What Rugs Are Safe For Hardwood Floors?

What rugs are safe for hardwood floors?

The above question can be phrased in other ways like;

• Type of rugs for hardwood floors
• What kind of rugs to use on hardwood floors?

Hardwood floors are very beautiful. They make your home look stylish and classy. They will also serve you for a long time because they are durable.

However, the problem with hardwood floors is that they are a huge investment. It will cost you lots of money to install this kind of flooring in your home.

In addition, these types of floors are easily damaged by scratches, stains, water and other blemishes. It is for this reason that you need to protect your wood floors with area rugs to protect their life span.

---

FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING WHAT RUGS ARE SAFE FOR HARDWOOD FLOORS

#1 Color

If you use a rug with the same color as your wood floors, people will not notice the rug. It would be better to use a rug with a different color especially a hue which complements with other things in your home like furniture, curtains and general home décor.

#2 Size & shape

You do not want to choose a very large area rug which looks too much for your wood floor spaces. Additionally, you do not want to pick something too small to look like a piece of fabric fell on the floor. For example, if shopping a rug for under kitchen dining table, you should buy a rug size which fits the seating area.

Rugs comes in many shapes like round, rectangle and runner among others. For example, the most ideal rug choice for a kitchen island is a runner. Pick one of these best kitchen runners for hardwood floors.

#3 Cleaning

A rug placed on top of wood floors must be regularly vacuumed or cleaned in other ways often like once a week. Failure to clean the rug you will end up with a huge build-up of dirt, debris and spills which will slip through to the floors ending up damaging them.

#4 Backing

The type of backing used on the rug or rug pad is very important. You should avoid latex rubber backings because they have poor air circulation, trap moisture and leave stains on your wood floors. The most recommended backings for wood floors are those made from felt or a combination of felt and rubber.

#5 Purpose

You must consider where the wood floors are when choosing an area rug. For example, if they are in high traffic areas like entryways, kitchen and wood decks, then you will have to choose the right rug which will handle that amount of traffic, wear and tear while still providing durability.

---

WHAT RUGS ARE SAFE FOR HARDWOOD FLOORS?

A rug safe for hardwood floors is the one which will meet the factors above. Below are some of the best recommendations;

#1 Waterproof and water-resistant rugs

Water is a great enemy of hardwood floors. It will easily cause rotting, development of pests and pungent smells like mildew.

#2 Felt or felt rubber backing rugs or rug pads

Rugs or rug pads with latex and rubber backing are what you should avoid. Instead go for rugs with felt or felt rubber backing.

#3 Rug material

Rugs comes in many materials. Below is the rug material recommended for hardwood floor rugs;

Wool: It is durable, easy to clean, warm and comes in many styles and designs to choose from.

Cotton: It is highly durable and comes in a wide variety of designs and styles to choose from.

Natural fiber: There are many types of natural fiber rugs like jute, Seagrass and sisal among others. They are made from natural materials which means they do not have chemical treatments which will damage or stain your floors. These types of rugs are also handmade, a feature which makes them very durable.

Synthetic fiber: This is the opposite of natural rugs because they are machine-made rugs manufactured in factories. Polypropylene and Nylon are the most recommended rug materials in this category.

#4 Country

The country a rug is manufactured in will help to inform its quality and durability. For example, Turkey and Iran are known for the manufacturing of high quality handmade Persian rugs. India and Pakistan are known for the exportation of best synthetic rug materials. Read this guide on which country makes the best rugs for more tips on this.

#5 Allergy-free

A home will allergy-prone people will need hypoallergenic rugs ideal for allergy sufferers.  The right choice of such rugs will eliminate extra costs like buying allergy drugs or paying hospital bills for allergy treatments.

---

FAQ’S – WHAT RUGS ARE SAFE FOR HARDWOOD FLOORS?

#1 Should you put rugs on hardwood floors?

Yes.

You should put rugs on hardwood floors because they will help to protect your wood floors in many ways.

For example, firstly, they will protect the floors from scratches and stains from debris and dirt. For example, dirt from shoes in entrance rugs will first be deposited on the rug instead of being directly left on the wood floor.

Secondly, a rug especially one with the right non-slip backing or rug pad will eliminate all types of movements such as slipping, bunching and rug migration. A rug which remains in place is safe to keep way slip and fall accidents.

#2 Best places to use rugs on hardwood floors

Below are some of the most ideal places to put rugs on hardwood floors.

High traffic areas

Areas with high foot traffic will need rugs which will protect you’re the floors from damage, hence prolonging their life span.

Examples of such places include hallways, kitchen, entryways, decks and living room among others. Read the post below for more information;

• Best kitchen rugs for hardwood floors
• Best entrance rugs for hardwood floors on entryways
• Best outdoor rugs for wood decks.
• Best rugs for high traffic areas in your home.

A home can also have high traffic if it has too many house guests, babies or pets. In such a case you will need to consider the following choices too;

• What rugs are safe for babies
• A guide on best rugs for dog owners

Under items

Furniture like sofa sets and dining tables can easily damage your hardwood floors especially when moved around. You can check out this post on best rugs for under kitchen table.

Felt pads are also not recommend for use on hardwood floors because they cause staining as a result of residue they leave.

For this reason, a rug which goes under the feet of such items and furniture is the best choice in such scenarios.

#3 How to Protect Wood Floors with Area Rugs

Area rugs protect wood floors in many ways. They improve security because they cover up the slippery floor. The rug must have a rug pad or non-slip backing to serve this purpose. They protect the floor from direct damage by the dirt and debris deposited on the rug first. Read more on how to protect wood floors with area rugs on that post.

#4 How to keep rugs from sliding on hardwood floors?

 There are three ways on how to keep rugs in place on hardwood floors: using a rug pad, carpet tape or caulking. This post on how to keep rugs from sliding on hardwood floors will give you all the tips you need to be able to choose the best choice of those methods.

#5 What are the best entrance rugs for hardwood floors?

This Geometry Store Waterproof rug is the best choice in this case. You can check out other recommendation on this post on entrance rugs for hardwood floors.

 

#6 What are the best kitchen rugs for hardwood floors?

This Mohawk home Rug is the best choice in this case. You can find other more choices on these two posts; best kitchen rugs for hardwood floors and best kitchen runner for hardwood floors.

#7 How soon after refinishing wood floors can you put rugs down?

The wait time will depend on several factors. For example if you used water-based paint then you wait for 24 hours while oil based paint takes more than 2 weeks. Read other factors on this post on how soon after refinishing wood floors can you put rugs down?

---