Bind carpet yourself when the piece is small, flat and cut square, and a taped edge is all it needs. Anything big, round, thick or made of natural fiber is a job for a binding shop, and so is any finish that has to be sewn on, like real serging, a wide fabric border or leather.
Binding it yourself means peel-and-stick binding tape finished with a bead of hot glue. It suits doormats, basement rugs and other low-pile pieces with straight edges. The tools are scissors, a carpet knife and a glue gun, and the cut and the glue decide how long it lasts.
Having it bound by a shop means a binding machine sews the binding through the carpet backing, so stitching holds the edge all the way around. A shop can bind any size or shape, handles thick and natural-fiber carpet, and offers the full range of finishes, priced by the foot of edge. At Floor4Life in Sterling Heights, we offer carpet binding.
Neither one fits two jobs that look like binding jobs. A hand-knotted or antique rug that's being shortened needs its knots secured by hand along the new edge, which is restoration work. A frayed edge on wall-to-wall carpet at a doorway gets sealed and covered by a transition strip.
Size, shape and pile height decide most projects.
Your project | DIY or shop | What decides it |
|---|---|---|
Doormat or small remnant | DIY | Short, straight edges are easy to glue |
Basement or play rug, low pile | DIY, with care | Long glue lines take patience |
Small loop-pile or Berber piece | DIY, with a sealed edge | A cut loop can run along its row |
Room-size rug, 8 x 10 or larger | Shop | Heavy to handle; long edges show flaws |
Hall or stair runner | Shop | Long edges and daily foot traffic |
Round, oval or odd shape | Shop | Tape is hard to keep smooth on curves |
Thick plush, shag or frieze | Shop | The edge is beveled first |
Sisal, jute or seagrass | Shop | Usually gets a wide fabric border |
Machine-made rug cut down to size | Shop | The new edge is bound or serged |
Hand-knotted or antique rug | Hand restoration | Knots are secured along the cut |
Frayed wall-to-wall edge | Neither | Sealed and covered by a transition strip |
What carpet binding is and why a cut edge needs it
Carpet binding is a strip of tape, usually polyester or cotton, folded over the cut edge of a piece of carpet and sewn through the backing. About 1/4 to 3/8 inch of it shows on top, and it's normally matched to the most noticeable color in the carpet. It stops a cut edge from shedding tufts, keeps loop carpet from pulling out along its rows, and makes a piece of carpet look like a finished rug.
Serging does the same job with yarn. A serging machine wraps yarn tightly around the edge, like a hand whip stitch pulled very close together. In the UK the same yarn edge is usually called whipping, and in Australia and New Zealand it's overlocking. Peel-and-stick binding tape is the do-it-yourself version, glued on instead of sewn, and all of these also go by the name carpet edging.
Binding is for loose pieces: rugs cut from carpet, runners, mats and rugs cut down to size. A bound piece of carpet is, for every practical purpose, a rug. Wall-to-wall carpet is tucked at the walls and held under a transition strip at doorways, so its edges are rarely bound.
Can you bind carpet yourself?
Yes, you can bind carpet yourself, and there are three ways to do it without a binding machine. Peel-and-stick binding tape finished with hot glue is the easiest, since it needs only scissors, a knife and a glue gun.
Hand binding is the second way. A cloth tape is sewn on, or stapled and glued, with hidden stitches, then wrapped tight to the back. It gives the least visible edge of any method and takes the longest. Hand serging, wrapping yarn around the edge one stitch at a time, is slower still and suits only a small piece.
Your household sewing machine isn't the tool for it. Under the pile, carpet carries a latex layer and a secondary backing, and that stiff layer cake is what binding machines are built to sew through.
Pick a tape that suits the carpet. A cotton style looks right on wool or cotton carpet, and a synthetic style belongs on nylon, polyester or olefin (polypropylene). Tape is sold by the foot, by the roll and in starter kits.
How long a taped edge lasts
A taped edge lasts as long as its glue line, so run the bead unbroken all the way around. Instabind's maker says its regular style is tougher than traditional binding and reinforces the backing along the cut. For a mat that will go through the washer, it suggests gluing under the tape as well as along the edge, though it says it hasn't tested machine washing and recommends cleaning taped rugs instead. Binding that a shop sews on stays on for good, because it's stitched through the backing.
How to bind carpet edges with tape and hot glue
Every clean taped edge starts with a clean cut, and on loop carpet, with a sealed edge. Gather these before you start:
Binding tape for the whole perimeter, plus a little extra for the joint
A hot glue gun and latex-based hot-melt glue sticks
Carpet scissors, and a carpet knife or row cutter
A long straightedge
Latex seam sealer, if the carpet is loop pile or Berber
Mark the size you want on the floor with painter's tape, and live with it for a day before you cut.
