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Area Rugs Guide

NOTE: Although Karen's Advance Floors specializes in mainly machine made rugs, made from mostly synthetic fibers, we offer the following in an effort to help educate you in the history and scope of the area rug catagory.

For centuries, area rugs have laid the groundwork for elegant interior design, and there is an endless array of sizes available to furnish grand parlors, narrow entryways and everything in between. While the most common shape for a rug is rectangular, there are those that are round and oval, and more and more companies are developing new shapes to create interesting statements in entryways and children's rooms.

There are two types of rugs: machine-made and handmade. Machine-made rugs are just that--made from a machine. And under this heading, there are two subcategories: machine-tufted and machine-woven rugs. In short, machine-tufted rugs are constructed by a machine that pushes yarn through a backing, while machine-woven rugs are made by a machine that uses a weaving technique. (With machine-mades, you'll often hear the words Axminster and Wilton thrown about. They refer simply to different types of automated rug-making looms.)

While machine-woven and machine-tufted rugs are the most popular area rugs today, many people prefer the subtle charm of a handmade rug. Common construction methods for handmade rugs include hand-tufting, where workers use a hand-held device to shoot the yarn through the rug's foundation, and hand-knotting, where the yarn is pushed through the foundation and tied off.

Oriental, Persian, Berber and Native American designs are just a few that can be found in area rugs in nearly every price range. And an endless array of sizes are available.

As a rule of thumb, Oriental rugs fall into two broad style and quality categories: geometric and curvilinear (or floral). Geometric patterns are associated with looser tribal weaves made in the countryside. Curvilinear patterns offer finer definition and tighter weaves, and are associated with city manufacture.

For many people the purchase of an area rug comes later in the decorating (or redecorating) process. They've either seen a rug that simply knocks them off their feet and buy it on the spot, they've recently had a hard surface floor installed and are looking for a little extra touch, or they simply want to coordinate with their existing design theme. If that sounds like you, it's a good idea to bring along paint and fabric swatches.

Room and size
When selecting an area rug, the first order of business is deciding in which room this new floor accessory will be placed. High-traffic areas require something durable, maybe a tufted wool rug, which will stand up to heavy traffic and soiling. Cotton is another good choice for high-traffic areas because it's washable as well as durable. Still, nylon is hard to beat in terms of performance, fashion and style.

The most popular area rug sizes are 8-by-11 feet, followed by 5-by-8, but larger rugs, including 9-by-13 are becoming popular due to the growth of living areas. In deciding the size you need, consider where you will be placing your rug. If it is to be set beneath a coffee table in the family room, you may find a 6-by-9 suitable to create a conversation area. A larger rug would be a good choice to cover the floor of an entire room.

Color
Colorations for area rugs truly run the gamut. There are rich palettes of reds and golds, antique-washed greens and browns and subtler azures and weathered grays. Again, be sure to take along a swatch of the upholstery or drapery you'd like to match. Often the interior lighting of a showroom will differ greatly from the lighting in your own home, so it helps to see how, say, how your upholstery fabric will match up under other illumination.

Pattern
Just as there are endless choices in color, patterns are becoming just as plentiful. The traditional Aubussons (a classic French floral design) and Kirmans (finely detailed geometrics) have given way to more contemporary looks in bold shapes. The pattern you select will depend upon your personal inclination, but keep in mind that "matchy-matchy" furnishings are a thing of the past. Eclecticism reigns in today's design culture, giving you more leeway. Go ahead, be bold. Today's machine-made area rugs are so well made in terms of design and construction that you can't go wrong.

Something to Consider
Smaller pattern repeats (also called an all-over design) can create the look and feel of wall-to-wall carpeting. Rugs featuring larger patterns or patterns with a strong center medallion or border give a more dramatic effect. These rugs often feature a border, which is the design that frames a rug's field (the central part of the rug).

Construction
Once you've decided upon the size and colors of your rug, it's time to consider the construction. While this may be an area that you are not familiar with, construction is just as important as color or pattern and helps keep your area rug not only beautiful but long-lasting.

When it comes to construction, there are three basic characteristics: density, twist and fiber.

