Any Carpet repair Experts out there??

[mattl]

At the moment I'm really upset and angry and instead of yelling at my father anymore tonight I'm going to try and post and calm down.

Here is the issue. My 93yo dad didn't quite make it to the bathroom in time tonight and messed the rug. OK, not nice but not a major problem. Instead of calling me from the other room to help clean it up he decided to do it himself. So right in the middle of the upper foyer area he poured toilet cleaner on the carpet. So now our nice beige carpet as a 8" pink blotch with a white center and a trail of little pink spots toward the bathroom. Has anyone had to repair spots like this? Any ideas how to salvage the carpet?

It's a very expensive carpet that is only 5 or 6 years old. My designer went to great trouble to find the right shade, even requesting cuts off the run to make sure the dye lot was correct. The upper hall area is a balcony, and he spilled cleaner in the center of an area that is about 7'x9'. The railing runs along here and the carpet is wrapped over the edge and all the spindles are cut into the carpet so it is not easy to replace a section. Plus,it runs down the stairs and is adjacent to the living room and needs to match. So I'd have to replace about 90 yards of carpet if I can't come up with a better solution..

I do have some carpet left from the install, but I don't know how large it is. Even if there was enough how do you blend new unused carpet with carpet that has a number of years of wear and make it look presentable? I have to believe this happens from time to time and there must be some options to make an acceptable repair.

How long do carpet companies keep colors? If I could find the same carpet, it a plush, Karastan if I recall, in a color very close to the original I could have the upper hall redone. It would have to be a very close match since the riser of the top stair would have to be done too. To complicate matters, my designer lost her job and mover to Tenn., so she would have no record of what the carpet is.

I'm really frustrated, he isn't the easiest person to live with but I don't have other options. He's a little senile but still functions pretty well. Caring for elderly parents can be a lot like having a 3 year old around, but you can't look forward to them learning things, just forgetting things.

 

[toggleswitch]

May G-d bless you and keep you for caring for your father.

Failing all other good options, is there a way to get an "artist" to make a design out of that area (i.e. make it look intentional) with the same product that killed it?

It's not at all funny now, but it will surely be a story to remember.

Good luck.

P.S. if it were a gay man, one could attach a bottle stopper/cork to a thong and secure the viaduct. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

(milligrams versus kilograms).

 

[ha_asfan]

The Carpet Issue

I deal in high end carpet and custom weaves/colors on a daily basis. Returning your carpet to it's original condition isn't going to happen. Getting close to the original isn't going to happen either without amazing luck. Cutting out the damaged area and inserting a patch is tedious and not much better than doing nothing. There is always fading of both the installed yardage and whatever you have left over as remnant. The goods will fade at different rates and only when cut and installed will you see the real distinctions. There will be scarring at the edges of the insert and unless the grain is matched, well, the patch may look worse than the damage. Chances are, the distributor whom your carpet was ordered from will have a record of the order. Karastan tends to keep both colors and styles in their line for a long time. Dye lots vary, a lot, so be sure to get a strikeoff. If there has been a good deal of fading, you may actually find that a different color may be a better match than the original color selection. Bottom line, short of replacing the entire area, you're pretty much going to be living with stained carpet. Usually, in this situation people go for large rugs to cover the damage. Of course, there are problems with loose rugs and tripping....if you have finished hardwood flooring under the carpet, you may want to expose that and not re carpet. Ninety yards of carpet should get you a "roll" price, talk to your carpet dealer about that. Carpet is sold in "rolls" and "cuts", cuts are always more costly.

 

[vinvac]

Matt,

If you have a large enough peice of carpet left, they should be able to patch that very well. If it is in a hallway, the sun will not have faded it and it should not be noticable when they are done, if you have a good carpet layer.

You did the right thing by walking away and posting, trying to regain your composure...you are a good man for caring for your father. As Toggle has stated, it will make a great story someday and you will be blessed for caring for you father.

Morgan

 

[cycla-fabric]

Did you think about trying Stanley Steamer they might be able to help you if you out

 

[ha_asfan]

more on carper fading

Just as an FYI, sun is not the only culprit in contributing to the fading of carpet, it is the most obvious. Out gassing is a major contributor to color fade. Colors are relatively stable but some are more stable than others. If there is a multi color carpet, the fugitive color will fade at a dramatically faster rate. Whether your house is exposed to more fresh air than recirculated air, what types of cleaners have been used on the carpet, how often has the carpet been vacuumed, what general chemical [cleaning compounds] are used in the house and in specific vicinity to the carpet. Reflected sunlight may be as damaging as direct sunlight, air exposure too. If the carpet is wool, cotton, a combo or a synthetic makes an enormous difference. The depth of the "plush" is a huge factor, too. The deeper the plush, the more difficult a color match will be. In my own home, a houseguest damaged some very expensive carpet by spraying herself with some type of body spray. The little tiny drops of mist which landed on the carpet caused the deep chocolate brown custom woven custom colored in Belgium carpet to blush pink. My only decision was whether or not I wanted to spend xxxxx dollars on replacement or to live with it. Every day, I grow more attached to that pink blush. On the up side of it all, it is amazing how much easier your life can become once you learn what issues are worth fretting over and which issues are best let go. LOL, i walk around all day reminding myself "let it go....let it go....."

