How to choose an Oriental rug.

Oriental rugs are an investment.

Believe it or not handmade Oriental rugs fall into the category of art work. Unlike paintings and sculpture, Oriental rugs can be used throughout their lifetime and represent one of the best investments you can make. They can be enjoyed as an art form, useful in their utility as a floor covering and represent an investment that will appreciate in value over time. They can also be passed down from generation to generation as it is not uncommon to find rugs over 100 years old that remain in usable condition.

At 50 years an Oriental rug is considered semi-antique.
At 100 years an Oriental rug is considered an antique.

The 3 fundamentals of an authentic Oriental rug

It must be made of natural fibers. (Wool, cotton or silk).
It must be woven completely by hand.
It must be of Asiatic origin such as Iran, India, Russia, China, Tibet, Nepal, Morocco; hence the term, "Oriental rug".

Machine made Oriental design rugs lack at least one of these requirements and usually only last about 20 years. Where-as a high quality hand made rug can last 3 or 4 generations. An Oriental rug may be genuine and still not be of fine quality. The quality of an Oriental rug is dependent upon the use of the finest wools, the truest of color-fast dyes, and the most skillful hand weaving techniques.

Factors that determine the quality of Oriental rugs

Consistent weave; are there flaws in the weave? Look on the back side of the rug to detect irregular weaving.

The rug should lie smoothly on the floor; does it ripple, pucker or wrinkle?

Consistent dyes; is the dye colorfast? Are there areas where the dye has obviously bled? Compare the colors on the front and back of the rug to determine if the rug has faded.

Straight edges and ends; the selvedges or the sides of the rug should be straight and properly secured.

Width dimensions should be the same at both ends.

Well finished ends; is the fringe straight and neatly cut? Rugs without fringe should have ends that are finished in a neat and secure manner.

Good long-staple, high elevation wool. For example New Zealand wool.

High knot count; the tighter the knot, the higher the knot count and therefore the more valuable the rug. (The knot count can vary from as few as 20 to as high as 500 or more knots per square inch).

Has the carpet been washed; this should have been a light soap and water wash.



CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT KNOT COUNT ON ORIENTAL RUGS


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Below are the most effective rug pads to use for your particular flooring.

Hardwood, laminate wood, tile, vinyl, concrete;
we recommend a rug underlay called "Cushion Grip". This pad material is made of carpet fibers that have been fused together and needled punched to a waffled rubberized backing material that is non slip. This will hold well to a hard surface floor. It is about 1/4" thick and will retain its non-slip properties for at least 10 years with proper maintenance. This padding is a superior quality and will help preserve your rug from wear and slippage for many years. We custom cut the pad to fit your rug's actual dimensions for a perfect fit with no trimming necessary.

Carpeted flooring; we recommend the "Teebaud" rug pad underlay which is absolutely skid-proof. Both sides are lightly coated with a scientifically formulated clean-lift, water-based adhesive. The entire pad actually grips the rug backing and the floor or carpet surface, firmly anchoring the rug in place. Teebaud clean-lift adhesive is completely harmless to all floor and carpet surfaces. The Teebaud pad is also great to use under a flimsy rug to add body and keep it in place. The Teebaud pad over carpet prevents your rug from rippling around the legs of your furniture.

Visit our eBay Store to purchase these pads!

8x10 Plush Wool Hand Knotted Jaipur Oriental Rug

6 x 9 Hand Knotted Plush Wool Modern Nepalese Oriental Rug

9x12 Hand knotted wool red Persian Oriental rug