What is The Best Rugs for Your Home

When buying an area rug:

• You want the most for your money. 
• You need a rug to add colour, texture and function to your home. 
• You want a rug to last for years.

How you choice a rug that fits all your needs? I have written an article to help you choose the right rug for every room in your home.

 I outlined the pros and cons of most types of rugs I see for cleaning. Having knowledge before going shopping for rugs saves you a lot of headaches and money. This applies to new and second hand rugs. Not all great deals are good when it comes to area rugs.

If you have any questions about the different types of rugs, call or drop by Luv-A-Rug in Victoria, BC at 445 Beta St, off Alpha St..

Here's to the perfect rug for you, RugloverMary-area rug guru

Heater floors and Area Rugs-Not a match made in Heaven

It is wonderful to have heated floors. No more cold toes first thing in the morning, but what are they doing to your area rugs?

After a Google search I found no evidence of anyone writing about damage to rugs by heated floors, except one sentence by a home improvement company "Because the floor-heating system radiates heat, it is strongly recommended that you avoid laying a rug or installing any piece of furniture that might prevent proper air circulation. Trapped heat may cause damage to the rug, piece of furniture or even the floor covering. This does not apply to temporary bathroom rugs as long as they are removed after a bath or shower."

Here is a wool braided rug that came in for cleaning, the rug is folded in half to show the two sides. At first glance you would just think that the sun had faded the rug, but the owner of the rug thinks it was the heated floor that caused the fading.

Many floor companies may not know of the damage rugs can cause to heated floors and vice versa because heated floors are a relatively new thing.

Having your rug fade from a heated floor is not a big deal, but the damage to your flooring can be very costly.

The purpose of heating your floors is so you don't have to have carpet or rugs. This seems to be a case of one or the other, rugs or heated floors. You cannot have both and not have damage happen.

It is hard to not want an area rug to add colour and texture to your rooms, but with heated floors that is not an option. When you have heated floors installed it is best to use different colours of tile, stone, or wood to make a design that way.

With a little planning and designing you can add the look of an area rug within your floor. An old technique that is making a comeback, Inlay flooring.

Here are some grand examples of the design possibilities for inlay flooring.

Usually the only floors most people get heated are the kitchen and bathroom, leaving the living, dining and bed rooms free to be adorned with area rugs.

Here's to damage free area rugs, RugloverMary- area rug protector.

Area rugs and Lantern oil- It is fixable

Not many of us own the old style oil lanterns. Lanterns were our backup light source when the power went out when I as growing up. I had one in my room that attached to the wall.

Here is a picture of one that I hi-jacked from the Internet courtesy of www.easychinasupply.com (not an endorsement). I remember having to trim the wick and the awful smell of the lantern oil and how I was to never play with it, which I never did Mom, yeah sure.

These lanterns are still used today and one meet an area rug a few months ago. A couple moved from Alberta Canada to Victoria, BC, Canada and just before the move a lantern fell on the rug.

The rug is a custom made rug. The middle embossing was a replica of the couples coffee table edging. Great detail work by the Calgary company who made the rug. The backing came unglued when the lantern oil meet it causing the rug to ripple front and back.

Now when you first look at this rug you may think why even bother. It is too far gone to make it usable again. We picked up the rug and brought it to our shop to have our repair tech look at it. He knew he could reattach the backing, but he wasn't sure as to how the top would even out. It isn't easy to know until you open up the back and see what exactly the lantern did.

As it turned out the front flatten out to make the rug usable and lovable again. The back isn't pretty looking, but it is a small thing compared to having to replace the whole rug.

If this rug could not have been fixed another option could have been to trim down the rug. We could have made it square or into a circle. Not all is lost when an accident happens to your rug, it just can seem that way.

If your rug should ever have a bad accident happen bring it to Luv-A-Rug, we will assess your options. We are located at 445 Beta St 9off Alpha St) Victoria, BC 250-590-6210/1800-886-2802

For more info on rug cleaning or repair, go to our website at www.luvarug.com


Thanks for reading, RugloverMary making area rugs lovable after accidents happen.