 

[mattl]

Thanks...

Well I calmed down after posting, venting does help. I did a little research online and found a number of companies that claim they can get close to a good match with various products. Apparently bleach stains are not that uncommon. Has anyone had any experience with this?

I'll include a link to the do-it-yourself stuff, but I see various professional companies that do this sort of work.

http://www.bleachstain.com/servlet/StoreFront

 

[mattl]

Caring for parents

Caring for parents can be tedious at times, but it does have it's upside. I am lucky in two ways. My mother died 18 years ago of breast cancer. She beat advanced ovarian cancer and thought she beat breast cancer but after 5 years the breast cancer metastasized to her brain. It was rough watching her fall and loose abilities as the cancer progressed. At the time the cancer returned by job with a major retailer was eliminated so I was able to mange her medical care for the last year or so. My dad is poorly equipped to handle anything like that and the best gift that I got out of that experience was that there was nothing left unsaid between my mother and me, in a way it was a good death. She fought valiantly to her last breath.

One of the things she did in her last days was to apologize for leaving me to take care of and put up with my dad. As many fathers and sons do we had issues. I was angry with him for years, decades actually. Those first years after my mom's death were difficult. But in time I've come to know and understand him and the anger and resentment has gone. I know who he is and accept his limitations, he never was equipped to be a husband and father. He did what he had to do and made choices that I don't like but understand. Emotionally he was 13 at this best, and has gone downhill from there.

So, unlike my brother I've had the chance to resolve issues with both my parents. I'm in a better place emotionally for it, but it is still difficult to mange a stubborn 93 year old who thinks he can do the things he did at 60.

 

[frigilux]

You're so right, Matt; My mom and I had a contentious, wrecked relationship for many years, but when she was diagnosed with lung cancer just as I finished college, I moved home to take care of her. To give you an idea of how decimated our relationship was, I only went home once--for four days--the entire five years I was in college.

While our relationship never healed completely before she died, we were in a far, far better space than we had been for a long time. It's too bad it took her terminal illness to knock some sense into both of us, but that was the reality of the situation.

What you're doing is selfless and honorable---even if you feel like throttling him, occasionally!

 

[volvoguy87]

Rainbow Vacuum?

It might not be a bad idea to pick up a Rainbow vacuum cleaner if you can find a good one real cheap (new ones are just outrageously expensive). The water filter allows you to vacuum up both wet and dry and they have a carpet shampooer attachment that is pretty good. Because you must fill the water filter before vacuuming, drain it afterward, and allow the machine to dry fully, it may be too much of a pain in the neck for everyday use, although they do a great job and have the best filtration. Due to the nature of bathroom messes, a wet/dry house vacuum might be a good idea.

Hang in there,
Dave

 

[retro-man]

It sucks seeing your parents and other loved ones go on this long slow slide downhill. I took care of a favorite aunt who died of cancer in too many places to mention. My uncle just sat in his recliner and drank his vodka and beer. I bathed her gave her her meds and all else that goes with it. She let me know it was her time to go and she left within 3 hours. 4 days after my uncle has a massive stroke and recovers but has dementia. Took care of him for 2 years than he got lung cancer and had to be hospitalized and then back home for a short time then to a nursing home. Then my mother was hit while bike riding by a drunk teenager. She was in a comma for 3 months and almost in total vegetative state. My father was the working man who brought home the check and she did the rest. I had to move back home and take care of her and him. I had to show him how to cook, run the dishwasher, washer, dryer, and how to pay the bills. Mom passed away he remarried after 5 years and then after 10 years of marriage he got cancer in numerous places. His wife was in denial so off I go to Ohio to take care of him till his last day. It sucks to see what they were and what they became with the illnesses. It still breaks my heart to see my loved ones in the condition they were in. But you have to take into account their feelings that they had you there to help them through this time. That's why we have to live every day and enjoy it and make a difference in someones life. It only takes a couple of minutes to stop and help someone out. I have helped numerous people ie pulling them out of snowbanks with my truck and such and they try and pay me and I tell them, I took 5 minutes of my time to help you so instead of paying me you take 5 minutes and help someone else in need and so on to the next person. I guess this is part of life and you are lucky to have your parents and we should all try to make amends to those who have done some much for us, sort of like it the roles are reversed now. We are the parents of our parents. They taught us well thats why we are doing for them.
Jon

 

[washernut]

Matt
If you can't get a match on color to patch the carpet would it be feasible to find a contrasting color and just cut in a strip like a runner to make it look like it was meant to be that way?
Just a thought
Good Luck
Bill

 

[mattl]

Interesting thought, the runner idea might be an option. I've got a call into one of those color specialist who claim to be able to make a good match we'll see what they come up with.

