The core distinction
Repair is targeted treatment of specific damage — a hole, a failing selvedge, a patch of moth loss. The rest of the rug is not touched. Restoration is comprehensive conservation of the whole piece: cleaning plus structural work plus pile repair plus colour correction if needed, all coordinated as one project.
A rug can need one, the other, or both. A structurally sound mid-century Heriz with a bleed stain in one corner needs colour correction — a repair, not a restoration. A pre-1900 Serapi with deteriorated foundation, uneven pile, and fading across the field needs restoration — doing only targeted repairs would leave the larger conservation issues unaddressed and the rug still at structural risk.
What repair covers
Repair is the right tool for discrete, identifiable problems on an otherwise sound rug:
- Reweaving a specific area of pile loss. Moth damage, a burn mark, a worn-through spot.
- Reattaching or replacing fringe. When the end finish has failed but the body of the rug is fine.
- Reinforcing a failing selvedge. Side-cord repair to stop the edge from unraveling further.
- Patching a tear or hole. Either by reweaving into the foundation or, for larger gaps, by inserting a compatible patch.
- Treating a specific stain. Bleed, urine, dye migration — isolated chemistry work rather than a full wash.
Repair work typically ranges from $85 for a small patch to several hundred dollars for extended reweaving. For a full picture of what the work involves, see rug repair.
What restoration covers
Restoration treats the rug as a whole. It typically includes full conservation cleaning, any structural work the piece needs (selvedge, foundation, ends), pile repair across the field, colour correction where dye loss or bleeding has occurred, and final inspection with documentation. The entire project is scoped and priced as one — not as a stack of individual repairs.
Restoration is also where we make conservation judgement calls: how far to go, what to preserve, what to stabilise versus rebuild. The guiding principle is minimal intervention consistent with long-term stability. We do not try to make an antique look new. We try to give it another hundred years.
When repair is enough
If the rug is structurally sound — even pile, intact foundation, stable dyes — and the damage is confined to one or two specific areas, targeted repair is usually the right call. You pay for the work the rug actually needs, not for services it does not. A pre-and-post-restoration cleaning may or may not be appropriate depending on how long it has been since the last professional wash.
When restoration is the right call
Restoration makes sense when any of the following apply:
- Multiple types of damage across the piece
- Significant age-related deterioration — patchy foundation, widespread pile thinning, dye instability
- Pieces with high sentimental or material value where comprehensive treatment is justified by the outcome
- Post-flood or post-infestation situations where cleaning, decontamination, and structural work all need coordinating
- Pieces you want to stabilise for another long stretch — 30-plus years in the same room, or prepared for inheritance
How Ghorban makes the call
Every assessment starts with the rug on a clean surface in good light. Our master conservator examines the pile face, the foundation from the back, the selvedge and ends, and the dye behaviour in each distinct colour field. He maps the damage zones and rates the overall structural condition. Only then does the repair-versus-restoration conversation begin — and it always comes with a written estimate before any work begins.
The default recommendation is the least intervention that genuinely resolves the problem. If a $150 repair solves it, we quote a $150 repair. If the rug is fighting several battles at once, we say so and scope the full project.
Cost comparison
Repair pricing starts at $85 and scales by damage type and area. A single moth patch, a small fringe rebuild, a selvedge reinforcement — most discrete repairs wrap in the $85 to $400 range.
Restoration pricing starts at $250 and is scoped per piece. A modest restoration on a 5×8 wool rug with a clean and some pile work might run $500 to $900. A full conservation project on a 9×12 antique with foundation work, colour correction, and extensive reweaving can run $2,000 to $5,000+. In every case, we tell you the number before starting — see rug restoration for the workflow.
After restoration on a piece of material value, we recommend a post-treatment RICA-certified appraisal to update your insurance documentation and establish current fair market value.
The complete rug repair & restoration library
Every repair and restoration guide we have published, organised by damage type and rug tradition. If you are uncertain where to start, the signs your rug needs professional attention post is the diagnostic.
Damage types
- Moth Damage in Rugs: What It Looks Like and Whether It Can Be Fixed — identification, reweaving, and why most of it is invisibly repairable
- Water Damaged Rugs: What to Do in the First 48 Hours — triage in order, and when to pick up the phone
By rug tradition
- Persian Rug Restoration: What Is Possible and What Is Not — what can be stabilised, what can be rebuilt, what is part of the history
- Kilim & Flatweave Cleaning and Repair — slit-weave reinforcement, selvedge rebuild, end-finish repair
When to engage a conservator
- 5 Signs Your Antique Rug Needs Professional Attention — visible diagnostic signs that mean it is time to call