How To Care For Flatweave Rugs

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How To Care For Flatweave Rugs

Flatweave rugs are just that – flat without any thick pile to speak of and are either handmade or machine made. Since they contain less material than more traditional thicker rugs, flatweave rugs require specific care to prevent unnecessary wear and damage to the rugs.

Flatweave rugs such as needlepoint, kilim, soumac and aubusson, offer a very unique and distinct look – Unlike thicker rugs, flatweaves can almost look like a painting on the floor. This is due to their flatter nature, as well as their weave, particularly within finer handmade flatweave rugs. Since this type of rug has no pile to speak of, if not properly cared for, a flatweave rug can easily experience wear and damage. It is important to know what to do to assure the protection of the rug so that it lasts as long as it should and maintain its beautiful appearance for just as long.

Keep Rug as Flat as Possible on Floor

flatweave2It is fairly common for flatweave rugs to wrinkle and buckle more than other rugs. Flatweave rugs are more flexible, or supple, than others because there is less material within the rug. If a rug wrinkles and then someone walks on the wrinkles, this leads to wear in those wrinkled sections. Keeping your flatweave rug as flat as possible will prevent wear to certain parts of the rug and this keeps the rug looking good and maintains its condition.

Since flatweave rugs tend to wrinkle as a result of them slipping, use of a quality non slip rug pad prevents slipping and can then prevent wrinkles within the rug. Non slip rug pad is used under flatweave rugs to keep them as flat as possible to prevent dangerous slipping, as well as unnecessary wrinkles. The rug pad should actually be able to prevent the rug from slipping on top of the pad, as well as prevent slipping directly on the floor. Be sure to choose an effective felt and rubber rug pad to protect any flatweave area rug.

Keep Rug Anchored by Furniture

When possible, place some furniture on your flatweave rug. This can add a decorative look to any room, as well as extra safety. Furniture will add the anchor necessary to prevent common slipping and keep flatweave rugs in place on the floor. While it is not necessary to place all furniture on the rug, placing partial pieces can be all the anchor that is needed to keep flatweave rug flat.

needlepointrug1Prevent Unnecessary Traffic

There are rooms in which the rug is placed under heavy traffic, such as in a cut-through connecting two rooms. In this case, the rug is exposed to excessive traffic, which can be cause for wrinkles, slipping and soiling of your flatweave rug. It is smart to try to position the rug deeper into the room to avoid being in the main through traffic pattern. When foot traffic passes over the rug, it can place pressure on that part of that rug – Since the flatweave rug is flexible, it can actually wrinkle just from the pressure of foot traffic. Here, again, it is best to prevent excessive traffic by repositioning the rug so that it is not in a heavily used area.

Rotate Rug Annually

Whether or not part of your rug is exposed to a traffic area, it will most likely experience and show wear on some parts more than other parts. For this reason, it is smart to rotate your rug. Rug rotation can significantly reduce and possibly prevent uneven and premature wear to parts of the rug. Rotate your flatweave rug about once a year by removing any furniture from the rug and turning it in either direction so that the sections of the rug are not in the same area as before the rotation. Be sure to make a note of the direction of rotation, as this will be necessary to know for the next rotation.

Spot Clean Immediately

Rugs with a thick pile are somewhat more forgiving than flatweave rugs in terms of stains and spills. On that note, flatweave rugs can soil much faster than their thicker counterparts and should be cleaned as soon as a spot is noticed. The pile of most flatweave rugs contains the actual knots of the rugs and soil and dirt adhere to these knots much faster than on a regular pile, or thicker rug. For this reason, it is important to clean flatweave rugs when they become soiled or stained, as this will avoid permanent stains.

Depending on the actual material content of a flatweave rug, you may use a soap and water solution, or some other cleaning agent safe for use on the rug. Wool rugs are simply cleaned with mild soap and water, whereas nylon rugs need a different cleaning solution. While the soap and water solution is perhaps the safest method of cleaning, other cleaning agents may also be safe depending on what they are. To be sure of safety to your rug, it is best to first spot clean a very small area to make sure their is no negative reaction. After being cleaned, most flatweave rugs air dry and are then ready to be used again.

Flatweave rugs offer a very charming look on any floor, so it is important to care for them. Like with most items, if properly cared for, flatweave rugs can last for several years. It is simple to care for these types of rugs with simple cleaning, keeping them as flat as possible on the floor and using a quality rug pad. With proper knowledge of caring for flatweave rugs, their addition can prove to be timeless to any room and decor.

