Protect Your Hand Woven Area Rug with the Perfect Rug Pad

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Hand woven area rugs at market

Hand woven rugs are truly works of art. Each one is as unique as a Picasso and made with the utmost care and craftsmanship. Their intricate patterns are often imitated, but never duplicated. Owning a handmade carpet means you own a one-of-a-kind treasure.

Typically made from silk or wool and a strong cotton foundation, hand woven rugs are investments that become estate pieces, passed down as family heirlooms from generation to generation.

These artisan created pieces go by many different names.

  • Oriental Rug
  • Tribal Persian Gabbeh
  • Rya Rug
  • Bokhara Rugs
  • Peshawar Ziegler Rugs
  • Persian Rugs

Because they are so special, you will need to know how to protect your Persian or Oriental rug from bunching becoming a tripping hazard in your home.

The best way to do this is with the right rug pad.

It may have taken you a while to choose the right handmade rug for your home, but choosing the right rug pad just takes a little bit of research.

Let’s look at why a rug pad is an absolute must for your hand woven area rug.

Why you need a rug pad for woven rugs

bedside hand-woven rug

The art of rug making dates back before written history. They originally served as a way for nomads to protect their families against cold and damp conditions.

Eventually, they became a status symbol as they graced the halls and hearths of well-to-do families worldwide.

But just because hand-woven rugs have withstood the test of time doesn’t mean adding one to your space will make it stuffy and outdated. There are many benefits to incorporating a hand-woven rug into your room.

  • Increased Value: Unlike factory-made rugs, hand woven area rugs only increase in value. A well-made rug contains 100-400 hand-tied knots per square inch, so it is built to last and will become increasingly rare as the profession becomes rarer.
  • Durability: Because they are assembled with no glue or adhesives, these beauties will not decay like their machine-made counterparts and will withstand decades in high-traffic areas like the living room or entryway of your home.
  • Easy Maintenance: Hand-woven rugs are made with natural materials, meaning you can easily keep your prized possession looking brand new generation after generation.
  • Eco-Friendly: No chemicals or synthetic fabrics and dyes are used to make hand-woven rugs. They are 100% organic and pose no threat to your health.

Since hand-woven rugs are such an investment, you’ll need to protect them with the right rug pad. This means investing in a carpet pad that will protect both your floors and your precious area rug.

Natural fibers are notorious for shifting on hardwood floors, tile, and laminate flooring. Handmade area rugs may be heavy, but they can still slip and slide on hard surfaces.

Cheap rug pads can damage your floors and the cotton backing that anchors the hand stitching of your rug’s pile. So avoid the temptation to order an inexpensive rug gripper from Amazon. You will end up spending the money you saved and more to repair your hand-woven rug and flooring.

Like 100% wool felt and natural rubber, Rug pads made from natural materials offer premium protection, anti-slip grip, and luxurious cushioning when used with your hand weaved carpet.

These are the best rug pads for hand-woven rugs

When choosing a rug pad to place underneath your hand-woven rug, not just any product will do. The type of rug pad you choose will either help or harm your new carpet.

Avoid carpet pads with synthetic materials at all costs. They may be cheap and readily available, but synthetic carpet pads will wreak havoc on both your flooring and your precious handmade area rug.

They are made with harmful chemicals like PVC that break down over time, causing discoloration and staining on hardwood flooring and tile. The fillers used in these synthetic rug pads also release toxic chemicals into your home’s air, compromising the air quality.

The best rug pads for hand-woven rugs are made from all-natural materials that can withstand wear and tear, just like your new carpet. Here is what you should look for in a high-quality rug pad.

These rug pads will extend the life of your rug while offering safety and comfort for decades to come when cared for properly.

RugPro

RugPro rug pad

RugPro offers a low profile with a strong grip that prevents your hand-woven rug from bunching and shifting across your floors. This non-slip rug pad is safe for all floor types and offers more coverage than a traditional waffle carpet pad.

Because it’s constructed with a dual-surface design, you can have the best of both worlds with RugPro. Soft, needle-punched felt rug pads gently adhere to your rug’s cotton backing and allow your carpet and floors to breathe. This prevents dirt and debris accumulation from reaching your floors.

Beneath the soft felt topping is a natural rubber bottom that uses a high percentage of real rubber to prevent premature flaking and breakdown, often seen with latex rug pads.

It also offers a sturdier grip that will prevent your rug from curling and creating a tripping hazard.