The Origin of Our love Affair with the Oriental Area Rugs

All love has a starting point and most love renews itself over time.

When it comes to area rugs, a resurgence happened in Europe in the early 1800's. Everything from the Orient became the items to possess.

One of my favorite area blogs, Tea and Carpets, wrote great post telling why Europe fell back in love with area rugs

No matter why you love your area rugs, as long as you love and use them. No all rugs have to be used on the floor either. Some make great wall hangings. Silk, viscose, and a beloved treasure make the best wall art.

Enjoy reading Tea and Carpets blog, I do.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

What makes your rug loveable?

Every area rug made is beautiful..........to someone. If we all had the same tastes life would be very bland. Many of us probably have that one area rug in our house that doesn't go with the decor, but we have to have it out.

What do you think when you are walking through someone house and you come across a rug that looks ugly to you? Before you stick your foot into your mouth, you may inquire if there is a story behind the rug.

We get a lot of hand hooked rugs in very interesting colours and patterns that are cherished. The clients mother, father or grand parent made the rug, so they want to preserve it.

It does baffle me a bit when we get multiple rugs from a client and there will be a few awesome hand knotted rugs and then there will be one machine made rug that does quite fit with the rest of the rugs. It could be that the colours or pattern is completely different or that it is a different fiber type.

The reason for this can be that they needed a rug for the back door and bought what they saw first that fit. It could be that they are still looking for the perfect rug, but needed one right away.

There are a lot of reasons why people own the rugs they do. I love the fact that I can ask them why they own the rugs they do and it isn't out of the ordinary. The stories that rugs tell are amazing. It usually happens that I am telling the client about the origins of their rugs more so than they telling me.

It does establish confidence in the client when I start telling them the type of rug they have and a bit if the history about it and they already know it. It shows that I know what I am talking about.

The best part of my job is letting people know that they have more than just a rug. They may have a prayer rug, or a Turkish kilim, or even a 19th century saddle bag.

Even though you may think you have just an area rug, there is more lurking under your toes than you may think.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

How to tell if your Rug and/or Fringes are "Tea Stained"

I remember in school I had to tea dye a piece of cotton cloth. I boiled the water, steeped the tea, swished the cotton around for awhile, and Voila! I had a newly yellowed piece of cotton. It is fun to do when you are a kid, but when it comes to area rugs it can be a surprise to see your rug change colour in the opposite way, from golden to cream.

In September of 2008, I wrote about a lady that brought in her wool tufted area rug and one half was white and the other was a golden colour after she spot cleaned it. That is not the best way to find out that your rug had been 'tea stained'(as it is called in the rug business). I will remind rug buyers again to take a closer look at the rug you want to buy.

Look at the whole rug fibers, give them a tug or a scratch, and smell the rug. By doing those three things you can avoid a rug that may give off a bad odour due to the adhesives holding it together, a rug that sheds it's fibers excessively, or have it change colour when you clean up a spot.

Another thing to look for is if the fringes are tea stained. The fringes of this flat weave area rug are dyed after the rug is made because it is less cotton to dye and cheaper to do.

The cotton fibers run the length of the rug so dying all the cotton wouldn't be very cost effective, especially since 95% of it is hidden. This rug wouldn't have looked as nice with white fringes, so it makes sense to make them golden.

However when you own a rug where the fringes were 'tea stained' you may not know it until it gets cleaned or wet and the fringes become white again, so the question is: How do you tell if the fringes are 'tea stained'?

As you can see in the picture the ends of the fringes show that they were dyed golden. We have to let our clients know that more may come off during the cleaning process.

We do our best to not remove any of the tea stain, but depending on how well it was dyed we cannot guarantee the fringes will still be golden.

Fortunately with this area rug there wasn't a noticeable difference after we cleaned the rug.

