Some Fantastic Rug-Purchasing Tips

Purchasing a large area rug, like any other piece of pricy furniture or decor, requires careful consideration. It’s important to evaluate a number of factors before pulling the trigger and investing in an expensive rug. Especially true for owners of homes with hardwood or tiled floors, a strategically placed rug can bring just about any room together. So, regardless of whether you’re a rug veteran or completely new to the game, researching styles and fabrics will help you find theperfect rug for your home.

Rug Material and Quality

Synthetic Area Rugs:

As the name implies, synthetic rugs are made from materials that do come from biological materials. These rugs can be manufactured from nylon, acrylic, polypropylene and polyester – all of which are thermoplastics. Thermoplastics serve as great rug-making materials because of their industrial availability and overall durability. Furthermore, syntheticrugs resist stains, fade slowly, are easy to clean and will handle intense foot traffic if manufactured well.

Because synthetic materials are more readily available and cheaper to use, the cost of these rugs per square foot when compared to their natural rug counterparts is much cheaper. You probably shouldn’t pay more than $6.00 / square foot when purchasing a synthetic rug, unless it’s coming from a reputable distributor. If you’re on a budget, a college student needing a cheap rug for your dorm room, or someone who likes to swap rugs frequently then a synthetic rug will get the job done.

Natural Area Rugs:

Natural area rugs consist of materials such as wool, sisal, berber, jute, sea grass, bamboo and silk. On the whole, natural area rugs have a reputation for being better of the two for a number of reasons. For instance, most natural rug materials are completely biodegradable and better for the environment. Natural rugs also known for their ability to resist wear better than synthetic rugs.

Plant-based rugs tend to cost less than wool rugs because their materials are much easier to harvest in larger volumes. Jute, sisal and sea grass rugs are much harder to clean because of their fibers’ rigidity. Once a stain penetrates the fibers, it’s usually locked in place. Use plant-based rugs in areas with high foot traffic or in places where exposure to liquids is minimal.

If you’re after the best investment for the long run, most rug aficionados will tell you to select a rug made from wool. Wool rugs naturally resist stains, material degradation and soiling. Plus, dyed wools will retain their color with minimal fading for many years.

Choosing an Accurate Size

Your area rug should serve a specific purpose. If you buy a rug that spans the entire surface area of the desired room, you might as well purchase carpet instead. However, if you plan to fit multiple furniture items atop the rug, a rug too small will end up looking awkward and out of sync with the rest of the room. Besides, nobody wants their chair to catch the edge of the rug when they scoot back from the dining room table. For a pre-rug-purchasing tip, measure the desired area for which you want the rug to cover and consider ordering a custom rug online.