 

Easy DIY Holiday Throw Pillow

Pillow

Easy DIY Holiday Throw Pillow

With the influx of holiday guests this season now is the time for quick spruce-ups that Pillowwill get your home ready for the holiday! What better way to welcome overnight guests than with some lovely holiday throw pillows? These throw pillows are so easy to make and can easily be changed out depending on the season; it’s also a great way to give your old throw pillows a make-over. Check out our step-by-step instructions on how to DIY some festive holiday pillows!

Supplies:

  • Throw Pillows
  • Measuring Tape
  • Scissors
  • Fabric

Pillow

Step One: Choose your Pillows and Prep Your Fabric

The first step is pretty easy. Simply choose the pillows you want to cover and measure out your fabric. I chose a standard throw pillow that was 15”x15” and only needed one square yard of fabric to cover the entire pillow. If you are trying to cover a pillow larger than 15 inches, I suggest increasing your fabric to 1.5- 2 square yards. For my fabric I chose a festive flannel that would fit the holiday theme and make my pillows extra soft and warm! Once you measure your fabric, cut it to the appropriate sizes. I ordered 2 yards of each type of fabric so I could cover four pillows total. I simply cut each fabric in half to get 4, square yard pieces.

Step Two: Cover Your PillowPillow

Take your fabric and lay it on a flat surface with the pattern facing down. I arranged my square fabric in a diamond shape to make it easier to fold. Next, place the pillow on top of the fabric in one of the corners. You want to place your pillow so it is in the corner of your fabric but will still be fully covered when you fold your fabric. Fold the corner of the fabric onto the top of your pillow and roll your pillow over. Make sure when you roll your pillow over, the corner of the fabric is tucked flat underneath the pillow and there are no creases. Next, take the opposite corner of the fabric and fold it over your pillow and fold any excess underneath. You want the fold right in the center of the pillow so when you tie off the fabric there are no visible seams. Next, take the fabric on either side and neatly pull it up to the center. For this step, I folded in the corners on the sides before pulling it up, almost like wrapping a present. PillowOnce both sides were pulled to the top of the pillow, you tie off the center. I used a double knot to make sure the fabric would be secured to the pillow. If you have excess fabric sticking out of your double knot you can leave it as is or tuck the excess fabric underneath the fold so it is no longer visible. Repeat all of step two for all of your throw pillows and you have a new set of holiday pillows!

Step Three: Enjoy!

Now that you have completed your throw pillows it is time to spread them out around the house! Place these festive pillows on couches, chairs, even guest beds. This craft seems complicated with all the folding, but it really takes no more than 30 minutes of your time. It is almost as easy as wrapping a present! These pillows are great for any part of your house and when the season’s over, simply untie and replace with a new fabric!

Pillow

Creative Ways to Winterize Your Home!

Creative Ways to Prep Your Home For Winter

Creative Ways to Winterize Your Home!

With temperatures already below freezing in most of the parts of the country it is time to start prepping your home for the winter months to come. One of the most cost effective ways to keep warm during the winter months is make sure your windows and floors are properly insulated. I have several fireplaces I keep active throughout the winter season, so I know the importance of keeping seasoned firewood dry and ready to burn during the winter months ahead. I found several creative ways to take scrap from the office and winterize my home!

Prepping Your Firewood Rack for Snow

Supplies:Log Rack

  • Outdoor Firewood Rack
  • 2 Ultra Premium Rug Pads Cut to the Size of Your Rack
  • Firewood

If you have a fireplace in your home, you understand the importance of having seasoned, dry wood all winter long. While it easy to purchase or chop your own firewood for use at home, it is often difficult to find a dry space to store the wood once it has been chopped. While certain outdoor log racks come with covers, these covers can sometimes be insufficient. I noticed with my outdoor log rack, that my cover was not doing enough to protect the wood from the elements. Every time it rained, water seemed to go right through the cover, leaving my perfectly seasoned wood soaked through.

Working for Rug Pad Corner, I always have rug pads on my mind! I came up with the idea to use our Ultra Premium rug pads to protect my wood from the elements. I simply measured the area of the base of my log rack and cut two Ultra Premium rug pads to fit the area. For the bottom of the log rack I rolled out one of the Ultra Premium rug pads with the purple side facing down. Next, I stacked my firewood on top of the rug pad. The Ultra Premium was perfect because the felt side secured the firewood in place and will absorb any moisture. Once I was done stacking my firewood, I rolled out the second Ultra Premium rug pad on top of the stacked wood with the purple side facing up. The purple side is great for deflecting water and will help to keep any snow or rain from soaking my wood. Next I placed my existing log rack cover back over the wood. The Ultra Premium pad is great for keeping my existing cover in place and providing added protection from inclement weather. Since I winterized my firewood rack, it’s been put to the test with several rainstorms and a snow storm; my firewood has been completely protected from the elements, ready to keep me warm all winter long!

