Restoration
Fringe & Selvedge Repair
The fringe is not decoration. It is the warp threads the entire rug is built on, emerging at the ends.
Method
How it is done
When fringe wears away, the ends of the rug begin to unravel because there is nothing holding the last rows of knots in place. The fix is to secure the warps and rebuild the end, in the original material. Selvedges — the wrapped long edges — fail the same way and are rebound by hand.
Why It Matters
What happens if it waits
Vacuum beater bars and repeated door traffic take the ends first. Left alone, a lost fringe becomes lost knots, and lost knots are a much larger repair.
Tell-tale sign: Knots visibly working loose at one end, or a long edge that has gone soft and rounded.