 

[spaniel50]

Any carpet repair specialist

We built a new house last year and had over 2000 square feet of carpet. I started to notice several spots that looked like I had spilled clorox. It turned out my two old cocker spaniels were on a medicine that was causing the situation whenever they got there mouth on the carpet. I called a color specialist and he "redyed" the spots. I would say it was 85% corrected. I have had to have them back a second time for another spot. He gave the me choice of adding a patch or dying. I was much happier with the results of the redye. What's a guy to do when your pets get old! I now keep the cockers in the family room. It's not their fault and I can always replace a stupid carpet.

 

[oldhouseman]

Wow, Surprised

this is a human life you are talking about.

And you that are worried about CARPET?

I cared for my grandmother as she fell in my arms to die from a heart attack.

My mother was suffering from a brain tumor and blew her brains out as I opened the bedroom door.I was splattered with blood and bone fragments on my face.

You are worried about carpet?????

OK, I know caring for your Dad is hard. Very hard.

Replace the carpet if you have to.

Is the decor more important?

I have cared for family members dying that drove me to the edge but goddamn man, I valued their life over any object in the house, and made sure it was about taking care of them and not me or anything they shit on or broke.

I feel for you and have been in the same place.

My heart is with you.

Do what you need to do to make his last days good ones.

In the long run you will feel better for it.

My most loved Boxer lost her bowel movement on my best Persian rug. She was 15 and dying. The rug did not matter in that moment even if it did cost more than I care to remember. She was what counted.

When my mother was ill she made plenty of household errors.

Her life was what counted.

And I tried to make the best of it for her.

And she drove me crazy. I cried many days in private.

Hang in there and do your best to make his days good.

We may all in your fathers place someday.

Carpet.

Why carpet?

Wood floors with Persian and Oriental rugs are better. More stylish and better quality.

Bottom line,...look after your Dad as I know you are and working very hard at it. I was there and remember.

The carpet is minor when compared to your Dad's life.

My best wishes to you.


I understand your point. And he may be alot of trouble.

As it says in the Bible (and I am not a religious person)..it comes to pass, not to stay.

This will pass.

And your life will go on.

Also, you need to do things to take care of yourself. Being a care giver is not an easy task.

The stress of it can get to you.

Be good to your self and keep things in prospective.

Call on us here.

 

[mattl]

Oldhouseman, I agree that in the scheme of things it's not high on the scale, but it's just the latest in a series of things. Things that did not have to happen.

A couple of weeks ago my dad fell in the back entry. There is a step down and he blamed the metal edge on the step. Truth is he just didn't pick up his feet. While I was gone he took a hammer and beat the edge, so now it sticks up all along the edge and I'll have to replace it, no biggie, but in the process he also bashed up 3 ceramic tiles on the lower floor. Of course I can't match them after 20 years. Luckily I think I have some tile under the cabinet back there and might be able to replace the broken ones. He needs to use a cane because of balance issues, but he refuses, says he has to learn how to walk without one.

Right now I have a lot of stress, things other than this. You never know what it going to put you over the top. I vent to a couple of my cousins, my brother doesn't seem to care.

 

[sudsmaster]

Toggles you missed your cue

"As long as it matches the drapes, who cares?"

So dye the drapes ;-)

 

[oldhouseman]

Taking care of

an elderly parent can push you over the edge sometimes. And it is usually something small that is the final straw.

I remember when my mother was ill and her mind started to go she didn't remember who I was one day and pulled a revolver on me and barely missed shooting me. I felt the breeze of the bullet as it passed my face. That shook me up quiet a bit but I really lost it when she went in the kitchen one day "to make breakfast" at 4pm. She thought it was 20 years back and she was just getting up. She tried to make bread and had flour and buttermilk all over the counter and floor. She became frustrated and threw things around and made a horrible mess. I had to bath her and clean the kitchen. No sooner than I had finished she soiled the bed.

I hate to admit it but when she died I felt a strange sense of relief that the nightmare had ended. I mourned her loss and never told my brother or sister how she actually died. They assumed she died from the cancer and had not clue she took her own life. I didn't tell them because I had had enough and didn't want to deal with their reaction. I felt emotionally numb for about 5 years.

Matt, this will pass. Hang in there and take care of yourself. My heart is certainly with you. Please feel free to write me and vent anytime. I understand.

Greg