Mistakes to Avoid when Buying Rugs for Your Home

Buying a rug for your home is not a routine purchase; some people may only shop for a carpet once or twice in their lifetime! As such, one may not know where to start and even get confused by the entire rug buying process. You certainly want to avoid ending up with a rug that does not suit your lifestyle or needs.

Before embarking on this carpet buying process, be sure to educate yourself using the vast information available on the Internet on the different kinds of rugs in the market. For example, a simple consideration when buying a rug is whether you prefer natural or synthetic fibers. Other than the type of fiber, there are numerous other factors that can influence your purchase. We find it is always advisable to walk into a carpet store or even with online shopping, to be armed with adequate knowledge before making the final decision.

This article also outlines other common mistakes that you should avoid when shopping for a new rug:

Choosing the Wrong Size of Rug

Selecting an area rug size may appear simple initially, but there is much more than meets the eye to choosing a rug size that will fit the intended space and its furniture perfectly. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is buying a rug that is too small for the area. A rug is supposed to be a unifying part of the room that anchors the furniture and brings the room together. A rug that is too small for a room tends to disjoint the space, making it feel incomplete. Below are some helpful tips when choosing an area rug for a particular space.

Rug for Bedroom

There is one common option when it comes to decorating your bedroom with a rug. With the bed as the central piece, choose an area rug where two-thirds of your bed lies on top your rug. For this layout, typical sizes of rugs are 8ft by 10ft or 9ft by 12ft, which are placed horizontally under the bed.

If your bedroom layout is asymmetrical and an area rug may not fit, consider choosing two runner rugs to be placed on either side of the bed.

Rug for Living Room

For living rooms, choosing an area size follows the same rules as in the bedroom, where you can have only the front legs of your furniture on the rug. Another option is to have all furniture legs sitting on the rug but depending on the size of your living room, this could require a rather large rug.

You can also opt for an area rug where only your central coffee table fits on the rug. However, you can run the risk of a small rug actually making your space look even smaller.

Rug for Dining Room

For dining rooms, there is one simple rule to follow. Ensure that the chosen area rug is able to accommodate the dining table as well as all the dining chairs. This rule applies for all shapes of dining tables!

Similar Looking Rugs may NOT be the Same

This a common mistake made by many making their first rug purchase. Rugs that look similar are not necessarily of the same quality. They can differ in the type of fiber, style, warranties, and construction. With advanced technology prominent in this industry, machine-made rugs are made to appear like Persian, Oriental, Turkish or Antique Rugs.

You may be swayed by rugs with heavily discounted prices that look like traditional hand-woven rugs, but ensure that you read the fine print before making a decision. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a cheaper alternative but you ought to at least be in the know.

Choosing a Rug that does not Suit Your Lifestyle

The lifestyle you lead and the environment of your household plays a pivotal role in your choice of rug.

For instance, a household with pets may want to consider rugs that have stain-resistant properties. While this does not necessarily prevent the occurrence of pet urine on the rug, the stain resistance helps to repel them so that you have the opportunity to address them before they become permanent stains. Having pets in your home should also influence the color you choose for your rug. Having a rug color that resembles the color of your pet can help to camouflage fur sheds and even hide dirt more successfully.

Another consideration is if you have a large family with children, where you can expect large foot traffic and a higher possibility of spillages of food and drinks. In such a scenario, you may wish to consider a rug that can withstand high levels of foot traffic and that has increased ability to resist stains.

Ignoring the Rug Underlay

You may ask yourself the question “Is it worth spending money on something that you cannot even see?” No matter what type of rug you eventually decide on and what kind of flooring the rug will be laid on, a rug pad is important for several reasons:

Avoid Slipping

A good & reliable rug underlay grips the rug in place and keeps it from sliding around. Even if the legs of your furniture hold the rug in place, without an underlay, the rug is susceptible to shifting, leading to ripples and creating tripping hazards.

Extend the Life of Your Rug

While the underlay may not pose any aesthetic value, it serves the purpose of absorbing the unavoidable impact of foot traffic. This consecutively lessens the impact on the rug itself. In addition to increasing the comfort levels of using the rug, the underlay helps to protect it and hence, extends the life of your carpet.

Floor Protection

Many rugs have rough backings and when you have marble or parquet floors at home, these rough surfaces can cause scratches on your hard floors. Another issue that you may face when you do not have an underlay is the transference of color from the rug onto your floor. A rug underlay provides a protective layer between your rug and the floor it lies on.

Get Your Rugs Professionally Cleaned

Routine vacuuming of your rugs is imperative. This avoids the accumulation of dirt and contaminants that could affect the rug’s overall appearance.

However, DIY dry vacuuming is not enough to remove any food particles and pet dander that are potentially embedded deep in your rug. These hidden contaminants can make a rug an ideal breeding ground for germs, bacteria, and dust mites. Unseen to the naked eye, these pollutants can cause your rug to lose its shine and prove to be a health hazard to your indoor living environment as well.

It is recommended to deep clean your rugs at least once a year by professional rug restoration specialists to avoid such issues and to keep your rug looking in pristine shape.