Oriental Rug Repair & Restoration in San Francisco

What We Can Repair

Hand-knotted rugs are surprisingly repairable. A rug that looks "destroyed" to an untrained eye is often completely restorable by a master weaver — it's just a question of time, skill, and the right materials. In nearly two decades, we've seen rugs written off as lost causes brought back to full function and beauty.

Common problems we fix:

Fringe damage. Torn, knotted, shredded, or missing fringe is one of the most common repair requests. The fringe isn't decorative — it's the continuation of the warp threads that hold the rug together. Damaged fringe can unravel into the body of the rug over time. We repair, reweave, or replace fringe to match the original style.

Edge and selvage wear. The edges of oriental rugs are wrapped in tight overcast stitching called selvage. When this wears away, the edges of the rug start to unravel and the corners curl. We rewrap and reweave damaged edges to match the original construction.

Holes and tears. A hole in a hand-knotted rug — whether from pets, furniture, moths, or accidents — can be rewoven knot by knot by a master weaver. We match fiber, dye, and knot count to the surrounding area so the repair is nearly invisible. Small holes take hours. Large holes can take days or weeks. Either way, most holes can be fixed.

Moth damage. Wool moths create small bald patches, often invisible from the top but detectable when you feel the pile. Moth damage gets worse if untreated — the larvae continue eating until nothing is left. We stop active moth activity, treat the rug, and reweave damaged areas.

Water damage. Flooded rugs, washing machine overflows, burst pipes, and leaks all cause specific kinds of damage to oriental rugs — dye bleeding, foundation weakness, mold, and mildew. We offer emergency water damage restoration services. Call us within 48 hours of the incident for the best chance of full recovery.

Pet damage. Chewed corners, scratched edges, stained areas with fiber damage. Most pet damage can be repaired, though severe cases may require extensive reweaving. We'll tell you honestly what we think we can restore.

Burns and scorches. Cigarettes, candles, fireplaces, and radiators can burn oriental rugs. Surface burns can often be clipped and blended invisibly. Deep burns require reweaving the damaged section.

Color fading. Sun fading is one of the hardest problems to fix because you can't add color back to faded fibers. But we can sometimes improve faded rugs through selective re-dyeing, careful cleaning, and in severe cases, strategic reweaving. We'll tell you honestly what's possible.

Stretching and distortion. Rugs that have been improperly stored, rolled too tightly, or laid over uneven floors can become distorted. We can often re-block these rugs — stretching them back to their original shape and re-securing them — as part of a cleaning and repair project.

What We Restore

Restoration is different from repair. Repair fixes a specific problem; restoration brings an entire rug back to life. For antique rugs and heirloom pieces with multiple issues, we offer full restoration services.

A full restoration might include:

• Complete hand washing and decontamination
• Moth treatment and pest control
• Reweaving of all damaged areas (holes, worn pile, edge damage)
• Fringe reconstruction
• Selvage re-wrapping
• Color restoration and re-dyeing where appropriate
• Structural reinforcement of weak foundations
• Final blocking to restore original dimensions
• Documentation with before/after photos

Restoration projects can take weeks to months depending on scope. For significant antique rugs, this is an investment — often thousands of dollars for the full process. But the alternative is losing the rug entirely. For a $20,000 family heirloom, a $3,000 restoration is obvious math. For a $500 rug, it may not be. We'll help you think through the numbers honestly before any work begins.

Our Repair Process

Every repair project starts the same way:

Step 1: Free In-Home or In-Shop Inspection

For valuable pieces, we come to your home to inspect the rug in place. For smaller repairs, you can bring the rug to our Sacramento Street shop. Either way, the inspection is free and there's no commitment.

Step 2: Damage Assessment

We examine the rug carefully — not just the visible damage, but the surrounding fibers, foundation, and structure. A small hole in the pile might be connected to a larger weakness in the foundation that also needs attention. We want to identify everything before we write the estimate.

