How to glue an air mattress at home: 20 best repair methods

Repair stages

You can easily fix a leaky air mattress with your own hands at home. You must follow the instructions for repairing holes and bursting seams.

The whole process should be broken down into stages.

The damaged place in the mattress is treated with acetone on the velor side. This must be done in order to remove the villi present on the material. After that, the surface is carefully cleaned with sandpaper.
Place the mattress upside down on a flat surface such as a table or ironing board. They take the prepared patch in their hands and smear it with glue at the same time and the place in the mattress where the hole was found. Allow the glue to soak for 8-10 minutes and repeat the procedure again.
Turn on the hairdryer and direct hot air from it to the patch, hold it in this position for several minutes, and then apply the heated element to the velor surface of the mattress. To better glue the surfaces together, the patch can be pressed down with something heavy, such as a glass lemonade bottle.
Leave the mattress and patch in this position for 24 hours.

To do this, thread the velor fabric through the valve and carry out the entire working process in the same way, but from the inside out. After the repair, the patch must be completely dry so that the inner surface of the mattress can be returned to its original position.

The most difficult types of damage to an inflatable bed are seam divergence and replacement of the cuff inside the valve. In this case, not everyone can glue the mattress at home. Usually people turn to specialists from a repair shop for help.

Replacing the cuff. First, you should do it yourself or buy a part that resembles this element from a hardware store.

To do this, carefully unscrew the valve and pull the cuff out. If you could not buy anything suitable, then make it at home from a rubber mat or boots

The finished part must be returned to its place in the inner section of the valve and screwed into the mattress.

The valve is letting in air. To verify this, inflate the mattress and pour shaving foam into the valve hole. Foam and bubbles formed around the valve will indicate valve failure. After detecting a problem, remove the valve, pull out the gasket from the rubber located under it. Grind the end of the valve, and replace the old gasket with a new rubber piece made of any similar material. Next, coat the gasket with rubber glue and carefully put it in its original place. Then fix the valve itself in its original position, screw it into the mattress.

Rupture of internal partitions. This is one of the more difficult injuries. It is very problematic to eliminate it yourself. This requires special equipment and work experience. As a rule, such a defect is corrected in a repair shop.

After that, a long incision is made in the place where the swelling of the mattress is found, penetrate inside and eliminate this problem. The inner side is carefully glued with a sealed waterproof glue along the entire length of the incision and left to dry for 8-10 hours. Then the mattress is turned inside out, giving it its original appearance.

Along the entire length of the seam, a strip of rubber treated with glue is attached so that it covers it and falls off the sides. For reliability, the coin is heated over a fire and applied to the rubber along its entire length, carrying out a kind of vulcanization. The heated rubber will grip the seam very tightly on both sides.

How to find a hole in an air mattress

If the gap in the wall of the mattress is large, then you only need to do the gluing, as the hole will be immediately detected. But there are times when the mattress slowly releases air and no damage is visible. In such a situation, use one of the methods below.

Aurally

Pump the mattress well and slowly explore each area, placing it closer to your ear. This should be done in silence so that you can hear a quiet hiss. Listening to air loss is also relevant in the case of a hole larger than 5 mm. If there is a micro gap in the mattress, then this method will be ineffective.

Immersion in water

For convenience, you will need a large container of water to place the mattress in, but you can also use a regular basin. Pump it up to the max and place it in the liquid. Air bubbles will come out of the damaged area. Such a check is relevant directly at the place of swimming: in the sea or lake.

If using a bathtub or basin, the mattress needs to be half inflated so that it can be bent. Take a small area, submerge it in water and squeeze to see the release of air using pressure. This method is less effective, since the hole can be searched for a long time. If damage cannot be found, carefully examine the inflatable valve, as it is one of the main causes of air release.

Soap solution

Take a container and pour water into it. Then add soap, preferably liquid, and stir. You should get a rich mass that will foam well. Inflate the mattress with air to the limit and place it in a well-lit area. Soak a sponge in the solution and treat the surface by wiping down fine areas. Bubbles will begin to inflate on the damaged area. As soon as the desired place is found, it is advisable to use a marker and mark it.

