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| Carpet Repair in Phoenix AZ metro area |
Southwest Image Cleaning, P.O. Box 52913 Mesa, AZ 85208-0146
(Phone) 480.988.6402 or toll free 1-866-988-6402 (fax) 480.718.7730 (e-mail)
info@sicleaning.com Paul Fratella Owner (cell) 480.444.8693
(Phone) 480.988.6402 or toll free 1-866-988-6402 (fax) 480.718.7730 (e-mail)
info@sicleaning.com Paul Fratella Owner (cell) 480.444.8693
-Pet stain repairs and odor repair
-Pet bites, holes, and tears
-Cat claw holes and loose fibers
-Burn holes and burn repairs from
cigarettes and candles
-Rust and permanent stain transfer
repairs
-Ruffled carpet, wavy carpet, loose carpet
-Carpet seams and fixing loose carpet
seams
-Flood repair and flood repair replacement
-Carpet snag removal
-Carpet bleach repairs
-Permanent carpet stains- Kool-Aid,
Lipstick and more
-Carpet ripple repair
-Carpet bulge repair
-Carpet threshhold additions between
rooms
-Carpet matching
-Melted carpet
-Carpets detached from tack strips
-Replacing tack strips and rotted tack
strips
-Carpet repairs on exposed seams
-Pet bites, holes, and tears
-Cat claw holes and loose fibers
-Burn holes and burn repairs from
cigarettes and candles
-Rust and permanent stain transfer
repairs
-Ruffled carpet, wavy carpet, loose carpet
-Carpet seams and fixing loose carpet
seams
-Flood repair and flood repair replacement
-Carpet snag removal
-Carpet bleach repairs
-Permanent carpet stains- Kool-Aid,
Lipstick and more
-Carpet ripple repair
-Carpet bulge repair
-Carpet threshhold additions between
rooms
-Carpet matching
-Melted carpet
-Carpets detached from tack strips
-Replacing tack strips and rotted tack
strips
-Carpet repairs on exposed seams
| We will come to your house for a free carpet cleaning or carpet repair estimate. |
| 1-Year Carpet Repair Guarantee We make sure you're happy with the carpet repair provided. When you call to schedule your free Carpet Repair Estimate, ask us for details on our Carpet Repair Guarantee. |
First... call your homeowner's insurance company!
Just checking. Most insurance policies cover damage to carpets. If the burn is in an area or of an extent that
repair is impractical or impossible, they may foot the bill for a new carpet!
METHODS OF REPAIR... only a little sleight of hand, some GOOP, and luck separate you from success
1) The "Shaving" Method
You can sometimes improve the appearance of the carpet by using a razor blade and carefully shaving off the
melted ends, taking off as little material as you can. This works best with shags and dense carpets, but only if
the burn is not too deep.
1) The "Hair Club for Men" Method
Find an area that you can "borrow" some fibers, such as the inside of a closet, under a radiator, or, better yet, a
remnant from the original installation. Using a razor, trim the damaged area down to the backing. Using a
toothpick or very small flat screwdriver, apply a waterproof adhesive, such as GOOP, carefully onto the backing.
Do not get any on the surrounding fibers or you'll glue them together! Press the strands of fiber into the GOOP.
Let the GOOP dry for 24 hours. If necessary, carefully trim the glued-in fibers back to the level of the carpet.
If you have an aversion to using a solvent based product, you can use a clear latex adhesive caulk. I prefer the
GOOP because it has more initial tackiness and is more indestructible when dry.
1) The "PLUG" Method
This method involves completely cutting out the damaged carpet and replacing it with a new piece. Before you
start, be aware that if your carpet has faded or is very worn, the patch may be noticeable. So do the smallest
patch you can to improve your chances of aesthetic success. A triangle is better than a rectangle for little
patches. It's just easier to cut and easier to reproduce for your patching piece.
Carpet does have a grain. You can see it when you vacuum... ever notice how the carpet "smooths" out when
you put the vacuum in one direction, and seems to fluff up when you move in another direction? That is the
grain, caused by manufacturing methods. This is more pronounced on some carpets than others, and you
should observe your own carpet to see if you need to orient the patch to match the existing grain.
