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I just ordered a 9' x 12' wool area rug. It is large enough that it will fit partly under my sofa and under the ottoman. So with all of that weight, I don't think it will slide around. Will it scratch the floor if I don't put a protection pad under it? I find this floor scratches very easily if you slide furniture, although hopefully a wool rug wouldn't do that. I'm renting and I don't want to damage the place. It's the "luxury plank vinyl floor" that's meant to look like hardwood. I've also heard that some protection/non-skid pads will discolor this floor. If I do need a pad, what pad would I get? Thanks.
Most wool rugs are tufted (loose cotton material backing - rugs from China), those from India have material that is more firmly in place. That material is pretty soft and should not scratch your floor at all.
However, I don't care for them, for many reasons, but mainly because they buckle.
I would put a pad under the rug where the sofa hold it in place.
I also heard about the discoloration possibly being a problem with some pads.
I can not really answer your question. I do have a 8 by 10 heavy wool area rug in my living room and it does not slide. Considering I have two rowdy , used to be both be 50 pounds but the old gal passed and I now have a smaller one, dogs dashing around a good part of the time it has been put to the sliding test many times. It is on sheet vinyl and has been for several years. On one end there is a very light weight rattan couch front legs only on it but usually no one sits there just one dog. Nothing is holding the sides. I do have a trunk in front of the couch though. Only extra furniture covers in the trunk. Giving you a weight idea. At the other end is my ottoman and front legs of my chair. Other chair front legs only sitting on the rug.
A couple months ago I took everything off of it rolled it up to clean under it then did a deep shampoo of it. I also looked for scratches and did not see any. but I do have different flooring than you do.
I was wondering if there is such a thing as felt pad. Not sure if it would make it slide more. I think the biggest scratch factor is what grit might travel through the rug to the floor under it and then rub /scratch the floor. I vacuum almost every day. I did not see much grit under my area rug when I rolled it up and we live very rural with gravel driveway no sidewalks etc.
Hoping some one else has better information. I am just tossing out my experience with my wool rug.
Most wool rugs are tufted (loose cotton material backing - rugs from China), those from India have material that is more firmly in place. That material is pretty soft and should not scratch your floor at all.
However, I don't care for them, for many reasons, but mainly because they buckle.
I would put a pad under the rug where the sofa hold it in place.
Are you saying it might damage the floor where the sofa is or just that the pad would help to hold it in place?
I don't know if this makes a difference but it's a reversible hand-woven rug. It is this rug here (in red). https://www.overstock.com/Home-Garde...g=851&recidx=0
It does say they recommend a pad to keep the rug in place but I'm assuming the weight of the sofa and ottoman would keep the rug in place. I'm just wondering if it will scratch the floor. I'm just renting but I know Sherwin Williams installed the floor. (I've seen them doing this floor in other units.) Maybe I'll call them tomorrow to ask.
I called the place that installed the floors. The guy said that since the rug is reversible, he didn't think it would do any damage unless the material is very stiff. And he said some pads will discolor the floor. So he suggested not using a pad since I already have furniture that will be holding the rug in place. I don't know how stiff the rug fibers are. It's hard to tell from the picture. But it's supposed to be delivered this Friday. I'll probably just not use a pad but I guess I'll make a decision when I see it. Just wanted to provide an update, especially in case anyone else is ever in a similar situation and finds this thread. I'll try to remember to provide an update later too after I see how it works out.
OP, I've had area rugs I've used with and without a pad in that situation. If you have children or will have guests with children who will play on the rug, get a good quality pad. Otherwise, you'll probably be fine without one.
I agree: some inferior pads can come apart and leave a residue on the floor, which could require a light sanding to fully remove.
Go to an actual rug store for a pad. Don't get one of the thin ones from Walmart.
Since it's a rental, I'd probably forget the pad. I don't have friends with young children, right now, either.
Good question! I just moved into my first house without w/w carpet and so am learning about rugs myself. Never realized there was a difference in the rug pads bought at different stores.
The cheap vinyl type that tends to stick to the floor, discolor the floor, rip, tear, or otherwise disintegrate.
And there's wool pad. Definitely a superior pad; but even they have drawbacks.
What most people seem to not realize is the purpose of the pad is to protect the fibers of the rug itself. Laying a rug on a hard surface without a pad makes the fibers more susceptible to crushing. The only way to truly keep a rug in place is having furniture sitting on it.
The cheap vinyl type that tends to stick to the floor, discolor the floor, rip, tear, or otherwise disintegrate.
And there's wool pad. Definitely a superior pad; but even they have drawbacks.
What most people seem to not realize is the purpose of the pad is to protect the fibers of the rug itself. Laying a rug on a hard surface without a pad makes the fibers more susceptible to crushing. The only way to truly keep a rug in place is having furniture sitting on it.
Oh, but I should get a wool pad in order to protect the rug? I did not realize that. This wasn't a cheap rug (at least for me). So I want to protect it.
My friend currently works as an engineer for one of the felt rug padding and carpet padding manufacturers Rug Pad USA, Mohawk, Shaw…. and I’ve actually asked him this same exact issue.
I’m live and work in Chatham County GA and our summers are as humid and muggy as they come. I asked him specifically what pads would work to avoid the “Sweating” issue. My clients and I complain about this all the time – the pads get glued to the floor. One of my clients had to replace a portion of their hardwood to fix this issue.
And this is the rug pad experience for hardwood floors that he shared with me:
– How do you keep rugs from slipping on hardwood floors? A 100% felt rug pad is actually recycled polypropylene fibers but it won’t ever stain, nor sweat, but the rug has to be large enough not to move. But with smaller rugs, you need to stick with a rubber or latex product to prevent “sweating” and sticking.
– Felt and rubber rug pads are made with either synthetic latex (lower cost) or Natural rubber (more expensive), he thought that both should be dry enough that they shouldn’t sweat between your floors.
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