Now to answer the question of how to tell if the fringes are dyed. Try to push the fibers on the end of the rug back a bit and see if you can see more of the cotton fibers and see if they are different colours. You can also ask the rug dealer. The downside to this dying technique is that the manufacturer doesn't have to say if the fringes or the rug were 'tea stained', which makes it a bit harder to find out.

Giving the rug you want to purchase a thorough inspection will help curb possible surprises later.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Qashqai, Gashgay, Kashkay, Qasqa'i?? Rugs

Qashqai area rugs: There are many different spellings for this type of hand knotted wool rug. I found out a little bit about these unique rugs. They have been making Qashqai rugs since before the 16th century or 13th or 19th depending on what website you believe. I love finding conflicting information about a subject. Everyone seems right until you read another website, then no one seems right.

These rugs are very well made by what was a nomadic tribe of Iran. After many wars and many years the nomadic tribe has settled mostly in the vicinity of Shiraz. The Qashqai tribe is possibly one of the largest and most prosperous tribes of Iran. The rugs they weave are geometric in design and the weavers use bright vibrant colours.

Instead of me regurgitating what others have already written about Qashqai area rugs, I will send you to one of Barry O'Connell's sites. His pages will give you more information then you will know what to do with.
The rug in the picture came to us a couple of weeks ago. It has had a colourful life I am sure. There a couple of previous repairs.

Whomever did the repair did a pretty good job at finding a matching donor rug. It can never be prefect when using another rug to repair a hole. It blends enough that you don't notice it right away. On the back it is much more noticeable, but that is the back.

When we do our visual inspections with the clients I also let them know that sometime the stains or spots may remain on the back of their rugs. About ninety five percent say that it is the back of the rug and they never look there.

When doing rug repairs that involves using another rug it has to be understood that it will be noticeable. The other option for fixing a hole is to hand weave it. Expensive, yes, but it keeps the look of the rug uniform.

It all comes down to sentimental value and how much you want to invest in the rug. Never let your first thought be that the rug is not worth it, that it is too far gone to get fixed.

We have done some great repairs over the years here at Luv-a-rug cleaners in Victoria BC. Let us give you our professional opinion before it becomes part of our landfills. Luv-A-Rug 250-590-6210/1-800-886-2802, 445 Beta St (off Alpha St) Victoria BC.
Thanks for reading, RugloverMary, your local Victoria BC, Sooke to Sidney rug cleaning expert!

British, Chinese, Moroccan Area Rugs, Oh my!

To the untrained eye it can be difficult to distinguish between a Chinese, British India/Indian Aubusson, and Moroccan rug. It just so happened that we had one of each in our rug cleaning shop at the same time, so I am taking this opportunity to rugucate our clients. I need to make it clear that the information contained in this blog is from my own experience and research. If you have any more information to add please do so or direct me to better websites.

When trying to tell one type of rug from another you never go by the colours or pattern. The best way is to look at the back and see how it is put together. This is the back of a Chinese hand knotted wool area rug. Chinese rugs are pretty close to being perfect. The rows of knots are very straight and the knots are the same size. Chinese measure their rugs by knots per square foot instead of the traditional knots per square inch. The most common types are 70 line and 90 line. This is a 90 line Chinese.

This is the back of a British India/Indian Aubusson area rug. From my research I have found that Aubusson refers to the distinct pattern that is usually found on these rugs. Compared to the Chinese the knots used on a British India rug are not as tight and are a bit bigger. Rumour has it that these rugs were based around the Chinese weaving. When the British 'discovered' China they were so impressed with the Chinese weaving techniques that they tried to copy them. That is why the British India and Chinese rugs can look very similar if you were to go by colour and design only.

Lastly here is the back of a Moroccan area rug. As you can see the knots are similar to the British India, that the are knobby. These rugs have a more rustic look to them and are warm and inviting to use. The colours that we see most often are the natural cream and browns, but Moroccan rugs usually are very bright vibrant.