Winterizing Your Windows With Rug Pad Scrap

Supplies:

  • Mounting Tape
  • Ruler
  • Superior Rug Pad Scrap
  • Scissors

One of the biggest areas where homes lose heat in the winter is through the windows. While some newer homes come with storm windows or energy efficient windows, most windows will not protect from dropping temperatures. I live in a home that was built in the 1700’s so insulation is lacking in many parts of my house, especially the windows. Unfortunately, because of the unique size and set up of our windows, it is extremely expensive to order custom storm windows. I started looking for other options that might be less expensive. One common option is to use insulating plastic. I didn’t want to cover my rustic, quaint windows with plastic!  That is when I started to experiment with rug pad scrap to see if I could find a subtle way to insulate my windows without taking away from the overall look of my house. I realized by using our Superior rug pads to seal the seams of our windows, I could reduce the amount of heat that escaped through the windows and ultimately save a lot on my heating bill.

I started off by measuring my windows to determine the amount of rug pad scrap I would need. I have french casement windows that open inwards, so there is one long seal in the middle of my windows that is always letting out heat, so I had to be sure to measure a piece that would cover that seal. I measured the length and width of my windows, along with the seals between the windows. For a demonstration of how to properly measure your windows check out the video above. Next, I measured and cut my Superior rug pad to fit along the seams of my windows. I cut a piece that covered the length of my window and about 2.5 inches in width. That way, the strip I cut could hang slightly over the seam of my window and prevent cold air from coming in. What I ended up with were thin strips of rug pad that would cover up the cracks in my windows without being visible from the inside. Once you have cut your Superior rug pad, apply mounting tape to the felt side of each rug pad strip. The felt side should face in when attached to your window and the smooth side should face towards the outdoors. Next, adhere the rug pad strip to the part of your window that faces outside. If you have windows like mine, be sure to attach your strip to the window that closes first! It will create a seal that traps the heat in and keeps the cold out! Repeat this process for all the windows in your home and you will immediately notice a difference!

Using Rug Pads To Insulate Your Floors

The most common way to use rug pads for insulation is by adding them to existing area rugs. I placed our thickest rug pad under the area rug in front of one of my fireplaces. I used our Superior rug pad, they are excellent for insulation purposes. These 100% felt rug pads come in two different thickness ¼” and ⅜” and are extremely dense, making them perfect for trapping the heat in! Placing the rug pad underneath the area rug in my living room helped to trap the heat from the fireplace, I immediately noticed the difference.

To prepare my home for a family that I know will be tracking snow in all winter long, I placed an Ultra Premium rug pad in front of my basement door with no area rug on top. I did not want a nice rug in my basement entryway because my family is always tracking in dirt and snow in the winter and I wanted something that could scrape the dirt of their shoes.  The grey surface on our Ultra Premium was perfect for my basement, and the rubber bottom prevents the moisture of melting snow from damaging my floor. Now I don’t have to worry about my family tracking in dirt and snow through the basement and the thickness of the ultra premium prevents the cold air from leaking under my door! It is a perfect solution for garages and basements where you wouldn’t want to damage a rug, but want to prevent snow and mud from messing up your home.

DIY Cabinet and Drawer Liners With Super Hold Rug Pads

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DIY Cabinet and Drawer Liners With Super Hold Rug Pads

Drawer liners are great for preventing scratches and stains to your cabinets and drawers. These liners are great for rental spaces and forever homes to help preserve the look of your cabinets. While I love using drawer liners in all my cabinets, I hated the adhesives that most cheap drawer liners contain. The chemicals and adhesives emitted an unpleasant smell, some even left damage to my cabinets and drawers. I was nervous about having these adhesives and chemicals so close to my plates and utensils. I decided to try to look into natural non-slip drawer liners when I had the idea to use our Super Hold Rug Pads. Super Hold is CRI green label, meaning it has absolutely no chemicals and will not off-gas or smell. This all natural non-slip product is perfect for use as non-slip drawer and cabinet liners! Check out our blog for instructions on how to turn Super Hold rug pads into easy, green DIY drawer liners!

Materials: Supplies

  • Super Hold Rug Pad
  • Scissors
  • Measuring Tap
  • Cleaning Supplies

Step One: Empty and Clean Your Drawers and Cabinets

Start out by picking out what drawers and cabinets you want to put your drawer liners in. Remove all items from your drawers and cabinets and clean them out. I used a basic all-purpose spray and paper towels to clean out my drawers. Once all your drawers and cabinets are clean you can move on to the next step!

