How to glue an air mattress?

Air mattresses are currently very popular - they are used not only for outdoor recreation, but also as an extra bed. Today, manufacturers produce a huge amount of these products in various shapes and sizes. But, unfortunately, all these products have one, but a significant drawback - they are easily damaged and can break during operation. How to glue an air mattress on your own to extend its operational life, and what means to choose for this, we will tell today in an article.

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Rules for using an air mattress

Inflatable furniture is a universal product that has a lot of advantages:

• Compactness. If necessary, the mattress can always be hidden in a closet.
• Ease of transportation.
• A wide selection of shapes, sizes and colors.
• Universality of application. You can use the mattress on trips and travels, in the country and in the apartment, for swimming and sunbathing during the holidays.
• Simple care.

However, in order not to damage the rubber product, it is necessary to adhere to simple operating rules:

• Do not inflate the mattress to the maximum.
• Keep animals away from the mattress, as their claws can easily damage the product. Dogs can also taste the item.
• Do not allow children to actively jump on rubber furniture.
• Do not store inflatable furniture at low temperatures, as such conditions can adversely affect the surface of the shell.
• Dry the product well before storage.
• Protect inflatable furniture from sharp objects.
• Release air gradually, do not press hard on the surface to speed up the process, as the seams can be damaged.
• Before putting the mattress on the ground, be sure to inspect the surface for broken glass and piercing objects.
• Do not pull the mattress with people lying on it on a hard surface, as you can tear the object at the seams.
• If the product was used for outdoor recreation, wash the mattress with a mild soap solution. Do not use detergents containing abrasive components or chemically active inclusions.
• Use the mattress for its intended purpose. If inflatable furniture is designed for sleeping, then do not use it for swimming procedures and vice versa.

Of course, sooner or later, even on such time-tested Intex air mattresses, damage can occur. Therefore, it will be useful for each owner of a rubber product to know how to glue an air mattress at home.

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Types of damage to air mattresses

There are several types of defects, depending on the severity of which you will decide whether to repair the air mattress at home or entrust this work to professionals.

The main damage to rubber products include:

• Cut or puncture.
• Seam discrepancy.
• Rupture of internal partitions.

Important! Of course, a small cut or puncture can be easily glued on your own, but repairing such complex problems as a seam break or a break in the inner rib is unlikely to be possible for you. The best thing that can be done in this case is to contact a service center for help from specialists.Repair of an air mattress can be carried out at the same company where the product was purchased. Many reputable companies meet customers and repair products at home.

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How to detect punctures in inflatable furniture?

Finding damage in a mattress is not as easy as it seems at first glance, because a hole is most often microscopic and invisible to the naked eye. You can find a hole in a rubber product in the following ways.

Method number 1. According to rumors:

1. Inflate the mattress in a quiet room.
2. Listen carefully. A characteristic hiss will be heard near the hole - this is the air coming out of the mattress.
3. Carefully examine the place of damage and slowly run your palm over the punched area at a height of 1-3 cm. A thin stream of air will “cool” the palm. Circle the cut with a marker.

Method number 2. Water treatments:

1. If the product is small, dip it in a bathtub filled with water.
2. If you are in nature, then lower the rubber product into the pond.
3. Locate the puncture site using air bubbles.

Method number 3. Use detergent

Use any detergent that quickly whips into foam for this method. If the product is too large and in parts it does not make sense to lower it into water, then proceed as follows:

1. Inflate the mattress.
2. Whip any detergent (dishwashing liquid, soap, etc.) into a soapy foam.
3. Apply foam to areas of the mattress where the damage is suspected.
4. In places of cuts and punctures, the foam will bubble.
5. Mark the defect with a marker.

Method number 4. Dusting

In addition to wet methods, there is a dry method. It, for example, is used in the case when it is necessary to glue a velor mattress. The soap solution on such a surface foams weakly, and wet furniture, even if inflatable, is not the most pleasant thing in the house. Therefore, we propose in this case to use starch, flour or another powdery light product in this way:

1. Powder a dry mattress with powder at the site of the intended puncture.
2. Light powder will be blown away by the air leaving the hole.
3. Circle the puncture with a marker, and collect the powder with a vacuum cleaner.

Method number 5. Water + detergent

This is a more laborious but effective method. Step-by-step instruction:

1. Release air from a mattress.
2. Gather 3-5 liters of water.
3. Mix water with any washing liquid: liquid soap, dishwashing liquid, etc.
4. Pour the resulting fluid into the mattress.
5. Inflate the product.
6. Turn the object in different directions, trying to determine the location of the cut. In these places, water will flow with a slight whistle.
7. Mark the damaged area with a marker.

Important! This method of detecting damage is very effective, but after it you must very carefully dry the product. In addition, white stains may appear on the surface of a rubber object from soap suds.

