How to seal an air mattress

Many people have already appreciated such a useful and versatile product as an air mattress. After all, with this unique item, outdoor recreation will become much more comfortable, and there is no question of how it will become an indispensable product in the event of unexpected guests arriving.

However, with all the positive characteristics, the air mattress has one significant drawback - the very weak strength of the material from which it is made. Therefore, very often the product is subject to slight damage, or simply put, holes appear through which air escapes, as a result of which the mattress loses its functional qualities.

How to seal an air mattress at home

Once a hole has been discovered in an air mattress, they usually begin to seal it.

However, for this process to be very effective, it is necessary in advance Prepare the following materials and tools:

• felt-tip pen or marker;
• high-quality glue;
• patches;
• acetone or other disinfectant liquid;
• sandpaper;
• brush for applying glue;
• scissors.

In this situation, you need to approach very carefully choosing the right glue, which is a functional element in the process of repairing punctures in an air mattress.

As a rule, a special kit consisting of glue and patches is always included with the purchased inflatable product. But if such a repair kit is not at hand, then you should adhere to the following recommendations for choosing adhesive:

• from a wide range you can choose any brand of glue, but only it is desirable that it have the same properties as the surfaces being bonded;
• the best option would be to use the well-known glue "Moment"", with which you can glue any materials, including patches with an inflatable product.

Attention! Very important! To fix holes in an air mattress Do not use so-called “Super Glue” in any way., since it contains components that can render the product unusable!

As for patches, then they are usually can be made from thin rubber, for example from an old bicycle inner tube or a children's toy.

It is important to know! The size of the patch must be larger than the puncture area!

Procedure for eliminating punctures

When the location of the hole is found, the glue is selected correctly and the patches are cut out, you can immediately begin to eliminate the problematic defect on the air mattress.

All puncture sealing process consists of the following sequential actions:

• completely remove air from the inflatable product;
• select a hard horizontal surface for repair and level the area to be treated on it;

Advice! If you are shy in conditions, then you can put a flat wooden board under the puncture site!

• Using fine sandpaper, thoroughly clean the bonded surface of the patch and the puncture site on the mattress;
• protected surfaces are degreased with acetone or solvent;
• Apply a thin layer of glue to the prepared areas and leave for 10–15 minutes;

What can cause punctures in an air mattress?

Here are some of the following factors:

• over inflation leads to the fact that the seams and internal ribs of the product may diverge;
• next to the mattress there may be some sharp household objects, contact with which, as a rule, leads to the appearance of holes;
• pets They can also render an air mattress unusable, since they very often gnaw and scratch all the objects around it.

In this situation, it is absolutely logical to conclude that sooner or later the owners of air mattresses will be faced with a situation where they will have to repair the product themselves, in other words, seal it. And here the average person is faced with a number of the following questions:

• How to detect a puncture in a mattress?
• What glue and patches are best to use?
• What tools are preferable to use when gluing the product?
• In what order of actions should I seal the mattress?

To meet the needs of owners of products of this kind, in this article we will give comprehensive answers to the questions posed, as well as give many tips and recommendations regarding the repair and sealing of air mattresses.

Methods for detecting punctures

In order to detect a hole on the surface of an air mattress, the following are the most practical methods:

Dipping the product into water

This option applicable only when the air mattress is small in size. To do this, the product is inflated and immersed in water, while very carefully observing the appearance of bubbles, which clearly indicate the puncture site.

The identified hole is usually marked with a felt-tip pen.

Important point! Having discovered a puncture, you should not immediately remove the product from the water, as there is a possibility that there may be much smaller holes nearby!

Using soap suds

This a fairly effective method for detecting holes in an air mattress, the essence of which is as follows:

• the soap is whipped into thick foam;
• Apply the resulting solution to the product with a foam sponge or brush;
• the appearance of bubbles on the surface will indicate the puncture site.

Advice! Instead of soap, you can use any detergent that foams perfectly!

Detecting a puncture from the inside

This method of detecting a hole in an air mattress is considered the most troublesome, but at the same time, it is considered one of the most effective ways. Its essence lies in the following sequential actions:

• prepare 5–7 liters of soapy water;
• the specified volume of liquid is poured into the mattress through the neck;
• using a pump, the product is inflated and turned upside down;
• Excess pressure is created inside, and water will begin to flow at the puncture site.

Powdering

Unlike the previous two methods, this method of detecting small holes is considered “dry”, and its essence is as follows:

• any dry substance, that is, flour, starch, dry mustard, is carefully dispersed on the surface of the product;
• a stream of air emanating from the puncture will lift light powder;
• Once a hole is found in the air mattress, the powdery substance can be collected using a vacuum cleaner.

Recommendation! This method is most effective in detecting punctures on the velor surface of an air mattress!

A pet

A rather original way to detect a hole in a mattress. A cat can not only damage the product, but also find a puncture due to its excellent hearing and smell, as well as curiosity. (The advice is comic; in practice, pets were not used in the repair of air mattresses)

Using fire

This method involves the use of ordinary matches or a lighter. In other words, at the site of the supposed hole, the flame will be slightly blown out by the outgoing stream of air.

Adhesive for air mattresses

1. You should not use more glue - this will not improve the quality of gluing!
2. The action of the glue can be accelerated using a hairdryer by directing a stream of hot air to the area being treated, however, you need to be careful not to overdry it!

• a thin layer of glue is re-applied to the surfaces to be treated and they are pressed together;
• You can fix the pressing using a weight.

Advice! To prevent the processing area from sticking to the load, you can put a piece of plastic film between them!

After the glue has dried, the air mattress is ready for use again.

Some unusual situations

The above process for removing holes in an air mattress is only suitable for smooth mattress surfaces. But during sealing of punctures, various non-standard situations may arise, which include the following:

Air is escaping from under the air mattress valve

In this case, you must perform the following procedure:

• remove the rubber valve gasket;
• clean it with sandpaper and degrease with acetone;
• apply a thin layer of silicone;
• Carefully install the gasket in place.

The puncture occurred on the velor surface of the mattress

To seal a hole on such a surface, you must perform the following procedure:

• carefully treat the puncture site with acetone or nail polish remover (this makes it possible to significantly soften the adhesive base that holds the pile);
• scrape off the lint with a blunt objectso as not to damage the surface of the product;
• the cleaned surface is re-treated with acetone;
• Otherwise, the gluing process is carried out according to the above standard scheme.

However worth understanding, that applying a patch to the velor surface significantly spoils the external decorative appearance of the air mattress.

How to seal an air mattress on the velor side

It turns out that there is another way to seal punctures on a velor surface, although it is quite labor-intensive. But its gist is this:

• the section of the product with a puncture, through the neck of the valve, is turned inside out;
• apply the patch using the standard method;
• leave in this position for 12 hours to allow the glue to dry;
• in reverse order, the product is turned back inside out.

Typical mistakes when sealing mattress punctures

Trying to quickly seal a hole in an air mattress with a patch, many people make a number of mistakes, which ultimately can lead to its final damage. To prevent the development of such a situation, first of all, you need the following series of typical mistakes:

• the wrong type of glue was selected;
• the puncture site is not properly treated, as a result of which air continues to escape from the product;
• too much glue is applied;
• the area being treated is not pressed with a load;
• The patch is not made of the correct material.

Advice! If you are not sure that you can properly seal a hole in an air mattress with your own hands, then it is better to contact specialized centers, or in extreme circumstances, contact the nearest car service center!

And in conclusion, I would like to note the following: If you follow all the tips and recommendations indicated in the article, then you can easily seal a puncture on an air mattress at home!