Step Two: Measure the Spaces You Want Lined

Take your tape measure and measure out all the spaces you want covered. Be sure to measure the exact length and width of each surface you want to cover. If you have awkward shaped cabinets like mine, it might be best to split up the measurements into two different sections. It will make laying down your Super Hold easier in the long run. You can also measure your drawers and cabinets and order Super Hold cut to those exact sizes!

Step Three: Measure and Cut Your Super Hold Rug Pad

Once you have your surface measurements it is time to measure out your Super Hold Rug Pad. I used leftover scrap from a previous project for my drawer liners. Measure out your rug pad and mark with a pen or marker. This will ensure you keep to the measurements when cutting. Once you finishing measuring your Super Hold sections, you can start cutting them out with your scissors. The great thing about the Super Hold rug pads is that they are very easy to cut with any type of scissors. Repeat this step until you have all your Super Hold liners.

Step Four: Add Liners and Return Dishes to Cabinets

Take your completed Super Hold liners and add them to your drawers and cabinets. The great thing about these liners is they are so easy to make and installation is a breeze! Because of their natural non-slip material, there is no need for adhesives or glues to keep them in place. Simply lay them flat in your drawers and cabinets and place your dishes and utensils back in!

Overall this project took me less than 30 minutes, making it the perfect weekend or afternoon DIY project! Get your Super Hold rug pads today and try it for yourself!

 

DIY Cork Hot Pads and Coasters

DIY Cork Hotpad

DIY Cork Hot Pads and Coasters

Homemade hot pads/trivets and coasters are the perfect housewarming gift or holiday gift. Reusing old wine corks is a great way to use something that would otherwise be considered trash and create the perfect gift for your favorite wine enthusiast. I chose to use our dura-grip furniture grippers to create a non-slip surface for the hot pads and coasters to rest on top of. The end result is a fun creation that anyone can enjoy for years to come!

SuppliesSupplies

Hot Pad:

  • One 7” Square DURA-GRIP Furniture Gripper
  • 16 Wine Corks, cut in half lengthwise

Set of 4 Coasters:

  • Four 3” Round DURA-GRIP Furniture Grippers
  • 13 Wine Corks, Cut into 6 pieces widthwise

General:

  • Hot Glue Gun
  • Knife
  • Cutting board

DIY Cork Hot PadWine Cork Hot Pad

Start by plugging in and warming up your hot glue gun. Next, take 16 of your favorite wine corks and cut them in half lengthwise. While most wine corks should be the same length I would just make sure before you begin that all of them are generally the same length. I had one cork out of my 16 that was slightly shorter than the rest and it threw off the spacing a little, so I had to find a new cork to replace it. Once you have finished cutting all your wine corks in half, arrange the corks on the square DURA-GRIP to ensure everything lines up properly. I chose to alternate vertical and horizontal placement of the corks to create a unique pattern, but you can arrange the corks any way you like.

Once you have arranged the wine corks on your DURA-GRIP and are happy with the pattern DIY Cork Hot Padand spacing of the corks, it is time to start gluing. Glue the flat side of each cork to the furniture gripper. Remember to glue your corks to the tan side of the furniture gripper that way if there are any gaps in the pattern the tan will blend in with the color of the corks. Once you are all done gluing each cork to the furniture gripper, simply set aside to dry and start on your wine cork coasters!

Wine Cork Coasters

First, select 13 wine corks of similar widths. I used craft store bought wine corks because I used all my collected wine corks making the hot pad. The craft store wine corks actually worked quite well because they were all one uniform shape. Once you have selected your 13 wine corks it is time to start cutting them into 6 pieces widthwise. I had initially cut them into thirds but I realized that this would make my coasters way too thick and impractical so I cut each third in half. In total I ended up needing 76 thin circles to make a total of 4 coasters.

DIY Cork CoastersNext, I arranged my coasters into the shape I wanted. I chose to create hexagonal shape because it was easier to create this shape and gave my coasters a unique design. To make one hexagon I glued together 1 row of 5 corks, 2 rows of 4 corks, and 2 rows of 3 corks. If you want to make your life easier, glue all the rows you need before gluing them all together. So for four coasters you would need 4 rows of 5 corks, 8 rows of 4 corks, and 8 rows of 3 corks. Once you have created all your rows you can start gluing each row together to form a hexagon. I started with the smallest row, the row of 3 corks, and worked my way in. The row of 5 corks should be your center row. For a more visual explanation of how to arrange each row, check out the D.I.Y video we’ve created for you!

Once you are done gluing together all four of your coasters you can attach them to your 3” round DURA-GRIP. I simply covered the tan side of the DURA-GRIP in hot glue and then placed it on the back of the cork coaster. Repeat this process with all four cork coasters and let dry. If you want to jazz up your coasters take ribbon and glue it around the perimeter of your DURA-GRIP. This covers up the edges of the DURA-GRIP and can be a fun, festive addition. Now you have two great cork items that can be used at home or given as gifts!

