Area Rug Repair since 1881.
Professional repair for every type of area rug — hand-knotted, hand-tufted, machine-made, flat-weave, braided. Free pick-up across five metros.
Repairing area rugs continuously since 1881.
Repair craft passed down four generations of the same family.
Listed by the Oriental Rug Buyers Guide as one of the country's top rug authorities.
Accredited member of the Better Business Bureau, Memphis chapter.
"Area rug" is the catch-all term for any rug that sits loose on a floor — and the category covers an enormous range of constructions. A hand-knotted oriental rug, a hand-tufted designer piece from Pottery Barn or RH, a machine-made Karastan, a kilim flat-weave, a braided cotton rug, a jute natural-fiber piece — these are all area rugs, and they all develop different kinds of damage. The repair technique that works on one is often wrong for the others. The first step in any area rug repair is correctly identifying what we're repairing.
Fred Remmers Rug Cleaners has been repairing area rugs since 1881. Four generations of family training. We work on every common construction: hand-knotted oriental rugs (Persian, Turkish, Caucasian, Indian, Tibetan, Chinese), hand-tufted wool from designer brands and showrooms, machine-made wool and synthetic, hand-hooked, hand-braided, flat-weave (kilim, dhurrie, soumak), and natural-fiber pieces. Each repair starts with construction identification, damage assessment, and a written estimate explaining what's possible and what it costs.
The most common area rug repairs we perform are edge binding (fixing worn or unraveling edges), fringe repair or replacement (the structural foundation extending past the pile), hole and tear patching, hand-tufted backing repair (when the latex adhesive has failed), color restoration for faded areas, and pet, moth, and water damage repair. We tell clients honestly when a rug isn't worth repairing economically — for some inexpensive synthetic rugs, replacement is the right answer. For everything else, repair almost always makes more sense than replacement.
The work we do most often.
These are the repairs that come through our workshop most frequently. Each requires construction-specific technique.
Edge binding & selvage
The rug's edges always wear before the body. We rebind worn edges using cotton, wool, or synthetic binding matched to the rug's finish, or rebuild traditional selvage on hand-knotted pieces.
Fringe repair & replacement
Fringe is structural foundation extending beyond the pile. Damaged fringe is secured, repaired, or replaced — never just trimmed off, which compromises structure.
Hole & tear patching
Holes filled by hand reweaving (hand-knotted), backing patching (hand-tufted), or matched-material insertion (machine-made). Done correctly, the repair is invisible from the front.
Hand-tufted backing repair
When the latex adhesive backing fails, pile starts releasing. We can reapply adhesive and reattach pile in many cases, or fully rebuild the backing for valuable pieces.
Color restoration
Sun-faded or worn color areas restored with hand-dyeing methods that match the original. Used for spot correction, not full re-coloring.
Pet, moth & water damage
The most common damage we see. Pet urine attacks dyes and foundation; moths eat wool fibers; water causes color run and structural damage. Each requires specific repair approach.
Construction-specific repair, step by step.
1. Construction identification
Determine exactly what we're working on — hand-knotted, hand-tufted, machine-made, flat-weave, hooked, braided, natural fiber. Each gets a different approach.
2. Damage assessment & estimate
Document damage with photographs, identify all repair needs, write a detailed estimate with options when appropriate. Honest pricing up front.
3. Material matching
Source or hand-dye wool, source matching binding, identify replacement materials for backings or foundations as needed.
4. Repair work
Hand reweaving, backing reattachment, edge rebuilding, fringe work — using the technique appropriate for the specific construction.
5. Edge & finish work
Final edge work and any fringe touch-up to integrate the repair with the rest of the rug.
6. Final inspection & clean
Final inspection by a senior craftsperson. Most repairs are paired with cleaning so the new work integrates with the existing rug.
Area rug repair across 5 metros.
Hand reweaving and restoration for area rugs in every market we serve. Free pick-up, free delivery.
Frequently asked questions.
Do you repair every type of area rug?
Can you re-bind the edges of an area rug?
My hand-tufted rug is shedding badly. Can it be repaired?
Can you repair holes or tears in an area rug?
How much does area rug repair cost?
Available across five metros.
Free pick-up and delivery in every city we serve. Tap a city for local details and your nearest phone number.