Rugs Direct

Proper Storage of Area Rugs

Copyright © 2007 Rugs Direct^®

One of the greatest benefits of using area rugs to decorate your home is the fact that they can periodically be changed to reflect your mood, tastes or even the season of the year. However, when you invest in good-quality area rugs, it is extremely important to properly store them during the times when you will not be displaying them. If you take the necessary time and precautions, your beautiful floor coverings will last for generations.

Here are some important tips and guidelines from the country's foremost authority on the care and storage of valuable area rugs, The Textile Museum in Washington, D.C.

Finding the Best Storage Location
The best location for the storage of your area rugs would be in a room that is cool, dry and where blinds or curtains can be used to block natural light. Since few of us have the luxury of a spare room that we can devote to storage, and have to make due with closets, cupboards and under beds. While it is possible to adapt many spaces in the house for storage, try to avoid using attics and basements, which are usually without climate control and suffer the largest swings of temperature and relative humidity.

Once you have decided on a location, you should think about the following:
if you live in a climate where humidity is high during some part of the year, make sure that there is some way to circulate the air to avoid mildew problems (even a fan will help); consider using a dehumidifier to bring humidity down to a more moderate level

• If you live in a climate where humidity is low during some part of the year, consider raising the level of humidity slightly with a humidifier.
• Block sunlight from coming in windows with shades or blinds.
• Keep your storage area/room clean because dust and dirt attract rug-eating insects.
• Avoid storing items directly on the floor; carpet beetles like to take up residence between the floor and the back of your rug.

Storage Hardware
If you have the space, metal shelving is ideal to store your rugs. Pad the shelving with a cushioning material like bubble-wrap so that the edges of the shelves do not make indentations on the rugs.

If you are storing your area rugs on wooden shelves, it is important to provide a buffer between the wood acids and your rugs. There are at least two options:

• Line the drawers or shelves with acid-free tissue or acid-free barrier paper; the paper should be adequate to absorb excess acids for two or three years before it needs to be changed
• Coat the wood with polyurethane varnish and allow it to dry thoroughly; use an additional physical barrier such as bubble-wrap or a layer of cotton sheeting or muslin.

Storage Materials
The best way to store rugs is to keep them rolled. If you fold a rug for even a short period of time, creases will form. Additionally, the foundation of the rug will weaken from the pressure being exerted on the folded area. If it is brittle, the foundation can break.

It is best to roll a rug around a support tube. Avoid using polyvinyl chloride tubing – PVC pipe – which can give off damaging chemicals. Again, there are two options:

• Acid-free, archival tubes are the best choice, although expensive; 3" diameter rug tubes are usually the best choice as they are very sturdy.
• A regular cardboard rug tube can be adapted by wrapping the tube with a layer of acid-free tissue; generally it takes several sheets lined up together to cover the length of the tube, so to hold all of the pieces in place and to insure that they last as you roll and unroll your rugs, cover the tissue with a layer of washed cotton sheeting or muslin before rolling the rug around the tube.

Rolling Techniques
Pile in or pile out? The debate goes on. Here are some things to consider:

• What is the condition of the pile? Is it fragile, with loss of knots? Is the pile silk?
• What is the condition of the foundation? Are there numerous splits and breaks? Is it brittle?

The overall condition of the piece should determine the method of rolling. In general, the pile is more vulnerable than the foundation, so it is better to roll with the pile in. If the foundation is weaker than the pile, or if a lining has been sewn on the rug, roll with the foundation in. If a rug is lined, wrinkling will always occur during rolling; it is therefore better to roll with the lining in, thus allowing the lining rather than the rug to wrinkle. In addition, roll in the direction of the pile rather than against the pile to avoid abrading the pile or placing stress on the knots.

It is often difficult to get started rolling and to keep the rug straight on the roller. To assist in getting started, use a leader of washed cotton sheeting or muslin. This can be the same piece rolled around to secure the acid-free tissue. The piece should be the width of the rug you are rolling, and long enough to go completely around the tube once plus about two feet. Roll the fabric onto the roller and lay the rug (face or pile up and with the pile direction moving away from you) on the 2 foot extension. As you roll, the excess fabric will catch the rug and allow you to roll the rug smoothly. Try to keep the roll as straight as possible (with the warps perpendicular to the roller) while rolling. If a rug is especially crooked it may be necessary to add a little "ease" into the roll to keep the warps straight to avoid rolling the rug in a spiral. To add this "ease", move one edge of the roller forward slightly with each turn around the tube, continuing to line up the warps perpendicular to the tube. This will make the roll slightly looser than it would be if you were able to roll the rug straight from top to bottom.