How To Preserve The Fringes of Your Rug

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How To Preserve The Fringes of Your Rug

Fringes are those tassels at the end of many area rugs. While they can add a finishing look, fringes can often receive much wear and damage. There are a few simple steps to follow to preserve the look and condition of the fringes at the end of any area rug.

Most people who have fringes at the end of their rugs like the finishing touch look that they offer the rug. There are various reasons that area rugs have fringes. For handmade rugs, the fringes are an extension of the foundation of the rug; A grid of cotton on which the actual rug fibers are knotted to create the rug. Once a handmade rug is made, it is then “cut” off the loom at the fringes – This can leave a fringe length from one inch to four inches in length or longer, depending on where the cut was made. In machine made rugs, fringes are not a part of the foundation, as they are sewn on to the rug after it is made.

how to preserve the fringes of your rug

Avoid using a vacuum on the actual fringes of your rug, as this causes shredding as seen here.

Regardless of how a rug is produced, while the fringes can present a finished look, they do have a reputation of wearing out before any other part of the rug. This wear can be from constant walking on the end, or fringes, of the rug. Common fringe wear and damage can also happen with a vacuum – It is customary to vacuum a rug and have the fringe be sucked up into the vacuum. This constant suction weakens the fringe fibers and causes them to wear. Lastly, many people want their fringe to be as clean and white as possible, so they may apply bleach or some other cleaning agent to it. This can be another cause of wear and damage.

Rotate Your Area Rug

We have previously referred to the fact that rotating your area rugs can add years of life and prevent premature and uneven wear. This is very true and can also be applied to the fringes of your rug. Since we inevitably see common traffic patterns through rooms of the home, the fringe of your rugs can be in some sort of traffic pattern as well. If this happens, that part of the fringe exposed to the traffic will actually wear before other parts, creating a less than desirable look. By rotating your area rug once a year, you will prevent premature or unnecessary wear to the fringe. This will maintain even wear so that no part of your fringe looks more used than another part.

Vacuum Your Rug Carefully

One of the most common reasons of fringes shredding is due to the vacuuming of the rug. Most often, when we vacuum our area rug, the fringe can find its way into the suction and get pulled and worn. A one-time event of vacuum suction on the fringe will not necessarily cause wear and shredding. The problem lies in the fact that it is not just a one-time event and the vacuum can pull on the rug fringes as often as we vacuum the rug. For this reason, it is best to pay extra attention when vacuuming your area rugs to be sure you avoid the ends, or fringes, of the rug. This may mean vacuuming in a different direction at the ends of the rug, or another process that you discover – The point is that you should use all efforts to avoid vacuuming the fringes.

Avoid Using Harsh Cleaners

cleaningfringeSince they are the every end of the rug, fringes are most exposed to dirt and soil and can easily become and look dirty much sooner than the rest of your rug. If you find the need to spot clean your fringe, you should only use a safe method, such as mild liquid detergent and water. Combine the two, swirl them around and use the suds from this solution to scrub onto the soiled fringe. What you do not want to do is to use bleach or any harsh cleaners, as these will weaken the fringe and cause it to fray, shred or disintegrate.

Trim Fringes for an Even Look

Most often, parts of your fringe will wear sooner than other parts and this causes various lengths within the fringe. Using scissors to trim the fringe is an acceptable form of maintaining a consistent appearance and does not harm the fringe. It is important to be sure not to cut below the base of the fringe knot – If you look closely, you will see a knot at the bottom of your fringe from which the actual loose fringe extends. This knot keeps the fringe intact and should not be compromised. If your fringe is in various lengths, feel free to trim it just enough to make it even across the end of your rug without going down to the base knot of the fringe.

No Rug Pad Under the Fringe

Many customers wonder about the placement of a rug pad under their area rug and where the fringe fits in with all of this. Our answer is that the rug pad should not impair the fringe – It should stop just short of the actual body of your rug without reaching the fringe. When the fringe is on top of a rug pad, it does not lay as flat and straight as possible. Fringe should really be placed directly against the floor, so be sure that when you measure your rug for a pad, that you do not include the fringe in that measurement.

For the most part, the fringes at the end of area rugs are meant to add the finishing touch to the appearance of the rug. We do understand that the fringes can become a frustration if they are compromised and end up in wear, uneven lengths and possible shredding. For these reasons, we offer these simple steps to follow to maintain healthy and clean looking fringe for the life of your area rug.

