Vinyl Repair: From Floor to Furniture

Vinyl can be found in many different places around the home. It is used to make tough, durable floors, as well as beautiful, comfortable furniture. When it is damaged, however, many people are unaware of how to fix it. Vinyl repair is more feasible than some might think, and in many cases, it is a much better alternative to simply replacing the damaged item.

Vinyl Repairs for Flooring
It is certainly better to hire an experienced professional to repair or replace a large section of floor, but for small dents and scratches on a single tile, a contractor may not be necessary. If you have replacement tiles available (the first rule of installing any kind of tile is to buy extra specifically for this purpose), you can loosen the offending tile by heating it with a hair dryer, scrape away any old adhesive, and pop a new one in.

If the blemish is very small, you can often fill it yourself. Use acrylic paint of the same color as the tile and mix it with clear epoxy. Fill the hole or crack with the mixture and use a putty knife to remove the excess. Eight hours later, your floor will be ready to walk on.

Vinyl Repairs for Furniture
A quick fix for small holes, cuts, and rips in vinyl furniture can be accomplished using a vinyl repair kit. A basic kit should include a selection of colors as well as a selection of grains; simply match the grain and color, apply the adhesive to the cut or hole, and let it dry. The problem with these kits is that it can be difficult to match the color and grain exactly. If the damaged area is in a very visible spot, this solution might not be the best option.

When holes and rips are very large, before you replace the entire piece, it is wise to talk to a professional. People that specialize in vinyl repair can often fix damage that might look like a lost cause to an untrained eye. The service is, more often than not, significantly less expensive than buying a whole new piece of furniture.

Non-Cosmetic Vinyl Repairs
In some cases, vinyl repair is more a matter of function than it is aesthetics. A punctured waterbed, for example, can be fixed without worry of the mended area looking bad. In these cases, a simple patch kit can be used to fill the hole and extend the life of the item. This method also works well for inflatable items.

Vinyl Pool Liners
Pool liners, though built for durability, have been known to rip or tear. Repairing these tears is important not only to save water, but to keep the structure of the pool intact, as well. If a pool needs more than one inch of water added per week, it is very likely that you have a leak.

If you are lucky enough to see where water is leaking out, you can purchase a "wet" patch kit. This process is fairly simple and you can probably patch the liner yourself. Many times, however, the location of the leak will be difficult to identify. In these cases, the safest bet is to hire a professional.