How to Identify a Rug’s Construction – What Makes a Good Rug?

The rug industry had long been known for fast talking, hard driving salesman with a reputation for being less than completely honest with their customers. It’s where the term “carpet bagger” came from. Some basic tips will protect you as you begin your rug buying process.

There are three main types of rug construction – Hand Knotted, Machine Woven, and Tufted.

Hand knotted rugs are generally considered to be the best. They are woven one knot at a time on a loom. First, the weaver will take a strong cotton, wool, or silk and create the warp loom. These threads run from the top to the bottom of the rug. Taking a strand of colored wool and knotting it around two warp threads in the foundation creates each knot. Starting at one end of the rug, the weaver takes different colors of wool and, like pixels on a computer screen, and creates the design.

Once a full row of knots is woven, the weaver will weave in a weft thread. The weft thread runs perpendicular to the warp threads and literally weaves back and forth between them. This creates a tremendous amount of strength in the rug and also holds the knots in place.

While incredibly strong, the hand-knotting process is painstaking and time consuming. A room-sized rug can easily take well over a year to weave. Hand woven rugs will generally wear better than any other rug in the market and not surprisingly, cost more than their counterparts. A good hand knotted rug can easily last 50 to 100 years with proper maintenance.

Machine woven rugs are manufactured quickly with large machines. While there are a few different types of machines that will construct a rug differently from one to the next, machines are not capable of creating the same structure as hand weaving. Rather than having wool knotted and tied onto the foundation, most machine woven rugs are made with a simple “half wrap” technique where the colored fibers are held in place with much less strength than in hand woven rugs. The benefit of machine woven rugs is that they are much less expensive and simpler to produce. The average lifespan of a machine woven rug is between 20 and 25 years.

The last style is tufted rugs, which straddle the line between machine woven and hand woven. They are made by hand using a tool known as a “tufting gun.” This is a simple tool that can be used to shoot a U-shaped tuft of wool into a cotton or jute grid. Because people use the tool, it’s often referred to as “Hand Woven.” However, this type of rug is not hand woven at all. The tool produces a look and feel much like the hand knotted rug; however, it is prone to wearing out much more quickly. To combat this, manufacturers will glue a canvas backing to the underside of the rug. This helps to hold the rug together, but in time the glues will degrade and the rug will begin to fall apart and may even produce a latex smell. Most tufted rugs are woven to last around five to 10 years before they begin to degrade.

So how can the consumer tell the difference between these types of rugs? The easiest to spot is the tufted rug – buy looking underneath and finding the canvas glued to the bottom. When it comes to the other two, take a section of the pile and squeeze it along the long end. In a hand-knotted rug you will see the wool wrapping around the warp threads. In a machine woven rug, the thread itself becomes exposed as no wool wraps around it.

Look at the illustrations to better understand basic rug construction.

Please note that within each category there It are large varieties with differing quality as well as subtle differences that can help a rug to last longer or cause it to wear out more quickly.

However, by understanding the basics, you will be better armed to make the right buying decision.

Want to see a quick video on everything mentioned here in the article?

Go to – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikSJrbr3I0w

By: Matt Gabel

Matt Gabel is the Retail Manager at Serafian’s Oriental Rugs. He has been working closely with rugs for over 25 years. Serafian’s offers free pick up and delivery in the Albuquerque metro area. For more information, call (505) 504-RUGS or go to serafians.com

Why Professionally Clean Your Rugs?

It’s easy to tell the difference between a fine Oriental rug and wall-to-wall carpeting. One is an heirloom that will be handed down through the generations, and the other should be replaced after 10 to 15 years of wear and tear. One has designs and patterns stemming from centuries of cultural tradition and love, the other is typically monotone. It may seem obvious, but when it comes to cleaning, one needs careful care and attention, while the other can be quickly steam-cleaned.

When it comes to your fine Oriental rugs, steam cleaning is detrimental to the integrity of the rug. Wool contains lanolin, a sheep’s natural oil, which gives the rug its sheen and lustrous appearance. It is also a big part of what creates durability and longevity in the wool fibers. Unfortunately, the heat and detergents used in steam cleaning strips this lanolin out of wool. Very quickly, this will affect both the appearance and durability of your rug. Additionally, it is nearly impossible to completely rinse out the detergents from wool. Unlike nylon, which as a fiber is created to be smooth, wool has a naturally scaly structure. Detergents tend to get trapped in these scales. This compounds with time, as detergent residue attracts even more dirt, causing your fine Oriental rug to become grey and dirty even more quickly than it did before. Controlled, thorough and proper rinsing is the solution to this problem and unfortunately typical wall-to-wall cleaning methods (like the steam cleaners you can rent at the grocery store) just don’t cut it.

