What type of area rugs should I use with hardwood flooring?

Question

How can I protect the floor from any scratches? is it true that if I keep a portion of the floor covered with a rug, the floor may lose uniformity in appearence?

Answer 1

You always, always should use a rug pad under an area rug to protect the floor & keep the rug from slipping:
http://www.homedecorators.com/rugPads.php

http://www.arearugfacts.com/

Answer 2

It is true that the hardwood floor wil show different shades after a time, from being blocked from sun,and traffic,etc.

It is also true that some hardwood floor finishes can be quite slippery!

There are solutions to both of these challenges! First, use small peices of tack tape to hold the carpet in place. Don't worry about tape residue! that's solved in the second solution!!

Now...you look down at the uncarpeted floor area, and see small chips, scratches, shoe marks, spill stains, etc.! You lift the carpet to clean, and the outline of the carpet is now visible! What to do?

This is a relativley east fix! IF the scratches and marks are just surface damage, go to your local building supply dealer. There is a Varathane product to refinish the floor without stripping and sanding the original finish. It comes in a three stage kit. Just follow the direations, and in a couple of days, your floor has it's original luster back, and you can relay your area rug.

Answer 3

As far as floors losing uniformity, it depends on what type of flooring, what you have placed on top of the area rug, and how much direct sunlight your floor is being exposed to. Humidity and temperature can also be a factor. If it's a floor that you value quite a bit, then I would suggest investing in a quality area rug, as opposed to something cheap you can get at Walmart. The reason for this is that inexpensive rugs are made from lesser quality materials, and thus their backing can be rather rough on a nice hardwood floor. Likewise, more expensive rugs typically allow your floor to "breathe" a little better because of the way they are made. Where I'm from, you can't hardly find anything really nice in retail, so I typically order online....

This is a good source:

(http://www.orientalstylerugs.com )

Hope you find what you're looking for... all in all, you can't fully prevent a floor from losing uniformity unless you don't set anything on it, don't walk on it, keep it free from sunlight, and keep the climate controlled..

..but hey, it's floor....that's what it's for!

Answer 4

Since hardwood is slippery, I would find rugs with either foam backing or anti-slip grippers. Covering a surface can cause discoloration from sun and normal wear. Scratches can be made by animal nails or sliding heavy furniture over it without using protection under the piece. In a dining room, the rug should extend far enough out from the table to prevent the chairs from damaging the floor when slid in or out.