A length of muslin is also a good finish for your rolled rug. Muslin acts as a good dust and light barrier. The fabric should be wide enough to extend beyond the edges of the roll, sufficient either to be tucked into the ends of the tube, or tied down onto the tube to protect the edges of the rolled rug from dust.

If you need to mark the muslin cover to indicate the contents, mark the fabric with a permanent ink marking pen prior to rolling the fabric around the rug. You should plan on washing the covering every few years to remove accumulated dust and dirt.

Many museums wrap rolled textiles in a sheet of clear polyethylene rather than muslin. The advantage of using polyethylene is that it can help protect your rugs from insect infestation if the wrapping is secured with ties and the edges of the polyethylene are securely tucked into the ends of the rolling tube. Polyethylene can also protect rugs from water damage in the event of a leak. In general, mildew should not be a problem for rugs rolled in polyethylene unless a rug gets wet and stays in that condition for any length of time. Polyethylene is also good as a general dust cover draped over a group of rolled pieces since it is inexpensive and could readily be discarded once it is dirty.

Maintenance of Storage Areas
Most moth and carpet beetle infestations appear in stored rugs. The source of the infestation may have occurred earlier when the piece was being used or was hung on the wall, but in the quiet, dark surroundings of storage, the infestation may quickly grow. It is therefore important to have a good housekeeping plan for your storage areas. Wipe off shelving and shelf padding and if necessary clean or replace covers and padding. Vacuum the room thoroughly to eliminate insect-attracting dust. Check baseboards and window sills for dust as well.

Yes, it can be a lot of work to properly store an area rug. But if you have made an investment in the fine art of high-quality area rugs, it is certainly worth it to preserve their beauty and longevity.

If you are in the market for high-quality, handmade area rugs, please begin your search at the nation's leading source for area rugs, Rugs Direct.

Q&A with a CSR

Copyright © 2007 Rugs Direct^®

Hillary Lewis has been a professional Customer Service Representative with Rugs Direct for a little more than a year. She and her co-workers answer hundreds of telephone calls each month from customers with questions about area rugs, decorating, product shipments and a whole lot of inquiries that are sometimes impossible to categorize.

Hillary recently took a few moments from her busy day to talk to Rugology101 about what it means to be a Customer Service Representative for such a highly specialized retailer.

R101: What types of questions do Rugs Direct customers ask when they call you?

HL: There are several routine types of questions that make up a large part of my day. Things like, “What is the status of my shipment?” or “Is this rug available in 5’ x 7’?” But I also get a lot of calls from customers who are looking for help in decorating a room in their home.

R101: What kinds of things do they ask?

HL: Color. They want very specific information about the colors in a rug they are thinking of buying.

R101: How do you help them?

HL: Well, color is a very subjective characteristic so I do my best to describe the colors in real-world terms. For instance, I find comparing a color to a fruit or a vegetable often helps. Cucumber green or cherry red. People seem to relate well to these kinds of descriptions.

R101: Do you find there is a big difference between the color shown on their computer screen and that of the actual rug?

HL: Actually not too often. Rugs Direct does an excellent job of reproducing the photographs of the rugs on the website. Of course there are a lot of different kinds of monitors hooked up to computers out there and sometimes people have them out of alignment. It happens, but not nearly as much as you might expect.

R101: What else do customers ask you?

HL: I get a lot of questions about fibers and what type of rug is best for a certain application. I go through a chain of questions to try and help narrow this down for them. For example, is it a high-traffic area? Does the area ever get wet? Will the rug be in direct sunlight? The single most important question is, “Do you have kids, allergies or pets?” Then I can offer my suggestions to help them determine what will work best for them.

R101: How else do you help Rugs Direct customers?

HL: Sometimes I have to become a bit of an IT consultant! I get calls from people who just aren’t that comfortable using a computer and don’t spend much time shopping on the Internet. They’ll call and ask me to walk them through the ordering process or to help them search our inventory for a particular style or color of rug. It’s funny how intimidated some people can be by computers and technology. But we usually have a good laugh and get them the information or assistance they need.

R101: What recommendations would you give to people who are thinking about decorating with area rugs?

HL: Do your homework! Rugs aren’t simple. There is a lot you need to know in order to make a good decision and obtain a good value. The Internet is a tremendous resource for information about area rugs and how to use them to enhance your home’s décor. And, of course, I’m here to help!

If you’re planning on shopping for area rugs, please begin by searching the Rugs Directory™ at Rugs Direct. If you would like to contact Hillary Lewis directly, please send an e-mail to hlewis@rugsdirect.com and mention Rugology101 in the subject line of your message.

Think Outside the Box with a Round Rug

Copyright © 2007 Rugs Direct ^®

Guest author: Vicki Duong

When people think of a rug, the first thought that usually comes to mind is that of a rectangular-shaped covering that sits upon the middle of your floor. But who says you should only be limited to such a square piece of material when many area rugs now come in a variety of shapes and sizes? As fun alternatives to the usual rectangular or square-shaped rug, round rugs with detailed edging and half-moon or crescent shaped rugs can easily dress up your home.