Step 3: Written Estimate

We give you a written estimate listing every aspect of the proposed repair, the expected cost, and the projected timeline. We also tell you honestly what we think we can and can't achieve — not every repair can be invisible, and we'd rather set realistic expectations than surprise you later.

Step 4: Your Decision

You review the estimate and decide whether to proceed. There's no pressure, no commitment, and no charge if you decide not to move forward.

Step 5: The Work

Once you authorize the work, the rug goes to our master weavers. For complex repairs, we may provide progress photos along the way. For restoration projects, we may invite you to see the rug mid-project.

Step 6: Delivery and Inspection

When the work is complete, we deliver the rug back to your home (or shop) and walk you through what we did. You approve the work, sign off, and we settle up.

What You Get

Included in every repair project
Free initial inspection	✓
Written estimate before work begins	✓
Master-level hand weaving	✓
Color-matched thread (when required)	✓
Progress updates on longer projects	✓
Before/after documentation photos	✓
Final inspection with you before delivery	✓
Full insurance coverage during service	✓
Free pickup and delivery (SF + East Bay)	✓

Why Repair Instead of Replace?

For many of our clients, this is the first question: "Is it worth repairing, or should I just buy a new rug?"

The honest answer depends on the rug. Here's how we think about it:

Repair is usually worth it if:

• The rug has sentimental value (family heirloom, inherited piece)
• The rug has significant market value (antique, rare pattern, fine workmanship)
• The damage is localized, not widespread
• The rug's structural foundation is still sound
• A replacement would cost significantly more than the repair

Replacement might make more sense if:

• The rug is a low-cost machine-made piece without sentimental value
• The damage is extensive (large areas need full reweaving)
• The foundation is too weak to support new weaving
• The repair cost exceeds the rug's current value and you're not attached to the piece

We'll give you an honest opinion. If we think your rug isn't worth repairing, we'll tell you — even though we lose the work. Our reputation is built on long-term honesty, not short-term revenue.

Common Repair Examples

Here are realistic examples of what different repairs look like:

Small fringe repair (1-2 hours of work)

What we see: A few inches of torn or loose fringe on one end of the rug. What we do: Reattach the damaged threads, reweave a small section of the edge to secure the fringe into the body, and rebalance the end so both sides look uniform. Timeline: 1-3 days. — fringe repair is the most common and affordable repair we do.

Small hole reweaving (4-8 hours of work)

What we see: A hole the size of a silver dollar, maybe caused by a pet, a piece of furniture, or moth damage. What we do: Clean and stabilize the damaged area, match the fiber and dye colors, reweave the missing knots one by one to match the surrounding pattern, and blend the repair into the original weave. Timeline: 1-2 weeks.

Edge reweaving (1-3 days of work)

What we see: One or both long edges of the rug have unraveled, with several inches of missing selvage and some pile damage at the edge. What we do: Stabilize the foundation, rewrap the edges with matching overcast stitching, and reweave the lost pile sections where needed. Timeline: 2-4 weeks.

Moth damage reweaving (days to weeks)

What we see: Multiple bald patches across a rug caused by wool moth larvae, often in areas that weren't walked on (under furniture, along edges). What we do: First, stop the active moth infestation with treatment. Then reweave every affected area one at a time, matching fiber, dye, and knot count. For extensive damage, this can take weeks. Timeline: 2-8 weeks depending on scope. Cost range: Quoted per project — ranges widely based on damage extent.

Full antique restoration (weeks to months)

What we see: A 100-year-old Persian with foundation weakness, color fading, multiple holes, extensive edge wear, and accumulated soil. What we do: Complete restoration — washing, decontamination, structural reinforcement, reweaving throughout, re-dyeing faded areas, fringe reconstruction, and final blocking. This is our highest level of service, and it's reserved for rugs that warrant the investment. Timeline: 2-6 months. Cost range: Quoted per project — typically thousands of dollars, but proportional to the rug's value and importance.

