Antique rugs and carpets are highly fragile but also more valuable than new ones. Most were made by hand and by artisans who perfected their craft rather than machine-made rugs that are available in the market today. And because these rugs are so special, they must be cleaned and taken cared of in the most detailed way possible. Of course, you’d want your investment to last for a long time and not just overnight. One of the best ways to lengthen your rugs and carpets’ life is to use the right rug pad. However, not all of these pads are made equal.

Walking over your antique rug will give it a lot of stress and friction against the hard floor. And what happens when it encounters a lot of stress? It gets easily damaged – much faster than new rugs since the fibers and the fabric itself are generally sensitive and brittle after many years of existence. The back of the rug, or knots, as well as your floor need to be protected. Rug pads have the ability to give both your rug and floor the protection they need. You can choose between 2 rug pads – one with holes in them and another choice, which are solid rug pads. For antique rugs and carpets, the solid one is the best. And to take it a step further, solid rug pads with texture on the surface are even better. The added texture has the ability to grab your rug or carpet, keeping it from slipping or crawling, and therefore, reducing wear and tear.

For many years, I have personally cared for and restored antique rugs and carpets. I attest to their efficiency in prolonging the life of these beautifully crafted pieces of home accessory and I’ve always used one of two pads. The first one is a jute pad that’s been recycled, which has a high density count. The rug pad has a weight of 40 ounces, which means it is one of the most dense of its kind available. It also means this pad is one of the higher quality jute pads there is. The 40-ounce weight also signifies that it has a dense compression of fiber per square yard, giving it the ability to give your antique rugs more resistance and protection. And one of the best things about it is it can be used under all kinds of antique rugs, which are mostly room sizes.

The next pad I am referring to is the kind that has a non slip feature, most especially useful for antique rugs that easily move around. This kind is mostly used for rug sizes of 6’x9′ and below. The pad’s surface is a dense needle punched recycled jute, with a solid rubber backing natural layer. It naturally has a texture, easily grabbing your rug and holds it firmly on the floor. Extremely dense and 1/4″ thick, you can use this safely on all kinds of floors especially if you get one with a solid rubber rather than a pad that uses sprayed latex – which has the capacity to damage the floor.

It’s highly important that you use the right kind of rug pad for your antique rug – it can lengthen its life and preserve its beauty. Having a special antique rug in your home makes any space more unique and adds character. Make sure you choose a pad that is of high quality. Make this small investment on a rug pad so you can lengthen your larger investment for many, many years to come.