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Restoration Tour
Restorative work is possible for certain textiles depending on the damage in need of reversal or removal, and also depending on prior chemical or repair work already performed on the rug. We offer restorative services that are both wash and repair related.
WASH RELATED RESTORATION:
We are one of the few companies in the nation that offers Color Run Correction – where a rug that has been bled due to water exposure can have the damage lessened or removed. Not every rug is a candidate for this work, and some pieces improve better than others do. It depends on the country it’s from, the fibers used, the source of the color run (water, pet urine, coffee, bad cleaning, etc.), and whether there have been any corrective measures taken already.
Pet urine stains, because they are stains that go on hot and acidic, essentially re-dye the fibers and set it in the same step. This can lead to a color loss in some chemically treated rugs (such as Chinese rugs) that is irreversible … but in other rugs the urine stains the fibers yellow without loss of the original rug dye, and this makes stripping an option. With certain rugs pet urine stains can be chemically stripped to improve (and in some cases completely remove) the affected areas. Another potential problem with pet stains is that it can cause rug dyes to bleed (dye migration), and the acidity of the urine can set this dye bleed permanently. Occasionally this can be reversed with the color run removal process.
All rugs that are exposed to water unintentionally need to be sanitized to alleviate any mold or mildew growth that could lead to dry rot in the rug’s foundation. Whether by a flood, or a nearby planter that has leaked, the rug needs to be immersed in a sanitizing solution to remove anything that might cause problems in the future. We only handle rugs that have been involved in “clean” water floods. Any rugs involved in a “black” water flood (sewage) must be disposed of.
Over time wool exhibits a yellowing that is especially noticeable in off-white or ivory rugs. This can sometimes be lessened through a “whitening” process that uses a low concentration of hydrogen peroxide. The process is applied in phases to avoid damaging the fiber structure (high concentration hydrogen peroxide is sometimes used by inexperienced cleaners to quickly “whiten” cotton fringes … which can cause them to fall apart). Not every rug will respond to this treatment, but we will let you know if your rug is a candidate.
Red dye (and other food dyes) can sometimes be stripped from the fibers, though the longer the stain sits the more difficult the removal process is. Also, some chemically treated rugs (Chinese especially) cannot have this food dye stripped without the rug dye being stripped as well. Attempts will only be made on rugs that can be corrected safely.
If there is limited fringe damage (some torn tassels, but the entire end is not worn), then new tassels can be strung into the rug to replace the missing warp strands. Also, if you do not like the “look” of the replacement (prefabricated) fringe, this is an option.
Our weaving team has the ability to reweave many textiles, from holes in the field, to side and end reweaving, to replacing wool knots in worn areas. The cost and turnaround time varies with the type of materials and knot count.
Many times a patch is more preferable and cost-effective than reweaving a sizeable hole. The key is to secure the rug AND the patch individually so that they fit together tightly and will not come apart when placed back on the floor. The most important aspect of the patch is not the color, but the foundation structure. A tightly woven remnant used as a patch in a loosely woven rug will lead to it tearing away in the future. We locate a remnant that has a similar foundation structure first, and then we can alter the appearance with stitching and dyeing to help it “blend” in with the look of the rug it is being placed in. [This is technically considered "repair" rather than true "restoration" since the rug is not returned to its original condition, but rather made usable again.]
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