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Area Rug Basics
If you haven't shopped for area rugs before or don't know much about them, they're a bit of a mystery.
For instance, why can you walk into a department store and find a 6'x9' rug for $59, then walk across the street to a specialty rug store and find a rug the same size for nearly $10,000?
Several differences are obvious to nearly everyone. For instance, most shoppers will realize that thickness indicates better quality. And wool or silk certainly should cost more than synthetic fabrics. And a rug made by hand will cost more than a machine-made rug. For most of us, the understanding ends right there.
The middle of the price scale is what really causes confusion, especially when you find a beautiful 6'x9' 100% New Zealand wool in a retail store for $599. It's hard for most people to appreciate the differences between that great value and another 6'x9' 100% New Zealand wool rug for 10 times the price.
We hope to help you understand the differences between a $59 rug and a $10,000 rug, and those priced in between those extremes.
The best way to begin shopping for a rug is to determine how much you're willing to spend. There are many styles of rugs at almost any price, so if you've established a budget, you can concentrate on finding the best rug for the money.
There are many variations of rugs available today with different combinations of fibers and construction techniques involved. Those two categories, construction techniques and fibers, will be the main focus here. Together, those factors are what most influence a rug's price.
First, there are two main types of rugs:
Machine Made - these rugs are made in massive quantities using power tufting machines and looms using almost any type of yarn. These rugs can be made in different textures, styles and sizes quickly and easily and therefore are less expensive than a hand-made rug. There are many differences between tufted and woven rugs. The woven carpets have the pile face woven along with the backing, making them strong and hard-wearing. In the construction of tufted carpets, the pile is inserted into the backing material with needles.
Hand Made - these rugs vary in the amount a person is involved in the construction. Some might simply involve a person using a tool to tuft the rug by hand. Others might start with a person actually spinning the yarn and knotting each rug 1 yarn at a time. In cases such as these, a single 6'x9' rug can take 9 months or longer to construct. If you find a $6,000-$9,000 hand-made rug, that's likely the kind of handcrafted attention involved in its creation. Hand-made rugs are made with natural yarns like wool and silk. Some antique silk and wool rugs can be very valuable and have been sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
In general:
* If you're looking for one or more rugs to accent your home and have a tighter budget, give strong consideration to machine-made rugs.
* If you're looking for a beautiful, heirloom-quality investment, look closely at handmade rug choices.
* For a one-of-a-kind rug, talk to a designer or another informed resource to find a trustworthy rug specialty store.Fibers in Rug Construction
As important to how a rug is constructed is the fabric used to make it. In the Olefin and Nylon categories, there are two types of yarn; staple and continuous filament (also known as BCF). The staple is much like a chain of yarn strands linked together. The area where the strands are joined forms the weakest point. That's where the fibers are most likely to break loose, leaving small loose filaments or links. The visual result is fuzziness, pilling or shedding.Just as it sounds, continuous filament is one long strand without the weakness of a link, so filaments are much less likely to break free of the strand. BCF costs more to produce, but is less likely to show long-term wear. This distinction between staple yarns and BCF is a general simplification that doesn't take esoteric differences in the extrusion process into account. But it provides a pretty good rule-of-thumb.
Fabric choices include:
Acrylic (synthetic) - Because acrylic yarn is flammable, it has mostly been used to construct small rugs (4'x6' or smaller) such as bath mats. Recently some acrylic yarns treated with a flame retardant have been used in larger rugs. Acrylic yarns can result in crisp colors and excellent sculpted designs, and they can be very reasonably priced. Olefin (synthetic) - Also known as polypropylene, this yarn is one of the most commonly used. Within olefin yarn choices, there are very large differences in the fiber. Some single-ply olefins are very cheap in both price and quality. However, there are some very well-constructed rugs with excellent stain resistance, fade resistance and other wonderful qualities. Some newer styles in olefin are cottony soft and have beautiful textures. This yarn's low cost and its possibilities make it an exciting choice, but the variety of yarn types available can lead to confusion.If the rug looks good and feels good AND it is in your price range, don't immediately dismiss it. If you like the style, texture and color, it might be exactly what you're looking for.
Nylon (synthetic) (BCF or Staple) - Some manufacturers use nylon in their rugs. Typically, suppliers that use nylon yarn also make broadloom (wall-to-wall carpet). Nylon is very tough and is priced higher than olefin. It's available in a great number of textures and styles. Many people buy broadloom carpets in small quantities and have them made into rugs, because they like the style and color.
Wool (Natural) - There are many types of wool. As a general rule, wool is very tough and is found in rugs at all levels of quality and price. Wool has a great soft feel to it and is flexible in the way it can be constructed. Some rugs made with what's known as "five-season wools" are some of the toughest imaginable. Of course, once you've spent the money required to purchase a five-season wool, you probably won't put its toughness to the test. You'll be more likely to treat it as the piece of art it is.
Silk (Natural) - Silk is often used as to add accent colors on high-end wool rugs. These delicate accents can really enhance the look and styling of a rug. Silk has a very soft, luxurious feel to it. Though silk can be used to make an entire rug, it will likely be one of the most expensive.
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