Method number 6. We use a stretch film

This is the most versatile way to detect punctures and cuts on rubber products. Proceed as follows to check whether the air mattress needs to be glued:

1. Inflate the mattress.
2. Spray water onto the surface of the product with a spray gun.
3. Put a strip of stretch film on a moistened surface.
4. Carefully flatten the film and remove air from it.
5. An enlarged air bubble will be visible in the damaged area.
6. Remove the film from the mattress. By the gurgling and squealing sound, determine the location of the cut.
7. Circle the damaged area with a marker or felt-tip pen.

Important! To find the exact location of the hole after you find the location, use shaving foam.

So, as soon as you find a defect in the air mattress, prepare a repair kit.

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How to seal an air mattress?

It is best to seal an Intex air mattress with a special repair kit from the same company. Usually it comes with the purchase of the product.

Intex Rubber Repair Kit consists of the following components:

• Patches from flock.
• Glue.
• Transparent vinyl film.
• Instructions for use of the kit.

The set for repairing PVC products is very compact, you can always take it with you on the road. However, if such a kit was not at hand, then you can use alternative options, for example:

• The patch can be cut from any old toy made of PVC, or any other unnecessary rubber thing.
• Instead of glue from the repair kit, you can use:
  • Rubber glue from natural rubber “Desmokol”.
  • Glue for rubber boats “Uranus”.

Important! Do not use instant glue to repair air mattresses, as it can spoil the surface of the product even more.

In addition, for repairs you will need the following materials and tools:

• Scissors.
• Glue brush
• Fine sandpaper.
• Means for degreasing the surface - alcohol, acetone or gasoline.
• Soap or any detergent.

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Repair of air mattresses

To properly repair a rubber product, you must strictly follow the instructions and adhere to safety measures:

• Use glue very carefully, in no case do not inhale it.
• After using the product, wash your hands with soap.
• It is impossible to make repairs near open sources of fire, since the glue intended for the repair of rubber products is very flammable.

How to seal a small puncture or cut?

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Prepare a space for product repair.
2. Carefully straighten the damaged area out of the blue.
3. Strip the puncture site (cut) with fine-grained sandpaper. The stripped area should be slightly larger than the cut itself.
4. Degrease the patch area. Use one of the products - pure alcohol, nail polish remover, gasoline for lighters. Please note that after processing there should be no residue from the degreaser.
5. Get a patch that fits your Intex repair kit. If there is no such patch, then cut a circle or oval from a suitable material. In size, the patch should be 3-5 cm larger than the damaged area.
6. Squeeze the adhesive onto the patch and brush evenly on both surfaces to be glued. Make sure that no glue gets into the hole.
7. Press the patch firmly to the damaged area.
8. Put the repaired mattress under the press for a day. For the press, any solid object suitable for this purpose is suitable. Never bend the product at the place of gluing.
9. After a day, inflate the mattress and check the quality of the repair.

Important! If there are several damages, then they need to be repaired in stages, waiting until the previous glued patch is completely dry.

If the defect has formed on the flocked side, then gently pile the velor (velor) with a sandpaper or rinse with alcohol, otherwise the patch will not stick. Then follow the instructions, but use a special patch from the flock. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to stick such a patch invisibly, so try sticking the product from the inside in this way: helping yourself with a ruler, pull the defective area to the inflation hole and turn it out. After gluing the patch, wait 12 hours and turn the product back.

If you did everything right, and the mattress, after being inflated, is blown away anyway, then perhaps the reason is in the valve and it was loosely installed.

Repair of the valve of an air mattress

To check for problems in the valve bore:

1. Inflate the mattress.
2. Pour shaving foam into the valve opening.
3. If there is damage, foam will appear around the valve.

To repair the valve, proceed as follows:

1. Remove the adjacent valve.
2. Remove the rubber gasket.
3. Grind the end face of the valve with an numbing sandpaper.
4. Lubricate the valve end face with silicone grease.
5. Insert the valve back.

How to seal an intex air mattress at the joint?

If the vinyl mattress burst at the seam, there are two ways to seal it.

Method number 1:

1. Rinse off the pile first with alcohol.
2. Glue the patch from the repair kit, following the instructions.

Method number 2:

1. If you find a defect, use your hands and a ruler to pull the damaged area through the hole in the valve.
2. Wipe the cut area with alcohol.
3. Dry the cleaned area.
4. Cut out the required patch size from the rubberized fabric.
5. Apply glue to the inside of the latch.
6. Attach the patch to the damaged area.
7. Press the patch firmly against the surface of the product.
8. Leave the mattress for 12 hours to dry.
9. Turn out the mattress and inflate.

Important! Do not repair yourself if the damage exceeds 5 mm or there is a problem with the internal partitions. It is almost impossible to repair such damage on your own. Contact the service shop and specialists will evaluate the existing defects and, if necessary, restore the product, replacing a section of the old canvas with a new one.

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Stock footage

The right choice of high-quality inflatable furniture, as well as its proper use, in accordance with the purpose, will help significantly extend its service life. This means that you will receive a much greater amount of joy and positive emotions from its operation.