Cut between two rows of tufts, with a row cutter (a blade that rides between the rows) from the top, or a knife along a straightedge. Mohawk's installation instructions call for cutting between rows and never through a loop. A cut loop can unravel along its whole row.
Snip loose yarn flush with scissors. Pulling a loose loop can start a run.
On loop pile or Berber, run a thin bead of latex seam sealer along the cut edge of the backing. Keep it off the pile and let it dry.
Start in the middle of one side. Peel back a few inches of the paper and press the tape to the back of the carpet, with its corded edge lined up on the cut edge.
Work around the piece in short sections, laying the tape on without stretching it. Stretched tape pulls the edge into waves.
At each corner, snip the flat part of the tape up to the cord, then overlap it as you round the corner.
When you're back at the start, cut the tape flush and glue the two ends together.
Run a 1/8-inch bead of hot glue into the gap between the cord and the carpet, a few inches at a time. Hold each section for a few minutes while it sets, and keep glue off the pile.
Turn the piece over and trim the tape's backing at a 45-degree angle so the back looks finished.
What a professional binding shop does differently
A professional binding shop sews the binding through the carpet backing with a binding machine, so the edge is held by stitching and any size or shape is possible. The operator walks a portable machine around the edge of a large rug, or the carpet is fed through a stationary machine on a big worktable.
Thick plush and shag usually get their edge beveled first, trimmed at an angle so the binding sits flat against the pile. Corners are locked with hot glue or staples. Round and oval rugs, runners and room-size pieces are routine machine work.
Standard tape binding is the everyday choice and the least expensive, and the other finishes cost more per foot and change the look.
Finish | What you see | DIY version |
|---|---|---|
Standard binding | Flat tape, about 1/4 to 3/8 inch on top | Peel-and-stick tape |
Serging (whipping, overlocking) | Yarn wrapped tightly around the edge | Serge-style tape, or hand serging |
Wide binding | A 3- or 5-inch fabric border | None |
Leather or faux leather | A heavier, tailored border | Faux leather tape |
Fringe | Tassels on the short ends | Fringe tape |
Hand binding | Nearly invisible, wrapped to the back | Yes, slowly |
Wide borders are the usual finish on sisal, jute and other natural-fiber rugs. They come with straight or mitered corners, and with a visible top stitch or a hidden blind stitch.
Is serging or binding better?
Neither is better across the board, because both are sewn on for good and both hold up. Binding frames the edge with a flat band of tape and is the less expensive finish. Serging wraps the edge in yarn so it blends into the rug, takes longer to sew, and usually costs about twice as much per foot as standard binding.
Whichever you choose, match the material to the carpet: cotton on wool or cotton carpet, and a synthetic on nylon, polyester or olefin. Our guide to choosing a carpet binding material goes through the options room by room.
Is a carpet binding machine worth buying?
No, not for a rug or two. Portable binding machines list at about $5,000 to $6,000 from Bond Products, which also makes Instabind, and its portable sergers list at more than $7,000. A machine only pays for itself if you'll bind carpet week in and week out.
How much does carpet binding cost?
Carpet binding is priced by the linear foot of edge, so the perimeter of your piece sets the bill. Standard synthetic tape is the least expensive finish per foot, cotton costs a little more, and serging, wide borders, leather and fringe cost more again. Thick pile that needs beveling, and extras such as cutting the piece to size, add to it. Give us the size, the carpet and the finish, and we'll price yours for free.
Work out the perimeter before you ask anyone for a price. For a rectangle it's twice the length plus twice the width, and for a round rug it's the diameter times 3.14.
Rug size | Feet of edge | Square feet |
|---|---|---|
2 x 3 ft | 10 | 6 |
3 x 5 ft | 16 | 15 |
4 x 6 ft | 20 | 24 |
5 x 8 ft | 26 | 40 |
6 x 9 ft | 30 | 54 |
8 x 10 ft | 36 | 80 |
9 x 12 ft | 42 | 108 |
10 x 14 ft | 48 | 140 |
2.5 x 8 ft runner | 21 | 20 |
6 ft round | About 19 | About 28 |
8 ft round | About 25 | About 50 |
What DIY binding costs
DIY binding costs mostly the tape. Instabind's regular style lists at a little over $2 a foot cut to length from its maker, and less per foot by the 54- or 216-foot roll. The serge, cotton, faux leather and fringe styles cost more. An 8 x 10 remnant has 36 feet of edge, so that's about $85 of regular-style tape at the per-foot price, plus a glue gun and sticks if you don't own them.