Many repair articles tell you to use carpet tape for this repair. Good idea if you are doing a large patch, but most
patches are small, so by the time you try to force the tape through a little hole, it is a balled up useless clot of
hair, dirt, and carpet fibers. If the hole is near enough to a wall so that a little rollback of the carpet is possible,
use the carpet tape. If not, use good old GOOP! There is a second reason not to use the tape. Self-stick
carpet tape is less moisture resistant than GOOP, so future carpet cleaning may cause a taped patch to release.
NOTE: I do not recommend rolling back carpets any more than a few feet because you may cause "ripples" in
the carpet, necessitating restretching. So consider rolling back the carpet as a second, not a first, choice.
Cut your triangle around the damaged area of the carpet, and size your patch to be just slightly larger or the
same size... never smaller. You want the fibers to bunch a little. Cut a small piece of burlap (or other heavy
fabric) at least an inch larger than the repair area. The purpose of the fabric is to back up the adhesive so that
the patch doesn't stick to the floor underneath or the carpet padding. To get the fabric in place, carefully lift the
carpet up from the lining by carefully pulling surrounding fibers with a pliers. Then push it through the hole.
Center it under the repair area.
Once the fabric is in place, and you have test fitted the patch and are satisfied with the appearance, start gluing
by first applying GOOP to the fabric to seal it to the carpeting. Work a little under the carpet with a small
screwdriver, toothpick, or other nonprofessional tool. DO NOT PUT ADHESIVE ON THE PATCH, ONLY ON THE
FABRIC AND EDGES OF THE CUTOUT IN THE CARPET!! Press the patch in place, get it just where you want it,
and stand a chair over the top of it to remind you not to disturb it for at least 24 hours, and not wash or fuss with
it for at least 48 hours.
In closing, the only "trick" with this type of desperation repair is to not cause more damage than you already
have. Remove as little material as you can and keep the glue off the face of the surrounding carpet. The Vegas
odds for a visually pleasing repair decrease with the height of the pile and the age of the carpet, so you can
expect to improve the look... just don't expect miracles.
Just checking. Most insurance policies cover damage to carpets. If the burn is in an area or of an extent that
repair is impractical or impossible, they may foot the bill for a new carpet!
METHODS OF REPAIR... only a little sleight of hand, some GOOP, and luck separate you from success
1) The "Shaving" Method
You can sometimes improve the appearance of the carpet by using a razor blade and carefully shaving off the
melted ends, taking off as little material as you can. This works best with shags and dense carpets, but only if
the burn is not too deep.
1) The "Hair Club for Men" Method
Find an area that you can "borrow" some fibers, such as the inside of a closet, under a radiator, or, better yet, a
remnant from the original installation. Using a razor, trim the damaged area down to the backing. Using a
toothpick or very small flat screwdriver, apply a waterproof adhesive, such as GOOP, carefully onto the backing.
Do not get any on the surrounding fibers or you'll glue them together! Press the strands of fiber into the GOOP.
Let the GOOP dry for 24 hours. If necessary, carefully trim the glued-in fibers back to the level of the carpet.
If you have an aversion to using a solvent based product, you can use a clear latex adhesive caulk. I prefer the
GOOP because it has more initial tackiness and is more indestructible when dry.
1) The "PLUG" Method
This method involves completely cutting out the damaged carpet and replacing it with a new piece. Before you
start, be aware that if your carpet has faded or is very worn, the patch may be noticeable. So do the smallest
patch you can to improve your chances of aesthetic success. A triangle is better than a rectangle for little
patches. It's just easier to cut and easier to reproduce for your patching piece.
Carpet does have a grain. You can see it when you vacuum... ever notice how the carpet "smooths" out when
you put the vacuum in one direction, and seems to fluff up when you move in another direction? That is the
grain, caused by manufacturing methods. This is more pronounced on some carpets than others, and you
should observe your own carpet to see if you need to orient the patch to match the existing grain.