4 Steps to A Festive Fall Floral Wreath

Fall Floral Wreath

DIY Floral Wreath

4 Steps to A Festive Fall Floral Wreath

Fall is the perfect season to give fresh updates to the house. Where better to start than with your front door? With the change in season, spruce up your front door with a gorgeous fall wreath! 

Supplies

  • Straw or foam wreath
  • Fresh flowers
  • Greening pins
  • Burlap
  • Pruning Shears and Scissors
  • Picture wire or ribbon
  • Optional: Accents (ex: festive bows, ribbons, mini pumpkins/gourds or ornamental corn)

Step One: Acquire flowers

If you have flowers at home, capitalize on them by using them in your fall wreath! Mums, hydrangeas, and even sunflowers can make beautiful additions to any wreath. If you are feeling festive, try adding a couple mini pumpkins or ornamental corn to your wreath. In my garden we have a huge hydrangea bush and mums so I chose to use those. I also purchased a bouquet of sunflowers from a local grocery store to make two festive wreaths. One was made up of primarily hydrangeas; this wreath will dry over time but the flowers will not shrivel up or fall off. The other was a combination of sunflowers and mums, this wreath is more temporary and great for a housewarming gift or as a temporary decoration for your home. To make your sunflowers and mums last longer, use a spray bottle to spray them with water daily. This will help prevent the flowers from wilting or falling off.

 

Step Two: Prune Flowers and Prep the Wreath

Once you have chosen your flowers it is time to trim the stems. I left about 5 inches on every stem while I was figuring out placement and then cut any stems that stuck out later. Remove any excess leaves from your flower stems and trim all the flowers to relatively equal length.

Now prep your wreath. If you purchased a straw wreath, like the one in the picture, you will not have to do much prep to the wreath form before you begin. If you purchased a floral foam wreath form, you will want to saturate the form with water before sticking the stems into the foam. A floral foam wreath is great for flowers that do not dry well and can help your floral wreath last longer. If you plan on having any exposed areas of the form we suggest wrapping your form in burlap before you begin. This will make the form look more stylish and as flowers die off you don’t have to be worried about the foam being exposed.

 

Step Three: Attach the Flowers

I chose to lay out my flowers before pinning them into place just to make sure that they were evenly placed around the wreath. You want to fill in as much surface area as you can so the form is not exposed at all.

Start with your largest flowers first and place those evenly around the wreath form. For the hydrangea wreath, I had four large hydrangea flowers, so I placed a large flower on the top, bottom, left, and right sides. For the sunflower wreath, I had ten large sunflowers to work with so I tried to space them out evenly. Once I established those focal points, I started to pin the large flowers into place. Once the large flowers are secure start adding the smaller flowers to fill the rest of the form. Try to vary the colors between sections, spreading the different colored flowers apart. Be sure to securely pin each flower in place.

If you are running low on flowers, try adding a festive burlap bow to the bottom or top of your wreath. This will take up space, and create a unique focal point.

 

Step Four: Add Accents and Display

Once a majority of the wreath is full you can start adding accents to the wreath. In the hydrangea wreath I used sedum to fill an bare looking spaces. Sedum is a hardy fall flower that comes in pink or sometime purple tones. These accents will add a punch of color to your wreath and help your wreath to look more full. If you want something a little more festive, try tying ornamental corn to the bottom of your wreath or attaching miniature pumpkins to the wreath for a beautiful fall look!

Now you’re ready to display your new fall wreath on your door or anywhere in your home! Hang it using a nail and/or picture wire. You can also attach a strip of burlap or festive ribbon to the back and hang it on your door for an extra pop of color!

How To Prepare Your Floors for the Winter

How To Prepare Your Floors for the Winter

Our floors can experience much use and abuse and should be properly maintained for best performance and appearance. We offer some useful ways to prepare your floors for the coming winter season.

When we refer to your floors, we refer to all types of floors – Hardwood, tile  and other hard surfaces, as well as carpets and area rugs. These floors and their coverings should be maintained and cared for in order to preserve their condition and appearance for years of life and performance. Often times, we find ourselves walking inside only to rub the soles of our shoes on our rugs, carpets and floors. While these are meant to withstand this traffic and use, the better attention we give to our floors, the better they will look and last.

Check and Clear Your Floors for Sand and Salt

MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERAWinter months in some parts of the world are accompanied by snow, salt and sand. It is inevitable that some of this will be transferred onto your floors from the outdoors, so take care to notice any of this before it leads to significant buildup. Depending on the weather conditions of where you live, try to make a habit to routinely check your floors for any loose salt or sand. These particles can easily be pushed into your floors to cause irreversible damage, such as light or deep scratches.