Is it cheaper to bind carpet or buy a rug?
It depends on the size and on where the carpet comes from. The carpet's cost grows with the rug's area, while binding grows only with the edge. So binding is a bigger share of a small rug's cost. A 3 x 5 has about a foot of edge for every square foot of rug, and an 8 x 10 has less than half a foot.
With a remnant you already own, or one you picked up free, you pay only for the edge and a pad, and that's where binding beats buying most easily. For a standard size in an everyday fiber, price a ready-made rug of the same size and fiber alongside it.
How to make a rug out of carpet or a remnant
Almost any piece of carpet becomes a rug once its edges are bound, and a remnant is the cheapest place to start. Dense, low- to medium-pile carpet makes the easiest rug, because it lies flat and binds cleanly. For a hallway or an entry, choose a fiber that stands up to traffic; our guide to rug fibers for high-traffic areas compares wool, nylon and polypropylene.
Bind a small piece yourself with tape, and have anything room-size bound by a shop. On a hard floor, put a non-slip pad under the finished rug. On top of wall-to-wall carpet, use a pad made for rugs on carpet, which keeps the rug from creeping.
Runners are the same project in a long, narrow shape, and a stair runner takes some of the hardest wear in the house. Polyester binding is durable and made for indoor-outdoor use. That makes it the one to choose for runners and stairs, and for a basement rec room or the mat inside the garage door, where winter tracks in slush and road salt. Our post on carpet binding for stairs covers the other finishes that hold up on treads.
If you live nearby, our free carpet remnants are a good place to start. Homeowners in Sterling Heights, Warren, Fraser, Troy, Clawson and Roseville can pick one up in person at our Mound Road store, first come, first served, with no holds. When you need a particular color or a bigger piece than the remnant pile has, our carpet selection is the next place to look. If you're buying new wall-to-wall carpet anyway, order a little extra, and a matching rug or runner can come from the same roll.
Can you cut an area rug down to size?
Yes, most machine-made area rugs can be cut down and then bound or serged along the new edge. Resizing is one of the everyday jobs a binding machine does. Plan the cut around the pattern, since a rug with a border loses the border on any side you cut, and a centered design usually looks best trimmed evenly from both ends.
Hand-knotted and antique rugs are a different job. Their fringe is the end of the warp, the lengthwise threads the knots are tied around, so cutting one down means securing the knots by hand along the new edge before any finish goes on. It's restoration work rather than a pass through a binding machine.
Where to get carpet bound, and what to ask
You can get carpet bound at a flooring store that offers binding or at a dedicated binding shop, and some binders bring a portable machine to your home. Take the measurements or the piece itself, a photo of the room, and an idea of how the rug will be used. Then ask:
Which finishes and colors can I see samples of?
What does each finish cost per foot, and is there a minimum?
Is cutting to size included, and how will the corners be finished?
How long will it take?
Will you bind carpet I bought somewhere else?
We've been family-owned and operated for over 25 years, and carpet re-stretching and installation are among our other flooring services. You can see our carpet in person in our 6,000 sq. ft. showroom on Mound Road in Sterling Heights. When you request a free estimate, tell us the size, the carpet and the finish you have in mind so we can price the binding.
More carpet binding questions
Should carpet be bound where it meets tile or vinyl?
No, wall-to-wall carpet isn't bound where it meets tile, vinyl or wood. Its edge goes under a transition strip, which the Carpet and Rug Institute's installation standard requires. Where there's no strip, the standard calls for a bead of seam sealer along the carpet's edge instead. Our guide to transitions from tile and stone to carpet and vinyl shows the strips that handle different height changes.
How do you fix a frayed edge on wall-to-wall carpet?
Installed carpet gets repaired rather than bound. Trim the loose yarn flush with scissors instead of pulling it, and seal the backing along the edge with latex seam sealer. Then make sure the edge is held under its transition strip or tucked at the wall.
If the carpet has loosened and pulled off the tack strip, the row of pins around the room that grips it, it needs re-stretching; our post on when to re-stretch carpet lists the signs. A section a pet has chewed or torn gets cut out and patched with a matching piece. On a rug, a frayed edge or a loose binding is trimmed and the edge is rebound.
Getting carpet bound in Sterling Heights
If there's a remnant in your garage or a rug that's the wrong size for the room, you now know its perimeter and the finish it needs. Request a free estimate and tell us what you're working with, and we'll help you decide whether it's an afternoon with a glue gun or a job for us.
