Rug Fringe Repair — Expert Fringe Restoration for Oriental & Persian Rugs
Fringe repair and fringe restoration for handmade rugs, carried out in our Skokie workshop. Final price after inspection.
Text (847) 440-1349 — estimate the same business day.
Fringe repair in our Skokie workshop
Fringe repair and fringe restoration are part of the handmade rug repair and restoration we carry out, alongside edge repair and custom yarn matching. We evaluate each fringe on its own terms, with the aim of preserving the rug’s structure, original character and long-term integrity.
Fringe work belongs to our wider rug repair service, next to side-edge and binding work, hand reweaving, foundation repair and custom yarn dyeing. Washing, drying, repair and inspection all take place at the Skokie workshop, not off site.
When a fringe has begun to come apart, we first stabilize the loose warp ends so the rug stops unraveling. We then rebuild the end in its original construction: re-knotting, re-overcasting or refinishing a kilim end. The replacement fiber, whether wool, cotton or goat hair, is matched to the rug’s weaving tradition. No glue and no serging go into our fringe work.
What the fringe is, and how its damage spreads
On a hand-knotted rug, the fringe is the exposed ends of the warp. On machine-made rugs, the fringe is sewn on.
Glue and serging are damaging shortcuts, which is why neither appears in our work.
Fringe damage is progressive: it moves from the fringe into the guard border, and from the guard border into the rows of knots.
Three kinds of work, set at inspection
We sort fringe work the way we sort all of our repair work. Repair is localized: one worn end, one stretch of loose fringe. Restoration is extensive work across a larger part of the rug. Conservation stabilizes the rug, documents it, and keeps intervention to a minimum.
Which of the three a rug needs is decided when we inspect it, and the scope and price are defined before any work begins. For how fringe is built and why it wears, read our guide to rug fringe repair and our notes on fringe care between repairs.
A family workshop with a conservation background
Ahmadi Rug is family-owned, with third-generation rug craftsmanship; the family’s craftsmanship history dates to 1984. Ghorban Ahmadi has performed conservation work for the State Hermitage Museum, the Musée du Louvre, and the British Museum.
Our approach to fringe work is conservation-informed, and how much intervention a rug receives is decided rug by rug.
What fringe repair costs and how long it takes
From $45 per linear foot is the starting rate for fringe repair; the final price is set after inspection. Your preliminary estimate is complimentary, and if the scope changes once work is under way, we ask for your approval first.
Repair time depends on the scope of the work, the materials and our workload, and complex work can take weeks or months. You receive an estimated timeframe once the scope is set; it stays an estimate unless we agree a written deadline.
If we find existing damage or a risk to the rug, we tell you when we find it. Before the rug goes back, it gets a quality assessment, and we let you know when it is ready.
We take fringe repair from Chicago, the North Shore and the northwest and western suburbs, subject to route availability, including Evanston, Skokie, Oak Park, Glenview and Lake Forest. Insured pickup and delivery is free within 5 miles of our Skokie workshop or our St. Charles location, and $75 round trip beyond. Drop off at our St. Charles location if it is closer to you.
If the rug also needs washing, see our rug cleaning service; for side edges, see rug binding and serging.
Common questions
How much does rug fringe repair cost?
From $45 per linear foot is the starting rate for fringe repair. The preliminary estimate costs nothing; the final price is set once we have inspected the rug, and any change in scope after that needs your approval.
How long does fringe repair take?
It depends on the scope, the materials and our workload; complex repair can take weeks or months. We give you an estimated timeframe after the scope is set, and timelines are estimates unless a written deadline is agreed.
Will the repaired fringe match the rest of the rug?
A matching result is not something we promise in advance. What we do is rebuild the end the way it was constructed and choose wool, cotton or goat hair to suit the tradition the rug was woven in, with custom yarn dyeing and yarn matching available as part of our repair work.
Is fringe work a repair or a restoration?
It can be either. Localized work on a worn end is a repair; extensive work across a larger part of the rug is a restoration; stabilizing and documenting with minimal intervention is conservation. We decide which applies at inspection and define the scope and price before work starts.
Where is the work done, and can I bring the rug to St. Charles?
All fringe repair happens in our Skokie workshop. You can drop off and collect at our St. Charles location; the rug travels to Skokie for the work and comes back as you arrange with us.
Serving Chicago and the North Shore
Ahmadi Rug provides rug fringe 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.
Repair time depends on scope, materials and workload. We give you an estimated timeframe once the scope of your fringe repair is set.
To schedule a pickup from anywhere in our service area, call (847) 440-1349 or submit an estimate request online.
Send us a photo of the worn end.
We respond the same business day. An estimate from photos is preliminary until we inspect the rug.
Guides & Reference
Rug Fringe Care
Fringe is foundation, not decoration — how to clean yellowed fringe safely, the daily habits that protect it, and the mistakes that kill rugs.
Read guideRug Fringe Repair: What It Is & How to Fix It
Why fringe is structural, common problems, what you can safely fix at home, professional repair options, and the fringe-trim debate.
Read guide