How to Clean Your Floor

Since some vacuum cleaners can actually use a beater brush that can rub the sand against your floor finish, try to use a suction only vacuum to pull any of this from the floor. Even the use of a broom can cause scratches if small particles are caught in-between the bristles. Here, again, is where the use of a suction controlled vacuum is useful and can prove to be one of the safest methods of pulling debris off of your floors. Once you are confident that the sand and/or salt is removed from the floor, it may be a good idea to damp mop the affected area to prevent any film from forming on the floor.

Clean Any Prepare Area Rugs or Carpeting

superiorhardwoodframeMany times, sand and salt go unnoticed in our rugs and carpet. The pile can hide this from our sight, yet this debris can cause plenty of wear, damage and soiling. That said, it is always best to perform a routine vacuuming of any area rugs or carpeting you may have in your home. Here, a vacuum with a beater brush is acceptable, since there is nothing that can be scratched. It is very important that the vacuum be powerful enough to be able to extract any fine dust, dirt or sand from the base or foundation of the rugs or carpets.

If you have area rugs covering your floors, be sure to protect them and you floors with proper rug pads. A rug pad is a material that is placed under an area rug to serve a few purposes, such as to prevent slipping, protect rug and floor from damage and add comfort. In this case, we refer to the protection to rug and floor. Since the rug pad is between both surfaces, it acts as a protective barrier that can actually prevent fine dust and salt from penetrating through to the floor. This means that the rug pad should be occasionally revealed and checked for loose particles that should be removed by vacuum before placing the rug on top of the pad again. By using a solid rug pad, we prevent pressure pushing into the rug, that can push fine dirt and rub it against the floor.

Rotate Area Rugs for Best Wear

Area rugs can often develop a distinct traffic pattern based on walking habits. Before you place holiday decorations on your rugs, it is a good idea to rotate the rugs. By rotating them, you prevent one part of the rugs from receiving the same traffic and wear pattern and this will be more evenly spread with rotation. Believe it or not, when a rug experiences a significant wear pattern, this not only takes away from its appearance, it also significantly decreases its value. It is always best to make sure your area rugs wear as evenly as possible.

Each season has it’s changes and in some parts of the world, winter can mean a harsh change. Your floors normally experienced much wear and traffic and are subjected to even more in the winter, For this reason, it is always best to be prepared to care for your rugs, carpets and floors with extra effort and thought to maintain their resilience and condition. Some simple steps to take as outlined in this article can help preserve your floors and floor coverings in order for you to enjoy them for many years.

How To Prevent Rugs From Sticking To Your Floor

back of rug sticking to floor

How To Prevent Rugs From Sticking To Your Floor

The backs of many area rugs are sprayed with a latex that normally transfer to the floor that can cause serious damage. Use of the proper rug pad under your rug prevents the rug from sticking to the floor.

There are all types of area rugs manufactured in different ways. The traditional old world weaving of area rugs by hand has been replaced more and more with a machine weaving process to cut down on costs. Unfortunately, this also compromises the quality and endurance of the rug. In hand tied area rugs, the back of the rug consists of hand tied knots that keep the rug together. In today’s machine process with lack of these knots, a latex can be found sprayed on the back fibers of the rug to keep the rug together. Unfortunately, this is a common cause of floor damage.

why rugs stick to floorLatex Sprayed to the Back of Rugs

A common method of manufacturing area rugs is to tuft the fibers to a mesh screen. Once all of the fibers are tufted through the screen, the pile, or face, of the rug, is created. The other side, or back, of the mesh screen contains the lose fibers. In a handmade area rug, these fibers would wrap back around the screen, or foundation and are then tied into knots that keep the rug intact. In this machine tufted rug, the back of the fibers are sprayed with a latex. The latex serves two functions- it holds the fibers together to prevent shedding of them and since latex carries a non slip function, it serves to prevent the rug slipping on the floor. The end result of this is an area rug that has a plush face pile and a latex backing that is placed on the floor.

Latex Spray Sticks to the Floor

While the result of using latex on the back of an area rug offers a finished rug product, there is a negative outcome – mainly that the latex damages the floor. Unfortunately, since the spray is not a solid layer of rubber, it is not as stable as solid rubber. Within a short period of time of use on hardwood or any hard floor, the latex on the back of the rug starts to transfer to the floor. The reason for this is due to the fact that the spray method does not provide a strong bond with the rug fibers. After use of the rug, particularly with sunlight shining onto the rug, the latex takes on a melting form and transfers to the floor in the form of a sticky gummy texture. To make matters worse, most people do not know this it is happening and continue to use the rug. With more use and pressure to the floor, the latex is pushed harder and almost becomes impossible to remove from the floor.

back of area rugHow to Remove Latex Stuck to Floor

There are a few ways to remove, or try to remove, latex that stuck to the floor from the back of a rug. Depending on the amount and strength of the damage, methods such using paint thinner or WD-40 on the affected area to actually scraping the latex from the floor are common methods of repair. Again, the way to remove the latex damage depends on the strength of the damage and in the worst case, it will be necessary to refinish the floor, it it is hardwood or some sort of wood.