Shaving foam

Shaving foam is used in a similar way to soapy water - pump up the mattress and treat. Bubbles will appear on the damaged area. Also, foam is used to check the tightness of valves, since it is thick and well applied to hard-to-reach places.

Starch

Starch is not the most popular method as it can clog up an entire room. To find the hole, pump the mattress to the limit and sprinkle with starch. A dust cloud forms in the damaged area. The main thing is not to miss the moment, otherwise you will have to pour the substance again. Alternatively, use flour, powdered sugar, or baby powder.

The advantage of this method is that after finding a hole, you can immediately start gluing, unlike the water method, when you have to first dry the mattress.

Cling film

Pump up the mattress and dampen it with water. Then take cling film or technical wrap and attach it tightly to it. Air will come out of the hole and the film will begin to peel off.

Other methods

If for some reason the above methods are impossible or inconvenient to determine the location of damage, use the less popular actions:

pump in the smoke of a cigarette or vape together with the air;
install the program for determining the decibels of sound on your phone and in a quiet environment look for the damaged area;
pump up the mattress and blow it with steam using a vape;
pump in perfume or fragrance with the air, go to another room and look for a hole by smell.

If you find damage, it does not mean that it is one. Examine the mattress thoroughly using any of the suggested methods to find and remove any holes.

How can you tell if a mattress is breathable?

You can notice that air gradually comes out of the inflatable bed, it is possible by external signs. If the mattress deflates, you need to carefully examine it and find a hole that allows air to pass through. The most common source of air leakage is the valve. Make sure the valve is tightly closed.If there is a double valve system, the plug must be securely fastened to the base.

After checking the valve, it is necessary to inspect the entire surface of the mattress, having previously inflated it to the limit

Inspect the product in a bright place from all sides, paying special attention to the seams. If it is not possible to visually detect damage, it is worth using one of the following methods:

Spray a solution of soap and water over the entire surface of the product. Small soap bubbles will form in the area where the product releases air.
Slowly slide your palm along the surface to locate the air outlet. You can pre-moisten your hand with cold water to increase sensitivity.
Press lightly on the mattress and listen for the hissing sound. This method is more effective when looking for large holes.
Submerge the inflated product completely under water. Visible air bubbles will begin to emerge from the injury site.

Method without using glue at home

The option is suitable if the product urgently needs repair, and there is no glue or patch at hand. You will need paper, an iron and a flat wooden surface to fix it.

Actions during the repair:

After cleaning, the damaged area is laid out on a wooden surface.
The seam is covered with paper and ironed with a hot iron.
After the paper has cooled down and the place of gluing, it is removed.
The valve is screwed into place.

The "quick" repair method helps to solve the problem in 5-10 minutes when a rupture is detected

In this case, it is important not to touch whole areas with a hot iron. Hot steam can burn through the mattress

Repair sequence

Determine the puncture site. It is usually invisible. And if by ear it is not possible to find a place for air passage, then the mattress is placed in a container filled with water or filled with soapy water.
According to statistics, less time is spent on the repair itself than on the search for a crack or puncture.
The place of damage is processed with fine-grained sandpaper. Then it is wiped with acetone or other disinfecting solution.
The flocked mattress cover (velor, pile) can be removed with a solvent or alcohol. After drying, the pile is removed with a non-sharp knife or other similar object. The surface should be cleaned again.
A patch from a repair kit or a cut out rubber circle should be applied to the puncture site and circled with a pencil.
Apply a thin layer of glue along the contour applied to the mattress. What kind of glue to choose was mentioned in the article earlier.
After applying the glue, it is advised to wait 10-15 minutes. Then apply another layer of glue and wait a little too. When the glue sticks, apply a patch on it.
If the room is cold enough, then the patch and the damaged area of the mattress are advised to warm it up with a hair dryer before starting the repair.
The glued piece should be pressed down with a load or walked over it with a paint roller.
The glue should dry within 24 hours. In this case, the mattress must not be bent or moved.

