fixing soft sided crates

[Amy McGovern]

I've heard from people at shows that there are people who fix soft-sided crates.  Does anyone have a recommendation?  I have one crate where the dog broke the zipper and one where she broke all the mesh.  She is in a wire crate at shows now   But I'd like to fix the soft crates!

[Team Twodog]

I had mine repaired at an upholstery shop. Also, you can buy replacement covers for Noz2Noz crates at sitstay.com. 

Kim

[Audri, Cee Cee, Lily, Toto, and Calypso]

You can probably take out the stabalizing bars and bring it to a drycleaner/tailor to fix the zipper.  I have fixed the mesh on my own by taking out the old mesh and simply sewing in new stuff.  If you have any friends that sew, it was fairly easy to do. 

[Lori Pritchett]

Look around your area for a canvas shop - one that makes awnings and things along those lines.  They will have the machines to be able to sew in a new zipper and mesh.  I have a zipper that is beginning to stick badly and I use beeswax to lubricate it.  When it fails, I plan to use a heavy duty METAL zipper, not the plastic one like is currently on there.

[Lynne Almeida]

Try checking at your local sporting goods store to see if they have, or know of, someone who does tent repair.  The heavy-duty tent zippers are similar to the fabric crate ones, so if they do one they should be able to do the other.  One of the guys who does this locally says that it's often just the pull part of the zipper that needs replacing; not a difficult or expensive fix.  As for the mesh ... ? Maybe a tent repair person could figure out how to do this too?  But I'll tell ya lots of the younger dogs in our club have sported duct tape patches on their crates at one time or another! 

[dmadrid]

I had a zipper fixed at a shoe repair shop that also does luggage repair. 

If you can find anyone that works with luggage, that should do the trick (and no need to take out the bars!).

Best,
Danielle

[Amy McGovern]

Thanks all!  The destroyed mesh one is Noz2Noz so that helps.  I'll check out your zipper ideas too.  They were basically ruined in the same way.  She tries to paw and scratch her way out of the crate.  She never does any of that in the wire one so I'm sticking with it for trials but I like the soft sided ones for when we are traveling in our RV.  The same dog sleeps in a crate because otherwise you get a health check at 3am (nothing like a schnauzer beard hanging over your face and asking "are you alive?" or maybe it is just "I'm hungry!").  LOL!

[Yvette Cook]

I called the manufacturer to the soft crates I had when my dog busted though. If it is a replaceable type, they will sell replacements. It was way less than I thought it would be too!
Yvette

[Vargie]

If you have a sewing machine or know some one that is good a sewing you can get zippers by the yd at: http://www.seattlefabrics.com/zippers.html#Coil  They even sell directions as to how to do it. It's pretty cheap if you know how to sew.
Vargie

[Lori Pritchett]

If you have a sewing machine or know some one that is good a sewing you can get zippers by the yd at: http://www.seattlefabrics.com/zippers.html#Coil  They even sell directions as to how to do it. It's pretty cheap if you know how to sew.
Vargie

AWESOME!  Thanks for the link...I was wondering where I was going to get the replacement zippers....