Rug Material Guide: 6 Expert Ways to Choose Right Rug by Material
Are you looking for the softest rug material for your home? Does the shabby look of your old carpet bother you? This rug material guide will help you choose the right one.
Rug selection is based on various factors, including size, color, shape, pattern, and type. Indeed, area rugs become the centerpiece of your living space, no matter their size. Contemporary, traditional, and transitional rugs vary in their materials and weaving patterns. Understanding what is the best material for high traffic rug is essential, and for which places these rugs are mainly designed matters a lot.
Contemporary rugs come in a wide variety of colors, design patterns along with the materials by which the various types are constructed. Bold colors, perfect contrast, excellent geometry and free form features make these rugs versatile and worth using for your house.
Rug material is one of those crucial factors that help you in the selection of a perfect rug for the indoor and outdoor purposes. Contemporary rugs have decor and art touch as they influence history with modern communication and twist.
Decorate your home using Rugs can be a great idea. Rug gallery has a great variety of rugs. You can quickly get the carpet of your choice according to the material at the rug store easily and readily.
Based on material, contemporary rugs can be divided into the following types:
- Wool
- Cotton
- Acrylic
- Sisal
- Jute
- Polypropylene
1. Wool
Wool is one of the best choices. Wool rugs are highly preferred because of their resistance against fire, stains, and odor. These rugs come in a variety of beautiful colors and patterns. Wool rugs have comparatively long durability. These rugs give more comfortable vibes. Wool is a name that holds comfort and is the softest rug material. These are the signature art pieces.
These are exceptional rugs and keep unique properties in them. These rug pieces require great artistic and weaving skills. Colors, patterns, symmetry of designs and all other features give an excellent and adorable look to the whole place. These rugs are the best masterpieces that hold all the qualities perfectly. Hence, wool rugs are a perfect choice for your living rooms, bedrooms, and decor purpose. Likewise, they’re deemed the best rug material for dining room.
However, wool rugs are not suitable for kitchens, bathrooms, outdoors, and high traffic areas.
2. Cotton
Rugs made up of cotton are highly durable because of the firm and stress-resistant properties of cotton. Cotton can absorb the dyes and color to a great extent. Moreover, these rugs are cost-friendly, and anyone can easily purchase these rugs.
These rugs sit significantly in the center of your room. Cotton rugs are a whole new concept; they are biodegradable and Eco friendly as well. Cotton rugs mostly have intricate designs, and the dyes used for their systems are also resistant to high-frequency damage- that’s why they are durable and don’t get damaged easily.
They are designed in such a way that they don’t get worn out after a short time of usage. This rug material is the best choice for its long-term use. Most of the sellers are using this fiber to make high-quality rugs.
Cotton rugs need a regular vacuum cleaner because they get dirty very quickly. However, these rugs are also washable so you can wash these rugs rapidly once in a while.
Cotton is the best rug material for dining room, living room, playroom, and TV room. However using the cotton rug for the damp areas, bathrooms, and pools is one of the poor choices.
3. Acrylic
Acrylic rugs are the latest rugs, and they are preferred a lot. These rugs have some best characteristics, such as they can easily retain different stress. They have good heat-resistant properties. These are just like wool but relatively cheaper. Acrylic rugs are least susceptible to be affected by moths and other insect attacks. Stains on the acrylics rugs are very easy to remove.
Please don’t use these rugs indoors because they cannot be the right choice for this purpose. Use them outdoors but not in high traffic zones of your home. These rugs have an entirely different pile composition and cannot resist water on a long-term basis. Hand-tufted rugs are mostly designed and constructed by using acrylic material. They are getting popular around the globe and now considered an excellent alternative to wool.
Significant concerns associated with these rugs are that they cannot sustain high traffic and get easily damaged because this is not original wool and just a cheap alternative. Acrylic rugs cannot hold moisture up to a great extent. Thus, Acrylic isn’t really the best rug material for high traffic areas such as kitchen.
However, these rugs are surely an excellent choice for playrooms, computer rooms, bathrooms and areas with much low traffic.
4. Sisal
This is the best material due to its attractive characteristics. Rugs made up of sisal are hard wearing and very strong. This is a plant-based material, and it is highly biodegradable. Rugs made up of sisal are environment friendly and highly durable.
Sisal has anti-static properties and due to which it is not so common. It has excellent properties of developing the colors for a long time. You can sue these rugs in the offices and outdoors because these colors would not fade quickly when exposed to sunlight.
These rug materials do not hold dirt that easily, so regular cleaning is also not an issue if you are asthmatic and have some skin issues. You can select this rug for your interior design because sisal is the perfect rug for people with such problems.
Sisal-based rugs are best for family rooms, playrooms, offices, computer rooms, and your dressing room.
Sisal isn’t the best rug to absorb water, and this property makes them a poor choice for your kitchen, bathrooms and outdoors with very high traffic.
5. Jute
Jute rugs are made up of jute. It is comparatively an affordable choice. Jute comes naturally from the skin of individual plants, and it is relatively cheap, so you don’t have to face any budget problems while purchasing these rugs.
