Does My Rug Need a Pad?

By Mehdi Abedi and Lisa Slappy,
Rice University educators and owners of the Pride of Persia

For more than a decade, Mehdi Abedi and Lisa Slappey have taught “The World of Persian Rugs” through Rice University’s Glasscock School of Continuing Studies. They are the owners of Pride of Persia Rug Co., which specializes in older Persian rugs along with high-quality newer rugs from around the world.

Does My Rug Need a Pad?
Most often we do recommend using a pad under rugs.  A proper pad keeps your rug from sliding out of place.  It can also help prevent the rug from stretching and getting out of shape.  However, a bad pad fulfills neither function and may damage your floor by interacting with sealant.  Cheap is not necessarily good in this case, and a good pad is relatively inexpensive:  expect to pay about $1 per square foot for good pad.  All hard floors (wood, tile, stone, etc.) require a single type of pad.  Our preference is a thin, flat waffle-weave 100% natural pad of jute covered with rubber.

Keeping a rug on wall-to-wall carpeting in place is a different matter.  You may not need a pad if the carpet has a low, dense pile and is in a low traffic area.  Shaggy carpet, though, can present a problem. No matter which pad you use, the rugs will slide, usually in one direction, and frustrate you.  Try the adhesive carpet on carpet pad (think of double stick tape) and then give up if this does not work.  Rugs just do not stay put on certain surfaces.

Pride of Persia Rug Co.
7026 Old Katy Road, Ste. 164
Houston, TX 77024
(713) 522-7870
www.prideofpersia.com