Emergency Water & Fire Damage

If your rug has been flooded, soaked, or exposed to fire or smoke — call us immediately. The first 24-48 hours are critical for saving water-damaged rugs. The longer wet wool sits, the worse the damage gets.

What we do for emergency cases:

1. Rapid response — we aim to pick up within 4-8 hours of your call during business hours
2. Stabilization — controlled drying to prevent dye bleeding and mildew
3. Deep cleaning — full hand wash to remove contaminants
4. Decontamination — treatment for bacteria, mold, and mildew
5. Damage assessment — documentation for insurance claims
6. Repair or restoration — as needed based on what survives
7. Insurance coordination — we work directly with insurance adjusters

Emergency cases are prioritized above routine work. Call (415) 567-1965 at any time during business hours, or leave a detailed message after hours and we'll return the call first thing the next morning.

Insurance Claims

We work regularly with homeowners insurance claims for rug damage. If your rug has been damaged in a covered incident (water, fire, theft, vandalism), we can:

• Provide written damage assessments for insurance adjusters
• Document pre- and post-damage condition
• Provide written estimates for repair or replacement
• Work directly with your insurance company's claims process
• Offer appraisal services for valuation disputes

Most insurance claims follow a similar path: adjuster inspection → assessment → estimate → approval → work. We can be the specialist consultant at every step, so you're not trying to navigate the process alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I know if my rug is worth repairing? A: Call us and describe what you have. For a photo assessment, you can text photos to (415) 567-1965 or fill out the form below. For in-person evaluation, we can come to your home or you can bring the rug to our shop. We'll give you an honest opinion before any work begins.

Q: How long does a repair take? A: Simple repairs (fringe, minor edge work): 1-3 days. Small reweaving projects: 1-2 weeks. Large repairs or multiple issues: 2-8 weeks. Full antique restoration: 2-6 months. We'll give you a realistic timeline at the start.

Q: Will the repair be visible? A: Our goal is to make repairs invisible or nearly so — we color-match fibers, match knot counts, and blend repairs into the original weave. For most repairs, you have to look carefully to find them. For very extensive damage on rugs with distinctive patterns, some repairs may be visible under close inspection. We'll tell you what to expect before we start.

Q: Do you clean the rug as part of repair work? A: Yes — most repair projects include a cleaning because damaged rugs are almost always dirty, and cleaning before repair lets us work on stable, debris-free fibers. The cleaning is included in the project estimate, not billed separately.

Q: What if I'm not happy with the repair? A: We stand behind our work. If a completed repair doesn't meet expectations, we'll work with you to make it right — whether that's additional weaving, a refund for the work that didn't meet expectations, or a different approach. Our reputation depends on customer satisfaction, not on defending work that didn't turn out well.

Q: Can you repair a rug that's been repaired by someone else (badly)? A: Usually yes. We see this fairly often — a previous repair that was too visible, used the wrong colors, or left the rug worse than before. We can often undo the bad repair and redo it properly. Bring the rug in for an assessment.

Q: What does restoration actually cost? A: It depends entirely on the rug and the scope. A small rug with limited damage might be $500-$1,500 to fully restore. A large antique with extensive damage can run $5,000-$15,000 or more. The rule of thumb: don't invest more in restoration than the rug's restored value. We'll help you think through the math honestly.

Schedule Your Free Inspection

Call us, come by the shop, or fill out the form below with photos and a brief description of the damage. We'll give you an honest opinion and a written estimate — no commitment, no pressure.

Call (415) 567-1965 or Request a Free Inspection

Visit our showroom: 3499 Sacramento Street, San Francisco Hours: Monday–Saturday, 10:00 AM to 5:45 PM

Related resources

• Rug Cleaning — our cleaning services
• Pricing — transparent rates
• Service Areas — neighborhoods and cities we serve
• Blog: How to Get Stains Out of an Oriental Rug
• Blog: How Oriental Rugs Are Made — understanding the craft