?

This is a really difficult question to answer. How long is a piece of string? To give you at least some idea, a simple patch repair won't cost more than a couple of hundred dollars, whereas a large, difficult, complicated repair that requires the utmost care and craftsmanship will start at a few hundred dollars and go up from there. Yes, repairs do cost. Especially, if you're paying for a qualified, master technician with over 20 years perfecting their technique. The main concept to consider here, is what is the value of an excellent repair to you? If you can avoid paying thousands for brand new carpet by repairing your flooring for only hundreds can you see the value? We do not exist to rip anyone off and aim to grow our business through referrals from super happy, satisfied clients.


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Can my carpet be cleaned or does it need to be replaced?

You would be genuinely surprised what our wizard cleaning technicians can get out of carpet. They are highly trained professionals using a range of sophisticated and exclusive cleaning solutions that are not readily available to the public. Wine, food, blood, rust, grease, nail polish, ink, paint, coffee, glue - you name it, we've cleaned it all. We use a combination of pre-conditioning the carpet, agitating the fibres and deep steam cleaning to achieve the highest quality results. If stains are difficult we are able to spot treat problem areas and in the unlikely event they are outrageously stubborn we can patch damaged areas. Worst case, If patching isn't suitable we'd discuss a range of further options, one of which would be to replace the existing carpet.s


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Can we replace an individual stair without replacing the entire stairwell?

Definitely. Of course that's possible. One of the regular types of damage we come across is damage or wear on the "nose" of the stair. sometimes this is so bad you can see the hessian backing of the carpet, or even worse it rips open completely! What you need is a stair replacement. The great news is that there is so much natural light play on a stairwell that often carpet taken from a wardrobe or hallway cupboard is a great match for the existing carpet throughout the rest of the stairwell and the repair comes up great. Occasionally, we come across woollen carpet on a stairwell that is significantly faded due to natural light hitting the carpet and eroding and disintegrating the fibres over time. In this instance it's likely spare carpet taken from a wardrobe that has never even seen the sun won't be a great match and the stair replacement will stand out like a sore thumb. In this case, you would want to consider replacing the stairs with brand new carpet, again something we can help with.


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How do I know if my carpet has reached the end of its life and needs to be replaced?

Generally speaking, new carpet should last you around 15 years before you have to replace it. If you treat your carpet really well with regular steam cleans and address issues like ripples or excessive wear in the carpet as they arise, you might get anywhere up to 30 years out of your carpet before it disintegrates completely. You will know that your carpet has reached the end of its useful life when the fibre is breaking down, you can see the primary or secondary backing of the carpet and it feels lumpy to walk on. Alternatively, simply ask us. We'd be happy to assess the condition of your carpet and offer solutions to any issues you have identified with your existing flooring. We are here to help you enjoy your carpet for longer.


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Can my carpet be relaid after renovations?

100% This is something we do all the time. Literally every day. New ceramic tiles in your bathroom? Yes, we can help you relay your carpet up to those tiles. New laminate/wooden flooring in the hallway? Yes, we can help you relay your carpet up to the new floor covering. Recently removed a wall during a renovation? Yes, we can help patch those unsightly partition marks so that no one would know that there ever used to be a wall there. Have you lifted carpet so that you can address squeaky floor boards? We can help you put it back. Have you renovated your kitchen recently? We can help put the carpet that those rough and ready builders lifted. We are experts at this, you have come to the right place.


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Can you get cat urine out of carpet?

We are not going to pretend that this is easy. It's not. Cat urine has a uniquely painful acidity that permeates the fibre of the carpet and resides in the backing of the carpet or the underlay. To make matters worse, steam cleaning the carpet can permanently set the stain and odour by bonding the protein into the fibres. Your best bet is to use high-quality pet odour neutralisers and even then there is little to guarantee this will work completely. In some cases, you may need to replace portions of the carpet and/or underlay.


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Can you re-stretch bubbles on stairs?

Most often the answer is no. If the carpet has warped and distorted over time on the stairs it is extremely difficult to re-stretch the carpet to remove the ripples because when carpet is laid throughout a stairwell, smooth-edge or "tack strip" is installed at the transition between each rise and run, not on the edges/sides. This means if the bubbles are running east to west when facing the stairs, they're easy to fix, but if they're running north to south, we can do little other than replacing the stairs completely.


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Do you dye carpet or can you sow damaged areas?

Nope. This used to be something we offered. We don't anymore. Dying carpet is complex, involved and the results are varied. Sometimes it's brilliant, often not. We stopped providing the service as it's rarely requested and even less frequently recommended. Sowing damaged carpet is old school. Anything that requires sowing can be patch repaired with better results. So no, we don't offer this.


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Will you dispose of my old carpet or do I need to arrange this?

Yes we will. It's all part of the service. We work hard to reduce the amount of carpet that ends up in landfill with several different initiatives we are involved with. To name a few, we're active supporters of the SPCA, providing carpet mats for cats and kittens to enrich them through scratching! Another initiative is through the crimson project who are involved in planting native trees throughout NZ. We cut our otherwise landfill bound carpet into effective weed mats to support the growth of these native plantations.


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If I choose to replace my carpet, will there be any leftover for use as mats?

Yes. This is likely. Residential broadloom carpet is predominantly manufactured in two sizes of width - 3.66M or 4.0M. While carpet widths are somewhat standardised, room dimensions are not and this creates wastage. If you measure your house and determine you need 90sqm of carpet, you are going to need to order more than 90sqm of carpet to account for wastage. We use state of the art technology to reduce as much waste as humanly possible but frequently clients are left with mat sized offcuts and these are perfect to repurpose as mats.


Get a FREE quote

We offer free, on-site quotes for supply & installation. Get in touch to schedule your carpet appraisal. Our experienced team would be happy to answer any of your questions.

— Response within a day
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09 523 1847 office@carpetrepairs.co.nz

139 Station Rd, Penrose, Auckland