How to buy the best rugs for your home

Now that you’ve decided to switch your flooring from wall-to-wall carpet to hard floor, you may need a rug to add color, warmth, and protection to your new floors. Area rugs are more than just a floor covering, they are works of art, and the right rug can transform your room from cozy to fabulous.

With so many area rug options, how do you decide which one will work for you? This article will give you the knowledge to choose the right one for each room in your home.

First you need to decide the size of the rug you need. If you want it to cover most of the room, the general rule of thumb is 2 feet from all walls, that way the rug isn’t under a lot of furniture and you can still see some of your beautiful flooring. Most rugs come in general sizes of 2×4, 3×5, 4×6, 5×7, 5×8, 6×8, 6×9, 7×10, 8×11, 9×12, 10×13, 12×14 and the runners are typically 30 inches wide and varying lengths. Always measure the space before you go shopping for a rug to make sure it will fit in the room.

Another important factor when choosing a rug is the thickness. If the carpet is too thick, you may not be able to open a room or closet door. Measure the gap between the floor and the bottom of the door before you go shopping. If you are using padding under your rugs, consider the thickness of the pad and rug together when near a door.

The next step is to decide what type of rug will work best for each room in your home. Wool is always the best option, but there are also different types of wool rugs to choose from. When you have kids and pets, you’ll need one that can take a lot of wear and tear and spills. Synthetic materials like olefin, polypropylene, and nylon carpet work best and clean up very well.

Any area rug where you can see the same pattern on the front and back is always best. Not all are made to withstand daily use, spills, and pet accidents. Please note which room you will be in. A rug that works in the bedroom may not be able to handle the daily grind of a living room.

Here are different types of rugs and where they will work best in your home. This is my professional opinion and it is not set in stone but rather from the cleaners point of view of what I see every day.

Syntheticyes Made with olefin, polypropylene fibers. These rugs stand up to heavy use, are easy to clean and can be used in any room in the house.

Hand Knotted Wool rugs are good for bedrooms, in front of wood-burning fireplaces, living/family rooms, and entryways. When used in an entryway, make sure the stains are stable, vacuum at least once a week front and back, and have it professionally cleaned a minimum of twice a year as they wash away all dirt and foreign debris. Wool rugs can be used in a kitchen but can be easily stained by food and drink spills, however having a multi-colored pattern hides many spills.

carpet remnants Rugs-turned-rugs can be used in any room, but you’ll need to have padding to prevent them from scratching your floor and to keep it in place. Faux rug scraps work great for game rooms and basements. It’s easy to turn leftover carpet into scatter rugs for entryways and mud rooms.

flat weave (Dhurries and kilim), braided and rag rugs can work in a bedroom, kitchen (can easily stain), sunrooms and home offices. Flat woven rugs tend to like to turn gray when they get too dirty. These add a nice country/rustic feel to any room.

wool felt fluff They’re great for adding texture to a room, but they don’t hold up to a lot of wear as the fibers multiply and pill. They are difficult to vacuum and difficult to get all the loose dirt and debris from the bottom of the fibers. Good for a bedroom.

Viscose, Rayon, Art Silk and Cotton They’re great for low-use areas like bedrooms. These can easily fade and absorb spills and stains easily. They can also be made into wall hangings.

hand knitted/designer they work best in areas of little use. These types of rugs are known to shed, can have a latex glue smell, stain easily, and are not friendly to the environment.

fluff They are very fashionable and nostalgic. They are ideal for bedrooms and pets love them too, mainly for an indoor bathroom. Lint requires more frequent vacuuming and cleaning and traps a lot of dirt and debris in the fibers. It can be difficult to keep them fresh and clean.

Silks They are a great luxury to have in a bedroom or home office and are perfect as wall hangings. Silk rugs are famous for their impeccable workmanship and beauty. It is not recommended for use as an entrance rug or in a dining room.

Knowing which type of rug works best for each room in your home saves you money and headaches. If you have questions about which mat works best, call your professional carpet cleaners and some reputable carpet galleries to get their opinions.

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