How to Prevent Rugs From Sticking to Floor

Since the latex back of the rug rests directly on the floor, we need to consider a barrier to use between rug and floor – This is in the form of a rug pad. Since we want to prevent any latex from reaching the floor, we need to be sure to use a solid, as opposed to open weave, rug pad. Common non slip rug pads with a mesh design will not be effective, as they allow passing through to the floor. Felt rug pads are one of the few rug pads to offer a solid protective barrier to prevent any latex from affecting any floor under the area rug. Since the object is to use the rug pad to prevent sticking and other damage to the floor, it is important to choose a natural rug pad. Too many pads contain an adhesive that transfers to the floor and this defeats the purpose of protecting the floor against damage from latex backed rugs.

If you are on a budget and need to choose an area rug backed with latex, or if the only style you like happens to be this type of area rug, be sure to protect your floors with the use of a solid rug pad under the rug. With a rug pad, even if the latex starts to fall off of the rug sooner rather than later, the pad will trap the latex and prevent it from damaging the floor. Based on the fact that the rug pad will trap the latex, it is an excellent idea to periodically check and clean the pad from any latex.

Ultra Premium and Superior felt rug pads are excellent barriers against the damage caused by latex backed area rugs.

 

How To Prevent Echoes In Room

Echo

How To Prevent Echoes In Room

Many homes containing hardwood or hard floor surfaces can echo from sound such as talking or walking through the room. This is a common issue that can actually be prevented by dampening the cause of the echoes, such as through the use of floor coverings.

One of our customers explains that while living in his Brooklyn, NY residence, he would notice echoes in each room. Through some online research, he discovered that placing floor coverings, such as carpets or area rugs, on the floor would help dampen the noise. So, he measured each room full of hardwood floors and purchased several area rugs that did not fill the entire rooms, yet filled a major portion of each room. These area rugs definitely helped with the echoes, as they seemed to absorb much of the sound. While the rugs seemed to have helped insulate the room against this noise, he did still encounter times of echoes, so he pursued the issue even more.

With more online searches, the customer found some articles on our Superior felt rug pad. He learned that Superior is rated as one of the most effective noise reduction rug pads, so he thought that if it can prevent floor noise, Superior must also be able to help reduce and prevent any echoes in a room. He called us and explained his problem, to which we confirmed the fact that Superior will definitely help with the echo problem. He proceeded to order the sizes to fit his area rugs, received them and placed them under all of his rugs. After the rug pads were placed under the rugs, the actions that caused the echoes no longer did!

How Superior Felt Rug Pad Prevents Echoes

how to prevent echos in room

Superior is an all felt rug pad made of natural fibers in the USA. What separates it from other felt rug pads is the fact that we use a true 40 ounce compression rate when we pack the felt together. This means that pure felt is compressed to the level we demand, in this case 40 ounces. Since it is so dense, Superior does not contain any air in place of some felt – Allowing it to absorb the impact that causes sound and echoes, as well as insulate the floor and room. When less dense rug padding is used, while this can reduce echoes, it does not completely prevent them. The air between the felt fibers allows for the escape of sound and this causes the echo. Superior is as solid a felt rug pad as can be and acts as the most effective method of absorbing the sound that causes echoes. It is often rated as the most effective noise reduction rug pad.

How To Install Superior Rug Pad

Since it is imperative to use as much of the rug pad as possible on your floor, Superior should be placed under most of the area of the rug. That said, it is best to use the actual rug size as a measure of the size of the rug pad. With the rug size, we cut Superior to be approximately 1.5 inches smaller on all sides – This allows for the edges of the rug to relax to the floor while still being enough pad to effectively cover as much floor as possible. Once Superior is properly installed under area rugs, it will not be seen and can be felt when walked on as a very comfortable barrier between rug and floor.

Many homeowners can spend hundreds and thousands of dollars to insulate rooms against sound and echoes. In rooms with hard floor surfaces, it is helpful to first start by insulating the floor against the sound, such as with an area rug or carpet along with the proper rug pad. In 90 percent of residences, this method is enough to turn a once echoing room into a quiet, insulated room. As the rug pad prevents echoes, Superior also offers the benefits of protecting rugs and floors against damage and wear, as well as adding an extra layer of comfort to an otherwise hard and uncomfortable floor.