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Repairs for a felt-backed fully adhered and perimeter installed material are very similar, as well as a glass-backed material. In this article I will cover both types of materials.

Repair Insets for Full-Bonded Felt-Backed Residential Floors
Photo 1:Place industrial or masking tape around the damaged area to prevent excessive shrinkage. While this may not be necessary for a fully adhered material, it is a good habit to get into, plus it aids in the protection of the seam while the seam treatment dries.

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Photo 2:Cut a piece of matching material slightly larger than the damaged area. Try to get at least 1- 1-1/2” larger than the piece to be replaced that way you will have excess material to work with.

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Photo 3:Place a repair piece over damaged area and fasten with double-face tape. If the material has a pattern, be sure the pattern is aligned correctly.

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Photo 4:Double cut through both the repair piece and damaged floor using a utility knife and a straightedge or square. Lift out the repair piece and the damaged area. This may require scraping and substrate repair depending on the severity of the damage.

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Photo 5:Use a small spatula-type trowel carefully spread adhesive approximately 3” under the edges of the existing floor surrounding the inset. Fully spread the area to be repaired.

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Photo 6:If the material is not fully adhered, it may be necessary to use a double-faced tape to adhere the repaired piece into place. Place a strip of double faced tape under all seams.

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Photo 7:Carefully position the new repair piece, hand roll into place and clean off any adhesive that might be on the surface. Note: I place a scrap piece of tape on the repaired piece to keep the repair piece in the proper position.

Apply seam treatments as recommended for the product being repaired. This may involve either a seam coating, seam adhesive or a seam sealer.

Protect repaired area until seam treatments have dried.  Remove the tape surrounding the repair once the seam treatment has dried and the floor is ready for service.