The only proven effective methods of cleaning Oriental rugs are cold water flood and immersion washing. Both these methods involve the use of cold water, large quantities of it, and carefully controlled methods to ensure dye stability. Additionally, rather than relying on harsh detergents, these methods use gentle shampoos to scrub the dirt from your rugs. The low temperatures help to keep the lanolin in your rug intact, preserving its long-term durability. The moisture penetrates deeper into the fiber helping to remove the deep and ground-in soil. Most importantly, the high volumes of water are the key to removing the excess shampoos ensuring the long-term beauty of your rug.

Serafian’s Oriental Rugs has the largest rug washing facility in the Southwest. To see a video on how Serafian’s does its washing, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hryLmj6_1-k

Wall-to-wall carpet is expected to be replaced every decade or so. Yet a good hand woven Oriental rug will last for generations. Where steam cleaning is a fast way to clean the carpet in your home, it’s a sure way to damage your favorite fine rug. Regular and proper cleaning is the most effective way to preserve the beauty and value of your rugs, and professional immersion and cold water washing methods are the only safe and effective way to have this done.

By Matt Gabel

Transform A Room By Changing the Rug

Sprucing up a room design doesn’t have to require a huge budget. In fact, using an area rug can completely transform the look and feel of any room. House & Home editors Joel Bray and Jennifer Koper devote a YouTube video to showing three completely different looks by changing only a rug. See it here at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLFP1I-pSFc

A good rug cannot only be the focal point of the design, but it can become the foundation of color and structure around which everything else can be added.

Rugs are a time consuming and difficult to create art form. A hand-woven living room sized rug can take months if not years to make. Because of that, you are much more limited in your options with rugs than with almost any other part of your design process. It is easy to find fabric to match a rug, but much more difficult to find a rug to match a fabric. Let the size of the rug, the shapes of its design, and the colors in it field and border guide your design process.

The first rule of thumb is to find a rug that you love and pick colors that complement. Unlike most furnishings, rugs can last for decades, even centuries, so find a piece you really love. Once the rug is found, find a couch or chairs that work well, drapes and blinds that complement the colors in the rug, and other design elements you want to incorporate with and around your decorating style.

Generally speaking, oriental rugs never really quite go perfectly with anything. But their colors can be used to anchor the design together. So when you follow this thinking, rugs tend to work with everything.

When designing, keep in mind space and proportion. The rug can overwhelm or cramp a space if it is not planned properly. Always use the old carpentry advice, measure twice, cut once, or in this case, measure twice, buy once. Give a minimum of a half-foot around the edge of the rug to help frame the space. More of a border is certainly acceptable, but when rugs crawl right up against the wall, they look awkward. If the rug just barely fits under your coffee table, it probably is too small, let it fill the room a little more. Additionally, since they are on your floor, rugs more than any other furnishings create and define the boundaries of your space. A larger rug will make a space feel more pulled together and coherent, where a slightly smaller rug can make a space look and feel more open and spacious.

Feel free to vary your textures. Varied textures in a space create interest and dimension. Whether your rug is a solid shag, an ornate Persian, or a simple tribal kelim, the texture of it is a great place from which to build the textures in your room. The smooth surface of a leather couch will contrast a tribal or shag rug. The rustic texture of a throw can offset the ornate design of classic Persian motifs.

As long as you keep color, proportion, and texture in mind, decorating around your rug is easy and a great adventure. If you are completely stumped or overwhelmed, the retail team at Serafian’s Oriental Rugs are always available to help. Just take a picture of your space and we will find the right pieces to pull it all together.

