What and how can you stick an air mattress at home?

Air mattresses are very convenient to use, and therefore are very popular. The product can replace the usual bed, as well as be used for relaxing in pools and open ponds. The disadvantage of this mattress is that it can be easily punctured. However, it is not necessary to hurry to throw out the damaged product, since in many cases the defect is fairly easily repaired. This article will discuss what and how you can properly stick an air mattress at home.

A hole on an inflatable mattress is a fairly common problem that almost all product owners face. It may tear from improper use and storage. In addition, the cut may appear from any sharp objects in the house and in nature, as well as as a result of contact with the claws or teeth of animals.

In most cases, the surface can be glued and calmly continue to use the product. But in order to assess the degree of damage, as well as begin to fill holes, they must first be detected. First you need to inflate the mattress and carefully examine the places that are most exposed to the negative effects of external factors.

• Bend area - As a result of long-term storage in the folded state, the material may simply dry out and crack.
• Stitches may be torn due to careless handling of the mattress. If you inflate it too much or jump on the inflated product - this can lead to the formation of cracks.
• Down side or the bottom is in direct contact with the floor or ground. Holes can form in this area due to contact with branches, stones or other hard and pointed objects.
• Outer sidewhich does not come into contact with the floor, often “suffers” from the impact of solid accessories on the human body, as well as accessories on clothes or shoes. Also, the upper side is often spoiled by animals.
• Valve may begin to deflate the air for the reason that over time it wears out and ceases to be completely sealed.

This method is convenient only in the case when it is possible to lower the mattress entirely into the pool or open water. Preliminary product must be inflated. After diving from the hole will begin to appear bubbles. If the mattress is small, then you can try to put it in a regular bath filled with water. However, even the smallest models usually do not fit in the bath completely, and therefore it will be problematic to detect the defect.

If the mattress is quite strong, it is possible to quickly find the puncture site by the sound. To do this, it is necessary to inflate the product well and listen to what sounds are coming from.

Before you begin to diagnose the surface of the mattress, it is necessary to prepare a foam solution. To do this, just mix the soap, dishwashing detergent or shower gel with a small amount of water and beat well until foaming. The mattress is inflated and coated with foam on its surface. In the place where there is a hole, bubbles will appear on the foam.

If it is necessary to investigate the valve area, then for these purposes it is best to use shaving foam.

It is advisable to use starch to search for gaps only when there are certain assumptions regarding the area in which the hole is located. The intended puncture site is sprinkled with potato or corn starch. If the damage is really present, then a small “cloud” is formed above it due to the bubbles reaching the surface. If necessary You can sprinkle with starch and the entire surface of the mattress. However, after detecting a defect, the product will have to be well vacuumed.

The mattress, as in the previous methods, must be inflated. The surface is wiped with a damp cloth or moistened with a spray bottle. On the product fit the pieces of food film. In places where there are punctures, the film will rise slightly.

All methods of finding a defect are to detect or feel the flow of air that will come out of the hole. Mattress pre necessarily well inflated. You can move your palms next to all the surfaces of the mattress to feel the air flow.

Beforehand it is better to wet the hands with ordinary water. Also, above the surface of the product, you can fire with a lighter or a candle. Near the damaged places the flame will go to the side. Check the mattress in this way must be very careful not to set fire to anything.

Domestic animals like cats quickly search for tears. They are naturally curious and have keen hearing. The cat will easily detect the outflow of air and, most likely, will start playing with it.

When you managed to find a hole in the mattress, you can proceed directly to its elimination. First you need to prepare all the necessary formulations and tools. The set of necessary tools may be different each time, depending on the type and degree of damage to the product. Many manufacturers produce special patches in addition to mattresses that are convenient to use for patching holes.

If there were no funds when buying a product with it, then you will have to use available tools. First need adhesive composition. Since air mattresses are made of PVC fabric, it is best to use polyurethane compounds. If an inflatable product is used for swimming in pools or natural ponds, then waterproof glues should be used for gluing. It is best to purchase a special composition for the repair of inflatable boats.

It is also not recommended to use various adhesive mixtures, which include cyanoacrylates, as they may damage the surface of the mattress. The second important subject for sealing the mattress is a patch. As it can be used a piece of rubber. If there is no finished patch, then it can be cut from the following things:

• swimming cap;
• inflatable balls or toys;
• bicycle camera;
• inflatable pool;
• vest or sleeves for swimming.

