Walking on an area rug that has been placed over a dirty wood floor can grind existing dirt dust and sand into the wood.
Will area rugs scratch hardwood floors.
We are still pretty fresh into home ownership and i guess you find these things out by making stupid mistakes but it turns out that scratchy jute rugs and freshly refinished hardwoods do not mix.
They will also protect the floor against moisture damage from liquid spills.
Turn the corner of an area rug over so the backside of the rug is facing the ceiling.
Inferior rug pads can scratch up floors and worn down finishes whereas decent quality pads can reduce wear and tear on the rug make vacuuming smooth and protect hardwood flooring from being scratched by the back of the rug.
In addition area rugs can also protect your floor from dust and debris that is brought in from the outside.
It s this chemical change that is creating the pattern you see on the floor.
Many area rugs have backings that grip the floor but are unkind to wood floor finishes.
The plasticizers in the backings actually damage the finish.
They reduce dirt or sand settling through the rug that can scratch your hardwood or damage the rug.
To instantly tell if your area rug is going to scratch your hardwood floor do this simple knuckle test.
Rug pads protect the hard wood prevent the rug from slipping and offer an extra cushion of support in thin rugs.
Use runner rugs in these areas to guard the integrity of the hardwood against shoe scuffing and debris brought in from the outside.
Then rub your knuckles along the back of the rug with a little pressure.
How and where to use area rug now it is time to find out where to use this type of rug.
Thank goodness we had a thick polyurethane coating on our hardwood floors.
To protect your hardwood floor use a combination felt and rubber pad to keep your area rugs from sliding.
If you don t have an area rug pad you are likely to damage your hardwood floors underneath by scratches discoloration and or wearing the finish down.
Rubber backed mats can dull your floor s shine and even cause some discoloration.
Because it wasn t the rug that needed the pad it was the floors.
Well this assumes you care about the flooring underneath as well as the area rug.