By: Matt Gabel

Wrapping and Storing Your Rugs

We all love our rugs. Sometimes, though, we have reason to keep them off the floor for an extended period of time. Maybe you’ve got a new puppy. You could be moving, remodeling, or downsizing. Whatever the reason is, it’s important to make sure your rugs are well-protected when in long term storage. Don’t just roll them up and put them in the closet! Dark, cool, quiet places are the most common areas for moth infestation. It’s key to have your rugs wrapped in a material that moths won’t touch, like cotton, plastic or tyvek. Let us show you, step by step, how to wrap and store your rugs for the long term:

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By: Matt Gabel

The Gohar Carpet

All hand-woven carpets are one of a kind, but a special few stand out as truly unique from among them. The “Gohar Carpet”, woven in Armenia in 1149, is one of these. The colors and patterns of this 12th century masterpiece are evocative of antique Caucasian weaving, but the truly unique aspect of this piece is the long Armenian religious script near the top. The text was translated by eminent linguist Norayr de Byzance in 1908 as:

“I, Gohar, full of sin and weak of soul, with my newly learned hands wove this rug. whosoever reads this say a word of mercy to God for me. In the year 1149.”

The Armenian calendar date is equivalent to 1679–1680 A.D. The “Gohar Carpet” is unusual in that it records the maker’s name. (Gohar or Kohar remains a popular girl’s name in Armenia). The carpet was made for the woman’s church and was probably used only for ceremonial occasions as it remains in an exceptional state of preservation.

We hope you enjoyed this brief look at an exquisite and rare carpet from the distant past. The Gohar carpet was sold to a private collector in 2003. Follow us on facebook for more updates like these!

-Serafian’s Oriental Rugs, Nov. 2015

Keep your rug safe from Moths and Carpet Beetles

Moth and Beetle

Rugs are some of the most durable home furnishings you can purchase. They are woven to be walked on and receive the heaviest traffic and abuse, but still last generations. In fact, rugs have very few “Natural Enemies”. Chief among those diabolical foes are Moths and carpet beetles.

When it comes to rugs, few things can compete with the destructive force of a swarm of hungry
moths. About the size of a grain of rice, these small pests tend to lay their eggs in dark and undisturbed
places on your rugs. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae begin to quickly eat their way thorough wool, silk, or any other protein fiber. Regular inspection of at risk areas goes a long way to preventing damage and keeping your rugs safe, but if you ever do find evidence of moth eggs, call a rug cleaning professional right away.

Less common than the wool moth, but every bit as dangerous to your rug is the carpet beetle. Smaller than Abraham Lincoln’s face on a penny, carpet beetles are tiny, but don’t be fooled by their size. Just like moths, they can lay their eggs in your rugs and chew through your rug in a few days.

If you have a pest infestation, be it moth or carpet beetle, always remember to call a professional. Proper cleaning will remove the infestation, kill any eggs hiding in the pile or foundation of the rug, and go a long way toward preventing future damage.

How to Judge Quality in Oriental Rugs – A Quick Video

Have you ever wondered how to judge the difference in quality between one rug and the next. Take three minutes out of your day to find out.

How Rug Cleaners In Albuquerque Clean Delicate Rugs

Antique and delicate rugs require different attention than rugs of a more commercial nature and thus need different approaches to cleaning. Professional rug cleaners in Albuquerque who are experienced in dealing with delicate rugs will inform you that it is not best practice to use high temperature cleaning machinery on fragile and antique rugs as the patterns and dyes on the rugs will then fade.

Rugs that are glued to the floor will certainly start to come apart should hot water begin to dissolve the glue. This is one of the biggest reasons that you need to brush up on the heat tolerance level of your fragile rugs before seeking the services of a reliable cleaning company.

Here are some points to consider when cleaning delicate rugs:

Stay away from hot water: Do not use hot water on delicate rugs. Lightly soiled rugs are best cleaned with a cold-water machine.
Low moisture machines: Try to work with a rug cleaner that offers low moisture machines as these serve several purposes – rugs dry faster, the machinery uses less water and it causes less stress to the rugs being cleaned.
Experienced rug cleaners: Use rug cleaning companies experienced in dealing with antique or delicate rugs.
Consider the use: If the affected fragile rugs you intend to have cleaned are located in a low traffic area, chances are that they will require less frequent and less severe cleaning, thus the rug cleaning company should adjust their cleaning strategy and methods accordingly.

Rug cleaners in Santa Fe:

With years of experience serving as rug cleaners in Albuquerque, Serafian’s Oriental Rugs has grown its base of satisfied customers. With their dedication to fantastic customer service and their advanced cleaning machinery and technology, they remain miles ahead of their competition when it comes to their team of rug cleaners in Albuquerque.

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