To make the mattress look like new, very often patches are glued from the inside. For this, the damaged area must be turned out through the valve opening. All further operations are similar to those described above.

Moscow, st. Old Guy, d 1, building 1.

Departure to the customer.

Warranty for the work done.

We are working

from 8-00 to 21-00 seven days a week. 7 days a week

Repair of inflatable beds. Price 1000 rubles

The whole process of troubleshooting and repairing the inflatable bed will take

no more than 30 minutes.

You can check the quality of the repair and start using the inflatable bed immediately

at the end of the work.

If the inflatable bed is deflated, this does not mean that you need to buy a new valve. The most reliable valve in the bestway or intex inflatable bed.

If you have already tried everything and the air mattress can still be repaired, contact a professional. There is a special equipment for detecting air leaks, special glue and other materials for the repair of inflatable products, a lot of experience.

Possible damage and how to identify them

Intex mattresses have a very aesthetic appearance. Velor (flock) is used as the top layer. All inflatable beds are not particularly durable, only with very careful storage and use they can serve for a long period of time.Modern mattresses are sold complete with a pump for inflating them, or are initially produced with a built-in pump mechanism.

There are a number of reasons why one or more holes will form in your favorite soft bed. As a result, the mattress squeaks, lets air in and deflates (lowers). It may be that one of its edges suddenly swelled up. This indicates a rupture of the internal partitions.

Damage to Intex mattresses occurs due to:

their excessive inflation;
due to violation of storage conditions;
as a result of a cut on sharp objects;
due to pet bites;
with a weight load significantly exceeding the weight limits allowed by the operating instructions (this is how a crack forms on the seam).

Since the surface of an inflatable mattress is velvety, it is very problematic to find a hole in it.

Manufacturers recommend using several techniques in order to identify damage.

The velor bed must first be inflated and in this form immersed in water. Bubbles will begin to appear at the location of the hole. This method is convenient if your house has a large water tank, for example, a swimming pool, or you are outdoors next to a river or lake. It is unlikely that you will be able to put the mattress into the bathtub.

The second method can be applied both indoors and outdoors. You should also inflate the mattress and apply pressure with your hands over its entire area. A slight whistle will be heard at the location of the gap. If you bring your palm closer to this area, you can feel a faint jet of air coming out of the hole.

The third check option is used extremely rarely, but it is very effective. For control, you need to press a little on the inflated mattress, take a lighter and, at a distance of 3-5 cm from its surface, move it lit along the canvas. In the place of damage formation, fire vibrations will surely begin

You need to work very carefully, since any careless movement will contribute to the fact that you simply waste the inflatable bed.

The mattress can be evenly covered with powder or any other powder. A cloud of dust where the hole is formed will be evidence of an air leak from the mattress.

Soapy water is often poured inside the mattress.

As a result of pressing on certain areas of the outer velor surface at the site of damage, water seeps out from the inside out with a characteristic whistle. He will be evidence of the formation of a crack.

The most effective and commonly practiced method is to use lather or shaving foam. It covers the entire surface of the inflated mattress. Bubbles appear at the site of damage to the bed. Thus, you can accurately detect the area where air leaks are occurring.

How air mattresses and boats are glued

So I remembered the skills of making homemade CISS when the question arose "how to glue PVC tubes" and so that the train was elastic! At that moment, I had to test the entire stock of various types of glue stored in the pantry, the result was negative. Searches on the Internet led to the modification of the well-known Moment glue, namely, the Moment Crystal came up, it was specially "sharpened" for working with PVC. But, at the time of the puncture of the mattress, my Crystal glue had already dried up due to the expiration date.

All the inflatable mattresses that I have ever repaired (in my case, they were Intex with a velor top), I glued with boat repair glue, bought at the nearest fishing store. Although, judging by its smell, a similar appearance during application and heating, we can say that this is practically the same "Crystal". This glue was not expensive, plus the kit included material from which more than one patch can be made, naturally no patch is included with the "Crystal".

