Oriental Rug Repair in Chicago
Frayed fringe, loose edges, moth holes, tears. We fix them by hand in our own workshop, and you get the price before any work starts. Pickup and delivery are free.
4.96 on Google from 23 reviewsRead themSmall Damage Doesn't Stay Small
On a hand-knotted rug, the fringe isn't decoration. It's the end of the foundation the whole rug is woven onto. Once it starts to go, the rug can begin to unravel from the end. Loose side cords, moth holes and tears spread the same way, and the longer they wait, the bigger (and pricier) the repair gets.
We've been repairing and cleaning rugs in Chicago since 1989. Repairs are done by Arvy and his team, by hand, in our own workshop on N Christiana Ave in Albany Park. Nothing gets shipped out, and we look the rug over and give you a price before we touch it.
Want to see what this kind of work looks like? Read our fringe repair guide or browse repair and restoration before-and-afters.
35+
Years working on rugs
The Damage We Fix Most
Wool, silk, antique or newer. If it's woven, it can usually be fixed.
Fringe repair and replacement
Worn, browned or missing fringe. We secure the ends so they stop unraveling, rebuild lost foundation threads, and add new fringe blended to match.
How fringe repair worksSide cords and edges
The side cords hold the long edges together. When they wear through, the edge starts to come apart, so we rewrap or rebuild them to match the rug.
Holes and tears
We rebuild the foundation and knot new wool into the gap by hand, matching the color and weave so it blends into the pattern.
Moth damage
Moth larvae eat the wool from underneath, often under furniture or in a closet. We reweave the damage, and moth treatment stops it coming back.
About moth treatmentBinding for machine-made rugs
Loose or fraying edges on machine-made rugs can be bound so they stop spreading.
Color problems
Bleach spots, faded patches or a stain that dyed the fibers are a color job, not a structural one. We do that too.
About color restorationOur shop is in Albany Park, so Irving Park, North Park and Lincoln Square are right next door. We pick up from all over Chicago and the suburbs too, including Arlington Heights, Northbrook, Skokie, Evanston, Mundelein and Clarendon Hills. Don't see your area? Contact us, we might be going your way.
How a Repair Works
- 1
We look it over and quote it
Arvy or someone on his team checks how the rug is built, the fibers, and how far the damage reaches. Then you get a price and a timeline. Nothing starts until you say yes.
- 2
Stop the damage spreading
Loose ends and edges get secured first, so the rug stops unraveling.
- 3
Rebuild what's missing
Lost foundation threads are rebuilt, and holes are rewoven knot by knot to match the color and weave.
- 4
Finish the ends
New fringe is added and blended in, or the existing fringe is tidied and secured.
- 5
Clean and return
Most rugs then go through our cleaning too, so they come back fixed and clean.
Repair, Restoration or Cleaning?
People mix these up all the time, and that's fine. Here's the short version:
- CleaningFor a rug that's structurally fine but dirty, stained or smelly. More
- RepairFor physical damage: fringe, side cords, holes, tears and moth damage.
- Color restorationFor color damage: bleach spots, sun fading, stains that dyed the fibers. More
Plenty of rugs need two of the three. We'll tell you what yours actually needs when we look at it.
Repair or Replace?
If the rug is hand-knotted and you love it, repair usually makes sense. A comparable new hand-knotted rug usually costs a lot more than fixing yours, and a new rug won't have the history yours has.
If it's an inexpensive machine-made rug with major damage, fixing it may not be worth it. We'll tell you that honestly when we look at it.
Either way, don't wait on it. A loose edge or a bit of missing fringe is a small job today and a much bigger one in a year.
50%+
Typical savings vs. replacing
100%
Character kept
A few days
Simple re-fringing
2-4 weeks
Bigger reweaving jobs
Free
Estimate, pickup and delivery
Questions About Rug Repair
The things people ask us most. Anything else, just ask us.
Further reading: How Oriental rugs are made (Wikipedia)
Got a Rug That Needs Fixing?
Send us a photo of the damage, call, or fill out the form. The estimate is free, and so are pickup and delivery.