Many repair articles tell you to use carpet tape for this repair. Good idea if you are doing a large patch, but most
patches are small, so by the time you try to force the tape through a little hole, it is a balled up useless clot of
hair, dirt, and carpet fibers. If the hole is near enough to a wall so that a little rollback of the carpet is possible,
use the carpet tape. If not, use good old GOOP! There is a second reason not to use the tape. Self-stick
carpet tape is less moisture resistant than GOOP, so future carpet cleaning may cause a taped patch to release.
NOTE: I do not recommend rolling back carpets any more than a few feet because you may cause "ripples" in
the carpet, necessitating restretching. So consider rolling back the carpet as a second, not a first, choice.
Cut your triangle around the damaged area of the carpet, and size your patch to be just slightly larger or the
same size... never smaller. You want the fibers to bunch a little. Cut a small piece of burlap (or other heavy
fabric) at least an inch larger than the repair area. The purpose of the fabric is to back up the adhesive so that
the patch doesn't stick to the floor underneath or the carpet padding. To get the fabric in place, carefully lift the
carpet up from the lining by carefully pulling surrounding fibers with a pliers. Then push it through the hole.
Center it under the repair area.
Once the fabric is in place, and you have test fitted the patch and are satisfied with the appearance, start gluing
by first applying GOOP to the fabric to seal it to the carpeting. Work a little under the carpet with a small
screwdriver, toothpick, or other nonprofessional tool. DO NOT PUT ADHESIVE ON THE PATCH, ONLY ON THE
FABRIC AND EDGES OF THE CUTOUT IN THE CARPET!! Press the patch in place, get it just where you want it,
and stand a chair over the top of it to remind you not to disturb it for at least 24 hours, and not wash or fuss with
it for at least 48 hours.
In closing, the only "trick" with this type of desperation repair is to not cause more damage than you already
have. Remove as little material as you can and keep the glue off the face of the surrounding carpet. The Vegas
odds for a visually pleasing repair decrease with the height of the pile and the age of the carpet, so you can
expect to improve the look... just don't expect miracles.
480.988.6402
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
GLOSSARY
CARPET CARE
Bonnet Cleaning
The bonnet method of carpet cleaning utilizes a low-speed rotary floor scrubber and a fabric disk (usually cotton) called a bonnet. A special
cleaning solution is applied to one area of the carpeting at a time, which is then "massaged" with the bonnet mounted floor machine.
The massaging and chemical action actually frees the soil, much of which is absorbed into the bonnet. When dry, the carpet is thoroughly
vacuumed to remove any remaining soil and crystallized chemical. The bonnet cleaning process works well for light and medium duty
"maintenance" cleaning.
Hot Water Extraction
Hot water extraction, sometimes (erroneously) called "steam cleaning", uses a pressure nozzle to propel solutions (cleaning; deodorizing;
fungicidal, among others) into the carpet, followed with a vacuum wand that removes the moisture and suspended dirt. This method is
accepted as being the most effective at pulling out deep soil, residual shampoo, and deep stains. With severely soiled carpets (usually
older ones) “wicking” can occur, which is the deep seated stain slowly rising up the fiber during the drying process. The solutions to
“wicking” are: (1) regular cleaning of carpets to avoid deep seated stain build-ups, (2) following the Hot Water Extraction with bonnet
cleaning for the areas where there is “wicking”.
FLOOR CARE (HARD FLOORS)
Burnish or Buff
To use a high-speed floor machine (generally 1,500 to 2,000 RPM) to polish an existing floor finish that is otherwise in good condition.
Modern acrylic polymer floor finishes require the modest heat developed by these high speed machines to actually recreate a smooth, and
shinny, floor finish. Older “wax” floor finishes (no longer used today) were much softer than modern finishes, and could be successfully
buffed with a low speed machine, but that is no longer applicable in the modern world.
Refinish (Scrub And Recoat)
This process, which uses a low speed floor-scrubbing machine to clean the top surface of existing finish, can only be done properly when
the existing finish is still in good condition, with no bare areas or yellowing along the edges. After the machine scrubbing has been
completed, new layers of finish are then applied over the existing finish. This process, also sometimes called "top coating", is an excellent
maintenance procedure and has the advantage of being cheaper than doing a complete “strip and refinish”.