How to find a puncture site in an air mattress

So, we have decided on the glue, now it would be better to find the puncture site)) if you have a pool nearby, this is not difficult to do, otherwise you will have to tinker. I looked for the puncture site like this: I pumped up the mattress and listened to the approximate puncture site. Next, I took shaving foam (you can use soapy water or shampoo diluted with water) and began to apply the resulting foam to the surface of the mattress, bubbles and a small air fountain suggested the puncture site. But, do not rush to look for more "by sound" probably more than one puncture!

The place has been determined, you can start restoration work. By the way, maybe someone who gives up on all these patches and fiddles with glue will find this link useful: inflatable furniture, mattresses in Dnepropetrovsk, but those who are full of self-confidence read further)).

How to glue the mattress correctly

In order to put the patch qualitatively, you must strictly follow the instructions for using your glue. In my case, it was like this:

gently clean the puncture site and patch with fine sandpaper (do not make the patch small, as the larger its surface, the more reliably it will be glued)
degrease both surfaces
apply glue on both surfaces and, which is important, then warm up the applied glue well with an ordinary hair dryer for a few minutes! This increases the reliability of the gluing!

be sure to maintain a pause of 10 minutes indicated on the package and join the patch and the mattress (the mattress is deflated!) and press down strongly. The decisive factor is the squeezing force and not the time, so you can hit the patch with a hammer through several layers of fabric, well, without fanaticism, of course))

let the glue dry for the time indicated on the package (if you pump it before it dries completely, the mattress will start to undermine the air, the load in the patch is large ..)

How to repair a valve on an air mattress

This is how the whole air valve of an Intex inflatable mattress looks like

And, if you get carried away a little with an interesting film in the process of inflating a mattress, you can damage the valve, this is an example in the photo. One of the two impellers burst on this valve.

test

Naturally, such a valve instantly released all the air. The owner of the mattress has already waved his hand at him, because it is useless to glue it, the impeller area is small, and the load is huge ...

But, after 10 minutes, the mattress was back in service! The solution came to my mind instantly: I took my miracle screwdriver set in which one of the bits was a drill and carefully drilled a hole in the rack. Then, I screwed a hardened self-tapping screw into the hole so that it would perform the function of holding the valve in the seat. I'll make a reservation right away reliability tested 1 month every day the mattress served as a bed, so this method of valve repair can be used.

So, do not believe those who say that Intex and similar mattresses do not stick and they can only be thrown away, everything is simply glued with the appropriate glue! I hope my article will save more than one mattress and a boat! Thank you all for reading) subscribe to our new articles and send your homemade products

How to find a hole

First you need to find a hole in the air mattress. It is difficult to do this with the naked eye. Especially when he's deflated. Inflate the product "until it rings" and check the most frequent places of damage.

Bottom.
Any solid object on the surface where we put the mattress can punch a hole here: a stone, dry grass, a nail head on the floor.
Upper side.
Here we can pierce the mattress with accessories on clothes, a hair clip or an earring. Pet claws are also a common cause.
Seams.
Mattresses tear at the seam from being inflated too much, from sudden landings or children's jumping games.
Valve.
Dust, hair and other debris can enter the mechanism.The tightness is broken, and the valve begins to let air through.
Joints with partitions.
The reason why they break is an increase in pressure inside the mattress and an uneven load on the surface. And this happens again when the product is heavily inflated or abruptly flopped down with all its weight. This "sore" is especially common in models with cup-holders.
Folds.
When the mattress is kept folded for a long time, it is at the bend that the material loses its elasticity and subsequently a hole may appear.

Examine every millimeter of the surface carefully. If there is relatively large damage, then you can easily find them. And to find small punctures, there are the following methods.

Aurally

Inflate the mattress tightly.
Create as quiet as possible.
Bring your ear close to the surface and listen. A slight hiss will give away the puncture site.
Examine the entire area of the mattress in this way.
Listen to the valve separately, it can also "poison" the air.