• Density refers to the closeness of the tufts or knots. Basically, the denser the pile, the better your rug will wear.
• Twist refers to the winding of yarn around itself. A tighter yarn twist will provide added durability.
• In terms of fiber, there are six general types used in creating area rugs. Again, the type you select will not only determine your rug's appearance but it's performance.
  • Nylon is a resilient fiber that withstands heavy traffic and the weight and movement of furniture. It is soil resistant and easily cleaned. The most common choice.
  • Wool is noted for its luxury and softness. This natural fiber has been used in the construction of carpet for centuries - and for good reason. It is soft, warm and comfortable, plus it's easy to clean. Still, because of its higher price, wool is generally limited to upper end goods.
  • Cotton, for its softness and performance as well as for the ease of maintenance.
  • Olefin, also called polypropylene, is strong and colorfast with a soft wool-like feel. It resists stains better than nylon but doesn't wear as well. Since most polypropylene is solution dyed during the manufacturing process, color is an inherent part of the fiber. Think of polypropylene as a carrot, the color runs right through it, versus nylon which is like a radish, color on the outside of the fiber, not inside.
  • Polyester features a soft hand when used in thick, cut pile textures. Naturally stain- and fade-resistant, it is easy to clean and maintain. However, it is not as durable as either polypropylene or nylon.
  • Acrylic offers the appearance of wool at a lower cost and is sometimes blended with other fibers.

Care and maintenance
Once you've selected and placed your new area rug into your home, you must be sure to care for it properly, as this will prolong its life and appearance.

Regular vacuuming is a must, because it will remove loose soil. Take special care when vacuuming the fringe and edges of your rug. (Some throw rugs can be washed in a home washing machine, but comply with the manufacturer's recommended cleaning methods to prevent warranty invalidation and damage.)

Have a professional deep clean your rug every year to remove soil build-up. Several cleaning methods will work, but to prevent rapid re-soiling of your rug, it is important to completely remove any cleaning agents.

As with any fabric, area rugs are an easy target for household spills and soiling. When these occur, treat all stains immediately, no matter what type of rug you have. The longer the stain sits, the harder it will be to remove.

Good to Know
Be sure to invest in a rug cushion or underlay. Not only will it absorb shock and noise and keep your rug from "creeping," it will reduce the wear and tear and make vacuuming easier. In addition, but underlay can prevent color transfer from the area rug pad to the floor surface and minimize the crushing of pile from furniture placed on rugs.

Glossary of Terms
Abrash: This refers to variations in color, which is the result of inconsistencies in hand dyeing or the introduction of a new batch of wool.

Antique: A handmade rug that can be authenticated as at least 50 years old.

Caucasian: Rugs that originated in what are now Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. They are distinguished by repeating vase designs.

Chrome dyes: Chemical dyes widely used in modern rug weaving that do not fade with age (unlike traditional vegetable dyes).

Dhurrie: Cotton flat-weave rug from India.

Flat-weave: A pileless, often reversible rug (a kilim weave is a universal description of a flatwoven rug).

Full cut: A hand-tufted rug, usually from China, in which the face pile has been completely sheared to form a plush surface.

Indo-Persian: A rug made in India using a traditional Persian design and knotting technique. Because of government sanctions that make the sale of Iranian rugs illegal, Indo-Persian rugs are sold widely in the United States.

Knot count: The number of knots per square inch on a handmade rug. The higher the number, the higher the quality of the rug.

Line count: The number of horizontal lines of knots per linear foot in a handmade rug. The higher the number, the higher the quality of the rug.

Warp: The yarn that runs up and down a woven rug.

Weft: The yarn that rugs across a woven rug (kilim weaves are made of only warps and wefts with no knots).

Did you know…?

In the 1990s, natural-fiber area rugs, those derived from vegetable fibers, such as sisal, coir, jute and rush, gained popularity. They're made of long fibers that are bound or braided together horizontally to create woven designs--the opposite of traditional wool or synthetic rugs, which consist of thousands of short, vertical piles.

Rugs woven in villages and nomadic encampments usually are rougher, looser and often produced for the weaver's own home.

Most authentic Oriental rugs take their name from the Persian city or province in which they were made. Names such as Baktiari and Heriz therefore are geographical references rather than descriptions of designs.