Rug Moth Damage Repair — Reweaving for Moth-Eaten Rugs
Honest assessment of what’s recoverable, then eradication and knot-by-knot reweaving to rebuild the wool moths took — with dye-matched pile that disappears into the original field. Done by hand in our Skokie atelier. Moth damage spreads, so act fast.
Text (847) 440-1349 — estimate the same business day.
Moth damage as it arrives at our workshop
What you can see is the smaller half
Clothes-moth larvae feed on wool from the bottom up, in the dark, undisturbed places — under a sofa, along a baseboard edge, inside a rolled rug in storage. By the time bare patches show on the pile face, the larvae have usually been grazing the back for months and the active infestation has spread beyond the visible damage. The thin spot you can see is rarely the full extent.
That is why moth damage is time-sensitive. Every week of active feeding turns a small reweave into a large one, and lets the infestation reach other rugs and wool in the home. If you have found damage, the rug needs attention now, not at the next cleaning.
What is repairable — and what is not
Most moth damage is fully recoverable. Where the larvae have grazed pile down to an intact cotton or wool foundation, we rebuild the missing knots and the rug returns to full strength and appearance. Even sizeable bare patches reweave invisibly when the foundation beneath them is sound.
We will also tell you honestly when it is not worth it. If larvae have eaten through the foundation itself over a large area — warps and wefts gone, not just pile — the reconstruction can exceed the rug’s value, and on a piece without sentimental or collector significance we will say so rather than sell you the work. That honesty is the point of a real assessment.
The moth-damage repair process
Moth repair is two jobs done in order. First, the infestation has to be eradicated — larvae, eggs, and casings — and the rug given a full conservation wash to flush out the frass and remaining food source. Reweaving fresh wool onto a live infestation simply feeds it.
Then we rebuild what was eaten: structural stabilization of any weakened foundation, weft replacement where wefts were grazed, and pile implantation — knotting new wool back row by row at the original density and height. On grazed-through areas the warp and weft are re-laid first, then the pile, exactly as an open hole is rewoven.
Matching wool the moths took
The craft that makes a moth repair vanish is in the dye. A moth patch is almost always surrounded by wool that has aged and faded unevenly over decades, so a single flat color match leaves an obvious bright spot. Ghorban Ahmadi, who has performed conservation work for the State Hermitage Museum, the Musée du Louvre, and the British Museum, builds the replacement yarn from multiple dye samples until the new knots disappear into the abrash — the natural color variation — of the original field.
That sampled, layered match is the difference between a repair you can find at a glance and one you cannot find without turning the rug over.
Treat the moths before the repair
If the infestation is still active, the first steps at home — vacuuming both sides, isolating the rug, freezing a small piece — are in our guide on how to get rid of moths in rugs. They slow an infestation; on an infested rug they rarely end it.
The reliable end of it is professional moth treatment and a conservation wash, then the repair. We handle both together so fresh wool never goes back onto live larvae.
Moth damage repair is one part of our full rug repair service. If the rug still has live larvae, it starts with moth treatment. To understand how to identify moth damage and keep it from coming back, read our guide to moth damage in rugs and how to prevent it. Where larvae have eaten through the foundation, this often calls for reweaving or, if the fringe end unraveled, fringe & selvedge repair.
Common questions
Is a moth-damaged rug repairable?
Usually yes. Where larvae have grazed pile down to a sound foundation, we rebuild the missing knots and the rug returns to full appearance and strength — even large bare patches reweave invisibly. The exception is when the foundation itself has been eaten through over a wide area; then reconstruction can exceed the rug’s value, and we will tell you honestly.
How much does moth damage repair cost?
Moth damage repair starts at $150 for a small patch. Beyond that it is priced by the extent of the damaged area and the reweaving hours required — a small patch takes far less time than extensive reweaving on a large or antique rug. Every repair is confirmed in a free written assessment — we never quote reweaving from a photo alone.
How long does moth damage repair take?
Eradication and a conservation wash take 7–14 business days; reweaving adds time by the area and complexity of the damage, and your written estimate states the timeline before work starts. Emergency treatment can often be expedited — call for availability.
Can you match the original pile?
Yes. We rebuild the pile knot by knot at the original density and height, and build the replacement yarn from multiple dye samples so the new wool disappears into the faded, variegated color of the surrounding field rather than sitting as a bright patch.
What if the damage is on the back of the rug?
That is where it usually starts — larvae feed from the underside, so the back often shows more loss than the pile face. When you send photos for assessment, include clear shots of the back; it tells us the true extent of the damage and the condition of the foundation.
Serving Chicago and the North Shore
Ahmadi Rug provides moth damage rug repair for homeowners and interior designers across Chicago and the North Shore. We offer insured pickup and delivery from Lincoln Park, Gold Coast, Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe, Lake Forest, Highland Park, Northbrook, Glenview, and Skokie — as well as western suburbs including Hinsdale, Oak Park, and Naperville, and the Fox Valley via our St. Charles, Geneva, and Batavia drop-off. Insured pickup and delivery is free within 5 miles of our Skokie workshop or our St. Charles location, and $75 round trip beyond.
Eradication and a conservation wash take 7–14 business days, with reweaving added by the extent of the damage. Emergency moth treatment can often be expedited — call for availability.
To schedule a pickup from anywhere in our service area, call (847) 440-1349 or submit an estimate request online.
Caught early, your rug is fully recoverable.
Send photos — including the back of the rug, where the damage starts. We respond the same business day.
Guides & Reference
Moth Damage on Rugs: Identify, Repair, Prevent
How to spot active infestation versus old damage, what hand-reweaving can recover, and how to prevent recurrence.
Read guideRug Storage in Chicago's Climate
Chicago humidity (60–80% summer, 20–30% winter) plus moths makes storage hostile. What works at home and when to use climate-controlled.
Read guide