Why Area Rugs Curl 

Why do area rugs curl up sometimes?

Have you ever wondered why area rugs curl?

In this post we'll answer this question and tell you what your best solutions are to preventing it from happening to you.

One of the biggest problems people have with area rugs is the fact that the ends of a rug tend to curl, especially the corners.

Curled area rugs are not only unsightly, they're also a dangerous tripping hazard.

The reasons why area rugs curl depends on many factors such as the the materials used, how the rug was constructed, the kind of traffic it is exposed to and the kind of environment it's in (i.e high humidty).

If, for example, you had a natural fiber rug on the floor and liquid was spilled on a corner of it, the drying process could shrink the once wet fibers and cause the corner to curl.

Many of those factors listed above help explain why a rug would curl on it's own.

However, one of the biggest reasons we come across for why area rugs curl is because they are placed on top of carpet.

As nice as an area rug might look on top of carpet, it does not come without a cost.

Because carpet is not a proper foundation under an area rug, when you step on the rug, the carpet fibers under it will compress which makes a rug move, slip, bunch up, stretch and get deformed.

Once a rug is no longer perfectly flat, it becomes a dangerous tripping hazard.

Once a rug is stretched and deformed, curling is more likely to happen which is why we discourage the idea of placing area rugs on top of carpet.

Now if you *must* put an area rug on top of a carpet then you'll want to put a proper thick felt style rug pad under the rug to give it a more stable foundation.

A proper rug pad will keep an area rug from slipping, bunching up or moving AND help to keep it from deforming, stretching and then curling.

If the rug is on some type of hard surface flooring, the absolute minimum type of a rug pad you should get is the rubber mesh style. (Don't buy the cheap kind, they will breakdown and turn to powder -- and you then risk having the rug scratch your floors).

However, the better solution for area rugs is the thick felt style of rug pad.

It's perfect for hardfloors and is what you should put under your rug if you have it on a carpet.

This style of pad will provide a much better foundation for the area rug and will help prevent it from moving, sliding, bunching up, getting deformed - all of which can lead to curling your rug.

If you do have a rug that has curled up on you, bring it to Luv-A-Rug and we can easily flatten it for you. Even though there are several "cheap" solutions offered all over the internet to fix a rug that has curled on you - they do not take into consideration why an area rug actually curled in the first place.

If you have an area rug with any sort of value (monetary or sentimental) you would be better off having the rug professionally looked at in case there is an underlying structural problem that should be taken care.

Do you have another type of problem with your area rug?

Just use your smartphone to text us here at Luv-A-Rug (778-533-7847) with your name, your question and - if you can - a picture of your rug too.