The fringes on Moroccans can be very unique as well. They sometime are very wide and braided as this picture shows. It is hard to tell, but these braids are about a half inch wide.
No matter which area rug you own it is unique. Be it the story of how you obtained it or in the deep history of how it was woven. Remember that rug is a story.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

LinkedIn

Luv-A-Rug is now linked in, are you? This site will allow us to connect with other's in our industry and share ideas and tips on area rug cleaning.
Thanks to John Braun and his amazing Hitman Advertising, Luv-A-Rug is expanding our presence on the Internet. John has a wealth of knowledge on marketing. He is an expert in the field and highly respected. If you want to get ahead in your industry and leave your competition in the dust see what John has to offer.
With www.linkedin.com you can join others who share your interests, career or education. In no time at all you can be linked to experts and enthusiasts and become one yourself.
I love finding people who share me passion for area rugs. Yes, I am very passionate about area rugs. Area rugs are more than something that lays on the floor and collects dust and dirt. It has been said and read many times before, but I will repeat it again, there is a story behind area rug.
Thanks for reading, Polished area rug cleaner

Proper Storage of Area Rugs

One of the saddest parts of working at Luv-A-Rug is seeing an area rug that has moth larvae damage. I say moth larvae instead of just moth because it is not the moth that does the damage.

The most important thing to do when storing an area rug is to get it Professionally Cleaned before storing:

• A clean area rug lacks the nutrients most insects need to survive.

Wrap it in a waterproof,breathable sheet, such a Tyvek.

Tyvek is a registered trademark of DuPont. Tyvek is made with 100% high-density polyethylene fibers. The fibers are continuous and as thick as a human hair. When making Tyvek the fibers are continuous and non directional and then is flash spun using no binding agents or fillers. Tyvek is hard to tear, but can easily be cut with scissors or any sharp object.

The benefits of using Tyvek to store your area rugs in are: it is lightweight, has a neutral pH factor, and allows water vapour to pass through, but not liquid water.
Tyvek can be purchased from any hardware/home building store, but Luv-A-Rug can wrap your area rug in Tyvek after cleaning.

The area in which you store your area rug is important too. Store your area rugs in a place that is not too hot or too cold or prone to extreme temperature fluctuations and has low humidity. Your area rug should be laid flat. Do not stand it up on its end, that is not good for the rug. Do not store your area rug against an outside wall, the wall gets too cold, nor on a concrete floor, again too cold.

There is no ideal spot to store your area rug just ideal conditions. Remember that out of sight does not equal peace of mind. Periodically check your stored area rug to make sure that the wrapping hasn't been punctured by something. For long term storage moth balls (moth balls do come in a fresh scent of cedar, so no more musty smell) are recommended to be included with your area rug. Every precaution should be taken to make sure that your area rugs are safe, dry and ready to be enjoyed for years to come.

I am going to get a lot of flack from the area rug cleaning world when I post this, but I have proof. I have proof that ALL area rugs are susceptible to moth damage no matter the fibers. It is widely known that moths need natural fibers to survive, but if the rug is dirty enough it doesn't matter. This is the second synthetic, yes Synthetic area rug I have seen in my two years here at Luv-A-Rug with moth damage. The pink arrows are pointing to the eaten areas.




This is a picture of the back to prove that it is a machine made synthetic area rug. I have no way of knowing if the larvae survived long enough to turn into moths or if they died from eating a synthetic fiber. There were no larvae casings when I saw the rug, but if the rug was vacuumed before it was brought in the casings would have been sucked up. All area rugs should be professionally cleaned before storing.
When unwrapping your stored area rug that contained moth balls please do so in a well ventilated area and let the rug air out for a day or two. There may not be that old familiar musty smell but the gas the moth balls give off is still present.
If you have any other storage questions please do not hesitate to contact Luv-A-Rug(e-mail: luvvie@shaw.ca or phone 250-475-3922 or 1-800-886-2802 or drop by our shop at 445 Beta St (Alpha St) Victoria, BC website: www.luvarug.com) and we will be more than happy to assist you.
Since I cannot think of a better sign off line I will still say Thanks for reading! The Polished Area Rug Cleaner