You can “feel” the device not only by hearing. Bring your cheek or lips to the mattress and feel the air blow from the hole, if any. Or you can wet your hand up to the elbow and drive it close to the surface.

With water

Inflate the mattress.
Submerge it under water. Air bubbles will come out of the cut.
Inspect the product from all sides.

In the absence of open water, you can try to lower the product into a regular bath. But practice shows that even a single mattress does not fit completely into it. And if you immerse in parts, then the middle will still remain unchecked.

Soap solution

Inflate the product.
Foam the solution with a sponge.
Apply foam to the test area. If there is a hole, bubbles will inflate from it.
Treat the entire surface like this.

For a foamy solution, you can use shampoo, liquid soap, or dishwashing detergent. But not washing powder - coarse particles will scratch the surface and provoke the appearance of new holes.

Starch

Inflate the mattress tightly.
Powder the surface with starch. A "cloud" will appear at the puncture site.
Treat the entire area in this way.
Vacuum the mattress.

This method allows you to find a puncture without water, which reduces the repair time, because the mattress does not need to be dried. Instead of starch, you can powder the product with flour, baby powder or any other "volatile" powder.

Cling film

Inflate the mattress.
Moisten the surface with a spray bottle.
Cover the area with cling film.
Air will accumulate in the puncture points under the film.

Keep in mind that there can be many holes. And in order not to lose the puncture site, immediately mark it with a pen, pencil or felt-tip pen.

Adhesive selection

Many are faced with the question: how to glue an air mattress at home when a hole has formed on the surface of the product. Given the huge range of plastics, choosing the most suitable adhesive for air mattress repair can be a daunting task. Experts most often recommend buying rubber and universal varieties, as well as high-quality PVC glue. The main thing is that after complete drying, the glue should form a durable, waterproof and elastic layer. There is no need to apply a large amount of adhesive - a couple of drops are enough for small defects.

Main varieties

Today, the following types of glue are considered the most effective:

Polyurethane shoe glue. Using glue, which is widely in demand in the shoe industry, you can easily restore a leaky anti-decubitus mattress. It has high reliability and quality, as it creates a strong interlayer between two glued surfaces. The adhesive can only be applied to clean material. The product should dry within 10 minutes. For good adhesion, the patch is dried with an ordinary hair dryer. It doesn't take much effort to connect the two surfaces.
Universal glue Moment. Based on the name, it becomes clear that this glue can hold together almost any surface. It can also be used to join various combinations of rubber, PVC, fabric and plastic. To fix the resulting defects, they must first be degreased. The same manipulations need to be done with the patches. After that, we grease the working surface with glue, wait 15 minutes and press both parts together. The mattress will be ready to use in 24 hours.
Natural rubber glue. Its main advantage is that it creates an elastic glue line and does not stain. The glue is applied in two layers. He must be given the opportunity to dry out and only after that the surfaces can be pressed tightly. It is worth noting that in this case, you need to apply a lot of pressure when pressing. Place the patch to be pressed down with a load and leave for 25 hours.
PVC adhesive. Due to the fact that Bestway air mattresses are often made of PVC, special adhesives are needed to restore them, which are designed for gluing various PVC surfaces. The glue must be applied both to the mattress and to the patch itself. And when it dries up, you need to apply another layer. We wait 25 minutes and apply a patch to the prepared place.

Specialized glue Super-moment. If necessary, instant adhesives can also be used to restore the integrity of the mattress. But in some cases, they contain substances that can damage the surface of the product. The main disadvantage of this glue is that, when it dries, it forms a hard, immovable seam, which can crumble in places where it is folded.
Other adhesives. If the necessary glue is not available at home, some craftsmen use small pieces of PVC, which are pre-soaked in a solvent. After that, the plastic stretches well and acquires unique qualities that perform the same functions as commercial glue. For example: some craftsmen use regular acetone and a plastic bottle

Any glue is toxic to humans, therefore, during work, it is important to ensure good circulation of fresh air in the room.