For those of you who are looking to venture out from boring square shaped rugs, I suggest looking into what are often called "medallion" rugs. Medallion rugs are intricate round-shaped rugs that generally are used in an entrance way near the front door to dress up your foyer. Hotels even use these artistically styled rugs in larger sizes for their lobbies, pairing them with round decorative tables and floral arrangements. Many medallion rugs feature a decorative scalloped edging, making them ideal for placing them in the middle of your living room or at the entrance to a formal dining room.

Like rugs of other shapes, round rugs come in a variety of styles and fibers. Many round rugs use a combination of fabrics for improved appearance or strength. Some common round rug fibers are:

• Acrylic — resists sunlight, stains and mildew
• Polypropylene (olefin) — stain-resistant and extremely popular
• Nylon —versatile, durable and easy to maintain
• Wool —durable, soft and is considered the superior fiber
• Cotton —softer than wool, but less durable
• Jute — the softest, but fades easily in direct sunlight; sensitive to moisture
• Sisal —strong, durable and colorfast

A variation on round rug, half-moon rugs are ideal for those who don't have a lot of space to spare. Since they're really just half of a round rug, they don't take up as much floor space, and are designed to be pushed up against a wall. Perfect places to keep your half-moon rug include the kitchen in front of your sink, underneath your study or telephone table, and even your bathroom. You can get a little creative with these rugs and use them as the ends of your couch and place end tables on top of them. The most common use of a half-moon rug is in front of a fireplace.

Rugs in other unusual shapes and designs such as flower die cut styles and fish-shaped rugs are perfect for those who have a particular theme going on in their home. But whether you're following a certain motif, or are just looking for a completely differently way to decorate your floors, remember that it's perfectly acceptable to think outside of the rectangular box!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vicki_Duong

One of the best places to shop for round or shaped rugs is Rugs Direct. Many of the styles that are available in traditional rectangular shapes also come in 6-foot, 8-foot or 10-foot round sizes. Click here and do a search of the Rugs Directory^TM for "round" - you're certain to find the perfect round area rug for your home!

#1 Mistake When Buying a Rug

Copyright © 2007 Rugs Direct^®

Do you know what the #1 mistake is that people make when buying a new area rug? The wrong color? Inappropriate style? Fabric not correctly matched to intended use?

Nope...size. More accurately, people tend to underestimate the size of rug they will need and too often buy one that in simply too small.

Even if you carefully measure the room or area in which you want to place the rug, it can be deceptive until you actually put the rug in place. However, there are certain guidelines to follow that should help you determine the most appropriate size for your application.

If furniture is going to be placed on the rug, make sure you aren't forced to put two feet on the rug and two directly on the floor. This never works well. Not only will your furniture no longer be level, but it just looks "wrong." Get a rug that is large enough so that all four feet will fit comfortably on it with a little extra so that the feet aren't setting right on the rug's edge. Or spread the furniture out so that no feet sit on it; and make sure the rug will completely cover the area between pieces.

If you're placing a rug in a central location in a room, leave a border of no more than 24-36 inches around the edges. More than this tends to make the rug "disappear" in the room and look as if you miscalculated the necessary size. This might very well be the case! If you don't like the look of one large rug filling the room's floorspace, you can easily decorate with two rugs instead. Just avoid large swaths of empty floor surrounding the room.

In a dining room, start by measuring the size of your table and then add at least four feet in each direction. You want the chairs to fit on the rug both when people are seated at the table and when they push the chair back to get up from the table. Again, don't force two feet to sit on the rug and the other two to sit on the floor.

In a hallway where you are placing a runner, the width should be no more than four inches narrower than the width of the hall. You don't want to create a narrow path down the center, but cover the majority of the floor. As for length, 18-24 inches shorter than the hallway is ideal.

Bedrooms can be a bit of exception to the "don't buy too small" rule. That's because the bed usually takes up a large part of the floorspace and there's really no point in putting a rug beneath it where it won't been seen. It's better to decorate with multiple, smaller rugs that can define and shape the space in a way a large rug cannot do.

Some people find it beneficial to actually create a template for the rug out of newspaper or brown craft paper. Using nothing more than a tape measure, scissors and some tape, you can piece together a shape that matches the size of the rug you are considering, place it on the floor and see if it matches up with what you're expecting. You may be surprised that you really need a size larger than you anticipated. With your template, simply add on to what you already have to create the new size, and then buy with confidence.

When you're ready to start shopping and explore the various rug sizes available, be sure to spend some time at Rugs Direct.