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Need Help Deciding Rug For Your Busy House
A busy house implies that there are a lot of people in the living space, or that they are constantly moving around, from one place to another. Either way, you’d need a rug that can handle foot traffic by maintaining its shape and appearance. Areas, like hallways, are the most used areas of the house and experience the most foot traffic as they connect each room and are the pathway from one place to another. For these places, you would want to consider short, dense, and robust piles. They can handle the foot traffic, that would usually flatten a shaggy rug or tufted rug over time.
Savannah Textured Taupe Runner by Oriental Weavers
In a bedroom, you can most definitely use a soft and fluffy rug because it won't be used as much as a large hallway rug. It won't be exposed to the same level of foot traffic and will only be used in a smaller and limited comparison. It'll have minimal wear and tear due to the decreased usage and will retain its appearance. In high traffic areas, such as hallways or living rooms, short, dense, and robust piles are better as they can be easier to clean. In total, you should avoid using soft, fluffy rugs in high-traffic areas as they are high maintenance despite being comforting and aesthetically pleasing. If you want the softness of a pile rug but want it to be low maintenance as well, you can put the rug on top of some underlay. A basic, thin underlay – one that isn't prominent at all – can be put underneath the rug. It creates the same softness without the pile flattening into a dense rug. It also keeps the rug in place and prevents it from moving or sliding against the floor. This isn’t an issue with carpeted floors but can be an issue with smooth surfaces like laminate and vinyl.
Rugs made from natural fibers, like wool rugs and handmade rugs, shed easier. There are loose fibers that are spun in with the yarn threads and can be naturally shredded out through usage and foot traffic. They shed more quickly with heavy traffic, causing it to lose weight and create an imbalance feel across the rug, where the rug is worn out. It will lead to the rug needing to be replaced a lot earlier than intended. If a rug is needed in the hallway, it is best to not choose a wool or natural fiber rug.
Estella Submarine 89405 Wool Rug by Brink & Campman
Synthetics are better than natural fiber rugs as they can withstand the effects of household cleaning, so their appearance won't be affected after cleaning stains or spillages. This is a great benefit if a synthetic rug is placed in a messy or busy area that is prone to messy stains. Unlike cotton or wool rugs, they can withstand the effects of bleaching and are resistant to stains and spillages, so they retain their color and appearance. It means that they are lower maintenance in comparison to natural fiber rugs and would theoretically last longer in high-traffic areas as they won't be affected by dirt and dust.
In addition, synthetics are made from longer threads than natural fibers. They are less likely to show as much shedding as wool or cotton and so can withstand high traffic areas without any wearing and tearing. Their appearance is less likely to be affected and so the rug will show less or gradually at a slower pace compared to natural fiber rugs. Unlike natural fibers, they won't lose their weight and will maintain equal dispersion across the rug. This means that the rug will maintain a smooth pile height and there won’t be any unevenness. Synthetics also have a higher tensile strength which means they are much stronger and more durable than natural fibers. This is perfect for when you have pets and kids around - the rug isn’t as fragile and can take scratchings from them without the yarns tearing. Synthetics also maintain their color better than natural fibers. All rugs are affected by UV rays from sunlight, so they will show slight discoloration. It can't be avoided unless the rug is placed in a shaded area, away from sunlight.
Da Vinci 057 0142 5656 Grey Traditional Rug by Mastercraft
With large area space rugs or hallway runners, you either tend to walk around the edges or walk straight through the middle and avoid the edges. Over time, dust and dirt can wear their way into the rug, due to the heavy foot traffic and usage, and can cause discoloration or cast a shadow over the rug. This unevenness can very much take away from the beauty of the rug and start showing that it is well used and old - something you don’t want showing. It will be more visible with lighter color shades as these can contrast much more to the dirt and grime, making it more visible and eye-catching; another thing you wouldn’t occur. In these cases, it will be best to get a darker shade so the discoloration doesn't affect the appearance of the rug as much. If not a darker shade, you can get a patterned rug, like an Oriental rug, that will camouflage the discoloration and blend in with the pattern.
It can be quite hard and difficult to estimate how long a rug will last – with the many factors playing a part - the number of people in the house, the material, the cleaning conditions. It is ideal to keep rugs that are prone to damage quicker, in areas with the least or limited foot traffic, like a bedroom. With rugs that can handle heavy foot traffic, you can place them in hallways and living areas, so they can be used for their purpose and maintain their appearance.
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