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.

Pakistan rug with a twist

It is both wonderful and a bit frustrating when we get in a rug that doesn't fit into a particular rug type.

Luv-A-Rug received such a rug today. Identifying this rug was a bit tricky because it has a few traits from a a few different areas.

This rug has a doubled edge wrap on the sides-----Turkish like
The colours are subdued
The weaving style says Pakistan
The pattern is not typical Pakistan nor Turkish

We concluded that it is more Pakistan than anything with a very Art Deco design feel to it. The rug was probably made for sale in the western markets (North America and UK).





This is a more traditional look of a Pakistan rug.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Rug luvable again

When it comes to old, worn out, or stained fringes you have a couple of options for remedying them. Depending on the factors of the type of rug, where you use the rug, and budget we have fix that will suit you and your area rug.
First off we can replace the fringes with a machine sewn fringe. The old fringes are cut off and a synthetic ribbon is sewn on to the edge of the rug. The new fringes are then sewn on to the top of the rug. Luv-A-Rug cleaners in Victoria has different fringes to choose from in three different colours, white, golden, grey. We like to choose a colour of fringe that best compliments the area rug. We can also hand weave new fringes as mentioned in a previous blog.



When you are tired of the vacuum having lunch with the fringes, or if the fringes get too dingy we can remove them completely. A serged or overcast stitched edge adds a nice clean look to your rug. We use synthetic fiber for serging as it lasts longer than say cotton or wool and is less expensive and more readily available. We match the best colour to your rug so that it blends with the rug. Serging is a great option for most area rugs.
For flat woven rugs or thin rugs we recommend binding. Binding is a 1/4 inch synthetic ribbon that is sewn on the edge of your rug. Binding is also best for left over carpet pieces. Old dingy worn fringes can make you rug look old and not very lovable. Let Luv-A-Rug cleaners add the love back into your rug with new fringes or a nice clean edge. 250-590-6210 www.luvarug.com
Thanks for reading, RugloverMary, your local Victoria BC rug cleaner and serging expert!