Like wool, jute is also a soft rug material. Selecting a jute rug is an eco-friendly approach. This is a natural fiber and more or less kit 100% biodegradable as well. These rugs don’t pose serious environmental and health concerns.
Insulation and anti-static properties also go in favor of selecting a jute rug. These rugs can easily maintain thermal conductivity. Jute is not a wrong choice for the skin as well. It has one of the best acoustic properties. However, you cannot prevent its deterioration whenever it encounters moisture. Jute rugs work best for living rooms, bedrooms, and playrooms of children.
However, these rugs are not a perfect choice for your kitchens, bathrooms, and other wet areas where water spills can occur up to a great extent.
6. Polypropylene
Polypropylene rugs are highly water-resistant. These rugs can absorb water because water evaporates fast and rapidly from these rugs. These rugs due to their moisture-retaining properties can be used in wet places such as in the kitchen and near the swimming pool as well. However, while selecting the polypropylene rugs, you must have to consider its different types. Polypropylene comes in two forms such as BCF and heat set.
BCF has a rough texture, and it is relatively cheap. It is a cost-friendly material; however, if you are looking for durability and other properties of the rug then select the heat set. Propylene may not look and feel that luxurious in your living space, but it is the best rug material for stains.
No doubt BCF will seem suitable for you at the time of purchase because it’s cheap, but in terms of cost, in the long run, you may have to replace it again and again. So spend your money once in the sound quality rug and buy a heat set.
As far as cleaning of the polypropylene rugs is concerned, they are straightforward to clean, but due to the fact they attract dirt rapidly and easily, you may have to clean it every day. Polypropylene rugs are the best rug materials for family rooms, standard rooms, playrooms, computer rooms and outdoor uses.
These rugs are made up of cheaper material, so cannot be the right choice on a long term basis. However, polypropylene is simply the best rug to absorb water
Conclusion
All the materials mentioned above in our rug material guide are the basics of rug designing and construction. You must have a clear idea about which kind of material suits your place. If you have chosen the wrong material, consider the rug being wasted and ruining the aesthetics of your home. Thus, always choose a durable and cost-friendly product. We have rugs which are manufactured from the above-mentioned rug material, contact us and buy at affordable prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What material is most preferred for rugs?
There is no doubt that wool has been one of the most preferred rug materials for centuries. However, wool is much more expensive now, so people are looking for some less expensive sources. However, as far as durability is concerned, wool rugs are best.
2. What are sisal rugs?
It is the best material due to its attractive characteristics. Rugs made up of sisal are hard-wearing and very strong, and thus are the best rug material for high traffic areas. It is a plant-based material, and it is highly biodegradable. Rugs made up of sisal are environment friendly and highly durable.
3. Are acrylic rugs durable?
Acrylic is a good material for rug making. However, acrylic rugs need much care and regular cleaning. One of the best features of the acrylic rug is that it is not affected by the insect attack.
4. Are polypropylene rugs available in the market?
Yes! These rugs are easily available and can be obtained at a reasonable price. They’re the best rug to absorb water.
5. Which rugs are most durable?
Wool, being the most popular rug material, is durable as well. Propylene, jute, sisal, nylon, and seagrass are also long-lasting materials - as they make the best rug material for dining room.
6. Are wool and jute rugs soft?
Yes, jute and wool are naturally soft and shiny fibers. They are further made soft by soaking in water. Therefore, rugs made from these are soft and relaxing underfoot.
7. How can you tell if a rug is of good quality?
Yes, you can tell the quality of an area rug through its knots per square inch. These knots determine the rug pattern's density, durability, and clarity. Moreover, the more detailed the design of the back of the rug, the more quality rug it is.
8. What is a microfiber rug?
Microfiber rugs are synthetic types of rugs. These rug types are made from 100 percent polyester or other synthetic material with tiny threads to create a plush feel underfoot.
9. What is the difference between polypropylene and polyester rugs?
Both polyester and propylene are tough and stain-resistant materials. They offer considerable durability even after being totally synthetic fibers. However, propylene is more durable than polyester due to its non-porous nature. That’s why it is regarded as the best material for high traffic rug.
10. What type of rug does not shed?
Flat-woven rugs do not shed that easily, even after rigorous usage. Such rug materials include cotton, silk, leather, and animal hide. If you love wool rugs, go for flat-weave rugs.
11. Can I wash a polypropylene rug?
Generally, propylene rugs are low maintenance. But, you can wash it easily when the need arises. So, take it out on a sunny day, use a few drops of mild soap and clean the rug using a brush.
12. Can you vacuum a jute rug?
Yes, you can vacuum a jute rug. But, it only needs once or twice a week depending on the foot traffic. Flip your jute rug every six months and vacuum it at least once a week.
13. Do wool rugs ever stop shedding?
Shedding of wool rugs is normal. But it should not last that long. Yes, it happens more often when you have just purchased the rug. But, it should stop or decline to shed after a few weeks or months. Naturally, wool settles down and stops shedding after some time.