We all love rugs in our homes but it comes with its own set of problems like area rugs on carpets might slip, much like on hard surface flooring. The most frequent problems with rugs on the carpet are bunching, wrinkling, and small slips that are tedious to correct. You might be seeking for a solution to keep the rug in place unless you want the added workout of stooping over to adjust the rug every time you pass.
If so, you’ve come to the right spot!
While there are several techniques to secure your area rugs to a carpet, some of them risk harming both your carpet and rug. Because of this, you must take care to prevent rugs from slipping on your carpet. In this post, we’ll examine why area rugs still move on the carpet and some of the best fixes for this problem without causing any harm to the rug or the carpet.
Why Do Rugs Slide Around on Carpet?
Rugs move on carpet for one simple reason: as we walk on them, the weight of our feet causes them to sag. Consider this: your carpet has a pile, and the pile will move in response to foot impact. The weight of a dog or even a cat moving across the carpet will cause the pile to move, so it doesn’t even have to be human feet.
This pile movement is transmitted to the rug when it is laid on a carpet, causing the rug to move. When carpets are put, the pile is often placed toward the front entrance (for aesthetics). This would explain why, when you step on your rug, it looks to move in the direction of the door. You should not fear; your rug is not attempting to elude you. You remain in its affection. In general, your pile will move around more the longer it is.
Rugs’ corners frequently turn up, which is one of their issues. With thinner ones, this frequently occurs and can cause slips and even falls. Adding a non-slip foundation or utilizing tape will undoubtedly assist with this problem, especially for lightweight rugs like runners.
Methods to prevent a rug on carpet from shifting
Let’s discuss a few strategies for preventing rug movement on the carpet now that you are aware of why it happens.
1. Use a rug pad
The easiest technique to stop a rug from sliding or bunching up on a carpet is using an anti-slip rug pad. With its joint natural rubber and felt, a carpet-to-carpet non-slip rug pad like the carpet lock rug pad keeps your area rug in place on the carpet.
The bottom felt surface of the non-slip rug pad adheres to the carpet fibers, providing it a more secure grip on the carpet pile. The rug is held in place by the natural rubber top, which also prevents it from slipping off the pad.
This anti-slip rug pad felt surface gives additional cushioning, making it feel more plush and pleasant. That’s not all, though. The extra layer absorbs sound, greatly lowering the amount of noise your neighbors can hear.
The benefit of utilizing non-slip rug pads to secure your area rugs is that they increase the lifespan of both the carpet and the area rugs.
2. Caulk Inexpensive Rugs
A great alternative to silicone caulk is to use it to prevent your cheap rugs from sliding or bunching up on your carpet. However, because there is a chance the caulk might harm your rug permanently, we only advise thinking about doing this with inexpensive carpets.
Applying silicone caulk to your area rug’s edges and drawing a few lines along the middle of it is fairly simple to do. To prevent the dried caulk from feeling like a hard strip when walking over your carpeting, flatten these beads with a putty knife next.
Leave the caulk to air dry. Once dry, put your rug on top of the carpet and let the rubbery strips grip your mat.
The biggest disadvantage of using caulk to secure your rug is that, particularly if you have a high-pile carpet, you could pull at the carpet fibers when removing the rug. Additionally, while removing your area rugs for cleaning, the fibers may come out.
3. Use Double-Sided Rug Tape
A double-sided rug tape works wonderfully to keep rugs in place on the carpet while replacing them. The ease of installation is the best feature. All you require is the appropriate double-sided rug tape, which you will apply to the rug’s edges. After that, remove the backing and adhere it to the carpet.
The tape’s adhesive quality will firmly bind your mats to your carpet, preserving the rug’s position and facilitating simpler vacuuming. A key drawback of using the wrong carpet tape is that it could pull at the fibers of your carpet and rug when it is removed. The tape is only a temporary solution because it regularly loses its hold when you lift the rug.
4. Anchor The Rug With Furniture
One of the best and simplest ways to fix a drifting rug is to anchor huge carpets with furniture, although it does take some skill. Avoid covering up the attractiveness of the rug while securing a sliding rug with furniture. Maintaining the visual value the rug brings to your interior design should be your priority.
We advise setting up hefty couches and upholstered chairs at the corners and edges of your area rugs. You may also put a large coffee table or ottoman in the center of your area rug as an alternative. The mats are secured in place while remaining visible in this way.
The side of your rug that isn’t secured by furniture might still slide or curl up at the corners, which is a huge disadvantage.
Bottomline
We suggest positioning substantial sofas and upholstered chairs near your area rugs’ corners and edges. As an alternative, you might place a sizable coffee table or ottoman in the middle of your area rug. This keeps the mats visible and safe in their location. A major drawback is that the side of your rug that isn’t supported by furniture may still slide or curl up at the corners.
At home, moving carpets may be an issue at any time, so it’s crucial to consider certain built-in solutions when considering a new rug purchase. Purchase a thicker rug or mat first. Simply, your rug is less likely to move about at all the more weight you have. Compared to smaller or narrower ones, large entrance mats or rugs are also less prone to shift.
Location is important when figuring out how to stop your rugs from shifting. Of course, smooth services like laminate, vinyl tiles, and wood floors will have more possibility for movement. Rug tape and non-slip bases should be able to address the issue quickly.
Finally, our recommendation is to first think about the weight and size of your new rug for spaces like living rooms and bedrooms where there may be carpeting. The better, the larger and heavier.