At the stage of finding a defect on the surface of the product, it is important not to forget to mark it with a marker after detection. It is advisable to wash the mattress and completely dry it in a natural way. A battery or hot air blow dryer can cause new holes to form.

Next you need to do the place where the puncture was detected. If the smooth side is damaged, it must be cleaned of dirt and grease with ethyl alcohol, nail polish remover, gasoline or other similar composition. The same tool wipe the patch. To glue more reliable surface additionally treated with sandpaper with fine grain.

If it is necessary to do gluing together on the velor side, then you must first remove the pile. The area where the hole was found is impregnated with acetone or medical alcohol, and then allowed to dry. After drying, the fleecy coating must be gently pushed with a knife or screwdriver and removed. When the pile is removed, the surfaces are also degreased and treated with sandpaper, as in the first case.

There are several ways to glue the mattress. The choice of a suitable method depends on the nature and size of the damage. It should be noted that not all holes can be closed independently. To glue a patch on the holes with a diameter of more than 3 centimeters can be problematic. Small holes can be easily repaired by yourself at home.

If all the preparatory work was carried out in advance, the process of gluing up the mattress will not take much time. The main thing is to be prepared glue, patch, cleaned the surface. The area around the hole is coated with adhesive mixture and covered with rubber patch.

It is advisable to press the gluing place firmly and not let go for about a minute. Then it is recommended to put any weight on the glued surfaces. The drying time of the glue depends on its type and composition.

Due to the inaccurate handling of an inflatable mattress, seams can disperse. Defects of this kind are much more difficult to fix than to glue small holes. You can glue the seams in two ways:

• gluing inside;
• binding from the outside.

To seal the seam from the inside, you need to pull it out through the hole in the mattress, which is located at the valve. To open access to this hole, the valve must be unscrewed. Gluing places and patch are treated with alcohol-containing degreasing compound.

After that, an adhesive mixture is applied on the surface and the damaged area is fastened with a rubber patch. For better grip, you can put glued surfaces under pressure. The seam is returned to its original position through the hole under the valve only after the glue has completely dried.

Gluing on the outside is less reliable than on the inside. The principle of action here will be almost completely identical to the first case. The surfaces are cleaned of dirt and degreased. For better adhesion with patching, it is recommended to treat the damaged areas with emery paper. The rubber patch is also degreased and cleaned with sandpaper. After that, an adhesive composition is applied to it. It is better to place the glued area under the press and leave the glue to dry completely for at least 24 hours.

For how to seal the air mattress, see the following video.

Not always the cause of the descent of the mattress is a puncture. Air can pass the valve itself. To eliminate the malfunction, first of all, the valve must be unscrewed.The surface area is cleaned of dirt, after which the rubber gasket is removed. On the front side, the valve must be treated with sandpaper. The same manipulations are made with a rubber membrane. Apply a lubricant to the valve, which can be used as ordinary sunflower oil. The design is going to its original position.

After the gasket has been replaced and the valve has been screwed in, it is necessary to test for defects. The mattress is inflated, and the area around the structure is smeared with soapy water or shaving foam. If air bubbles do not come out of the valve, then the problem has been fixed.

Most often, holes on the surface of the mattress are formed as a result of mistakes made in operation. To make the product last a long time, you need to follow a number of simple recommendations.

• When placing the mattress on a horizontal surface must be extremely careful. It is important to inspect the place and make sure that there are no sharp and hard objects under the product. It is best to additionally lay under the mattress cover of dense fabric.
• When the product is used for water recreation, it should be dried well after each water treatment. Only after thoroughly drying the mattress can be folded and removed. Otherwise, it may form a mold, resulting in damage to the surface in the form of cracks.
• Inflate the product until it stops is not desirable. When inflated, the mattress should be slightly squeezed.
• Occasionally, the mattress needs to be washed. Aggressive chemicals and abrasives should not be used to clean the surface from contamination. For these purposes, a weak soap solution.
• It is not advisable to move the mattress in the inflated state to a new place. In this way, the seams of the product can be damaged.
• When lowering air from the mattress, you should not try to speed up this process and press on the surface.
• No need to expose the inflated product to large loads, as well as abruptly sit down or jump on it.
• The product must be kept away from animals and birds. Sharp claws, teeth or beak can easily pierce the mattress.