Strip And Refinish
The process of stripping, uses a chemical stripper along with an abrasive pad on a low speed scrubbing machine, to completely remove
all old floor finish. After the floor is completely stripped, then new layers of new floor finish are applied. The number of new layers of floor
finish depends on the type of floor, the porosity of the floor and the anticipated traffic in that area.
Generally, furniture should not be replaced on the floor within about 12 hours of application of the final coat of finish. Though the finish may
be dry enough to walk on within about an hour or so, complete curing takes longer. Heavy items may stick to the finish if replaced too soon.
"Wax"
Many people still refer to today’s modern floor finishes, as wax, but that’s not accurate. Wax is a naturally occurring substance that comes
from many sources. Waxes, which were soft and not very durable, have been replaced with modern synthetic polymer floor finishes that
often contain additives that enhance durability, slip resistance and appearance.
GENERAL JANITORIAL
Back-Pack Vacuum
The modern back-pack vacuum straps onto the janitors back and is much faster and more versatile than the old upright vacuum. Typically,
back-packs are more powerful and equipped with better filtering systems that the standard vacuum. When necessary, back-pack vacuums
can also be equipped with accessory “beater-bar” wands, though for most commercial applications that’s not necessarily beneficial.
Janitors equipped with these modern back-packs can not only more easily reach hard to clean areas they can also clean more quickly,
which is ultimately a cost saving feature for the customer.
Day Porter
Day Porters are janitorial personnel that work on premises during the normal work hours. Typically Day Porters have specific ongoing
cleaning tasks, such as inspecting restrooms, wiping down lunch areas, restocking paper products as well as handling emergency clean-
up situations. Many larger businesses find it beneficial, and ultimately more cost efficient, to utilize the service of a Day Porters.
Scale (Acid Scrub)
Hard water deposits are common in the Phoenix area and are typically removed from fixtures with a very mild acid based product especially
designed for that application. A more efficient way to handle hard water deposits is by not letting them occur by using a cleaning solution
that is designed to eliminate deposits during the regular cleaning process. Proctor and Gambles Cometâ is such a product.
When scale has been allowed to build up over time, as sometimes can be evident on ceramic tile floors, it tends to lock both soil and
bacteria into the pores of the grout. When this has occurred, the area needs to be de-scaled. This involves the application of a dilute acid
rinse, (most often phosphoric acid) and then the scrubbing of that area with a low speed floor machine equipped with a special brush.
This process will remove the built-up scale, oil and soil, although because grout is porous, it may have already acquired permanent stains.
Team Cleaning
The term “Team Cleaning” is used to differentiate the organized approach to cleaning from the “helter-skelter” approach that can occur with
untrained janitors. Team cleaning equips and trains janitorial specialists, each performing specific tasks. Team cleaning allows each
crew member to become proficient at certain tasks and gets the team through a given area faster and more efficiently. Ultimately, team
cleaning, benefits customers with facilities that are cleaned better and at a lower cost. Ideally, every facility should have a customized team
cleaning approach developed to insure that specific customer requirements are met consistently and efficiently.
GLOSSARY
CARPET CARE
Bonnet Cleaning
The bonnet method of carpet cleaning utilizes a low-speed rotary floor scrubber and a fabric disk (usually cotton) called a bonnet. A special
cleaning solution is applied to one area of the carpeting at a time, which is then "massaged" with the bonnet mounted floor machine.
The massaging and chemical action actually frees the soil, much of which is absorbed into the bonnet. When dry, the carpet is thoroughly
vacuumed to remove any remaining soil and crystallized chemical. The bonnet cleaning process works well for light and medium duty
"maintenance" cleaning.
Hot Water Extraction
Hot water extraction, sometimes (erroneously) called "steam cleaning", uses a pressure nozzle to propel solutions (cleaning; deodorizing;
fungicidal, among others) into the carpet, followed with a vacuum wand that removes the moisture and suspended dirt. This method is
accepted as being the most effective at pulling out deep soil, residual shampoo, and deep stains. With severely soiled carpets (usually
older ones) “wicking” can occur, which is the deep seated stain slowly rising up the fiber during the drying process. The solutions to
“wicking” are: (1) regular cleaning of carpets to avoid deep seated stain build-ups, (2) following the Hot Water Extraction with bonnet
cleaning for the areas where there is “wicking”.