Contour-Lock

Contour Lock Rug Pad

If you’re in the market for a non-slip rug pad with a moderate level of cushioning, then the Contour-Lock will fit the bill. Its solid design offers protection for your floors and rug backings. It’s well suited to a variety of rug textures, including flat-woven rugs like Kilims and Soumaks.

The solid rubber backing is made from a natural rubber blend that utilizes a higher rubber to clay filler ratio, which makes it perfect for high-traffic areas.

Contour-Lock is topped with 100% recycled felt, making it the perfect eco-friendly companion to your beautiful handwoven rug. These materials make it naturally moisture and mildew resistant, making it safe to use in hot, humid climates.

Super-Lock Natural

Super Lock Natural rug pad

You may find that your hand-woven rug is plush enough and does not need additional cushioning. In this case, the Super-Lock Natural will keep your rug in place without the tripping hazard a thick rug pad may create.

This rug pad has a waffle weave design that offers a superior lock underfoot. Unlike synthetic, chemical-laden rug pads, Super Lock Natural is made of 100% natural rubber.

The waffle design allows for effective vacuuming and lets both your rug and flooring breathe to prevent mildew and floor damage.

Because it’s made from natural rubber, Super Lock Natural can be used on any type of flooring without the threat of staining, peeling, or sticking.

Other things you want to know

rugs at a market

Your hand-woven rug is an investment that not only elevates your décor but instantly becomes an heirloom piece that you can pass from generation to generation.

Here are some more things you need to know as you get to know the right rug pad for your beautiful handmade masterpiece.

Are rug pads really worth it?

Yes. Handwoven rugs can cost thousands of dollars. Choosing the right rug pad will protect the integrity of your investment while enhancing the comfort and safety of your home.

How can you tell if a rug is hand-woven?

The key to knowing if a rug is valuable is to look at the back. A handmade rug will have weaving and knots that are slightly different and not exact or uniform.

You may see some knots that are larger than others. Each knot will be individual, meaning if you cut one, only a single piece of thread would come out.

Handwoven rugs are precious and should be paired with the correct rug pad to increase the lifespan of your carpet.

Can I vacuum hand-woven rugs?

Never use the base of your vacuum to clean handmade rugs. Use an add-on tool that does not spin and move from side to side when removing dirt and debris.

Never use the beater brush. It will inevitably reduce the pile each time and take years off of your rug’s lifespan.

Can I use a memory foam rug pad with a hand-woven rug?

The best rug pads for handmade rugs are ones made from natural fibers. Avoid memory foam rug pads and opt for carpet padding made from natural rubber and wool.

Is natural rubber really better than synthetic rubber?

Yes. Natural rubber is better than synthetic rubber for several reasons:

  1. Natural Rubber Is Stronger.
  2. Natural Rubber Is Eco-Friendly And Sustainable
  3. Natural Rubber Has A Milder, More Pleasant Scent.
  4. Synthetic Rubber Can Never Duplicate Natural Rubber’s Durability.

Natural rubber offers a better stretch than its synthetic counterpart and won’t cause a chemical reaction between your carpet pad and flooring.

How do you clean a stain off of a hand-woven rug?

Because hand-woven rugs are made from natural materials, they can be spot cleaned with a gentle, natural solution when stained.

Follow these steps to remove common stains from your hand-woven rug.

  1. Create a solution consisting of a teaspoon of mild detergent, a teaspoon of white vinegar, and two quarts of warm water.
  2. Dip a cotton cloth in the solution and gently blot the stain.
  3. Repeat the blotting until the stain is removed.
  4. Dry the area with a clean towel.

Try to clean spills as soon as they happen to avoid damaging stains to your previous hand-woven rug.

Should the rug pad be the same size as the rug?

Choosing the right rug pad size is just as important as choosing the right rug pad type for your unique carpet. To prevent your handwoven rug from shifting on your hard floors and becoming a tripping hazard, you will need to purchase the correct size rug pad.

Typically, the rug pad’s perimeter, or measurement around the outside, should be about one inch smaller than your area rug.

Having a margin of carpet around the rug pad prevents bunching by allowing for a gentle sloping from hard floors to plush carpet.

If your handwoven rug’s size is as unique as the design, you can opt to order a custom-sized rug pad or trim the rug pad to size yourself. Just be sure your area rug size exceeds the rug pad’s measurements by one inch all around.

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