DIY Life

Hosting the holidays, but have an unsightly burn on your carpet? No worries -- Kelly Edwards is here to show you how easy it is to fix a carpet burn with just a few simple tools and the easy tips from this video:



1. Trim away the burned fibers using scissors or a sharp blade.
2. Scrape a razor blade across the clean part of the carpet to loosen some fibers.
3. Gather the loosened fibers.
4. Fill the burn hole with super glue.
5. Using tweezers, push the carpet fibers into the glue until the hole is filled. Allow glue to dry completely.
6. Brush away the excess fibers and fluff up the glued fibers to match the rest of the carpet.

Done and done! Now you can host your family gathering burn-free, and no one will even notice you had an unsightly burn in the first place. Thanks, Kelly!

DIY projects come in many flavors. They all use materials and usually need some method to bond them together. That typically means a glue. Let's look at what type of glue works for what type of project.

• Super Glue. It's all over the place; every checkout counter, convenience store, or mega marketer has it. This is really a great adhesive but it's only effective on non porous surfaces, like plastic. Believe it or not, it's also used in forensic science to bring out fingerprints. It's true; I learned about it when I was on the jury for a capitol murder case.
• Contact Cement. Its been around for a long time and cabinetmakers would be lost without it. It's what's used to bond plastic laminate (or the generic brand name Formica) to plywood in countertop construction.
• Carpenter's Glue. This is the one most often used. The brands you'll most often see are DAP and Elmer's. It works well with wood and ceramics.
• Hide Glue. Hide glue is so named because it's made from collagen from cattle hide and connective tissues. You can buy it in a powder form and mix it with water. This is the glue that you must use when repairing antique furniture. If you use anything modern, the piece will lose its antique status. It's also the glue of choice for craftsmen making stringed instruments.
• Titebond. Titebond I, II, and III are an evolving family of woodworking glues. Their greatest claim to fame is their waterproof characteristics. For outdoor projects, this is a must-have.
• Gorilla Grip. This is a polyurethane-based glue and it's incredibly strong. But remember to clamp wooden pieces together tightly because it cures by reacting with humidity and it foams, creating outward pressure.

All of these glues work well, as long as you use the correct one for the project.