FLOOR CARE (HARD FLOORS)
Burnish or Buff
To use a high-speed floor machine (generally 1,500 to 2,000 RPM) to polish an existing floor finish that is otherwise in good condition.
Modern acrylic polymer floor finishes require the modest heat developed by these high speed machines to actually recreate a smooth, and
shinny, floor finish. Older “wax” floor finishes (no longer used today) were much softer than modern finishes, and could be successfully
buffed with a low speed machine, but that is no longer applicable in the modern world.
Refinish (Scrub And Recoat)
This process, which uses a low speed floor-scrubbing machine to clean the top surface of existing finish, can only be done properly when
the existing finish is still in good condition, with no bare areas or yellowing along the edges. After the machine scrubbing has been
completed, new layers of finish are then applied over the existing finish. This process, also sometimes called "top coating", is an excellent
maintenance procedure and has the advantage of being cheaper than doing a complete “strip and refinish”.
Strip And Refinish
The process of stripping, uses a chemical stripper along with an abrasive pad on a low speed scrubbing machine, to completely remove
all old floor finish. After the floor is completely stripped, then new layers of new floor finish are applied. The number of new layers of floor
finish depends on the type of floor, the porosity of the floor and the anticipated traffic in that area.
Generally, furniture should not be replaced on the floor within about 12 hours of application of the final coat of finish. Though the finish may
be dry enough to walk on within about an hour or so, complete curing takes longer. Heavy items may stick to the finish if replaced too soon.
"Wax"
Many people still refer to today’s modern floor finishes, as wax, but that’s not accurate. Wax is a naturally occurring substance that comes
from many sources. Waxes, which were soft and not very durable, have been replaced with modern synthetic polymer floor finishes that
often contain additives that enhance durability, slip resistance and appearance.
GENERAL JANITORIAL
Back-Pack Vacuum
The modern back-pack vacuum straps onto the janitors back and is much faster and more versatile than the old upright vacuum. Typically,
back-packs are more powerful and equipped with better filtering systems that the standard vacuum. When necessary, back-pack vacuums
can also be equipped with accessory “beater-bar” wands, though for most commercial applications that’s not necessarily beneficial.
Janitors equipped with these modern back-packs can not only more easily reach hard to clean areas they can also clean more quickly,
which is ultimately a cost saving feature for the customer.
Day Porter
Day Porters are janitorial personnel that work on premises during the normal work hours. Typically Day Porters have specific ongoing
cleaning tasks, such as inspecting restrooms, wiping down lunch areas, restocking paper products as well as handling emergency clean-
up situations. Many larger businesses find it beneficial, and ultimately more cost efficient, to utilize the service of a Day Porters.
Scale (Acid Scrub)
Hard water deposits are common in the Phoenix area and are typically removed from fixtures with a very mild acid based product especially
designed for that application. A more efficient way to handle hard water deposits is by not letting them occur by using a cleaning solution
that is designed to eliminate deposits during the regular cleaning process. Proctor and Gambles Cometâ is such a product.
When scale has been allowed to build up over time, as sometimes can be evident on ceramic tile floors, it tends to lock both soil and
bacteria into the pores of the grout. When this has occurred, the area needs to be de-scaled. This involves the application of a dilute acid
rinse, (most often phosphoric acid) and then the scrubbing of that area with a low speed floor machine equipped with a special brush.
This process will remove the built-up scale, oil and soil, although because grout is porous, it may have already acquired permanent stains.
Team Cleaning
The term “Team Cleaning” is used to differentiate the organized approach to cleaning from the “helter-skelter” approach that can occur with
untrained janitors. Team cleaning equips and trains janitorial specialists, each performing specific tasks. Team cleaning allows each
crew member to become proficient at certain tasks and gets the team through a given area faster and more efficiently. Ultimately, team
cleaning, benefits customers with facilities that are cleaned better and at a lower cost. Ideally, every facility should have a customized team
cleaning approach developed to insure that specific customer requirements are met consistently and efficiently.
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