In this short video, we'll talk about tufted rugs.
You'll learn what they are, how they're made,
and you'll also discover that these rugs have some common
issues.
You'll know how to identify these issues
and what to do about them.
Tufted rugs are different in construction and quality
from woven rugs.
Each knot on a woven rug is hand tied.
But on a tufted rug, each loop is
created using a tool called a tufting gun.
The back of the rug is then coated with a latex glue which
holds the tufts in place, and usually there's
a cloth material sewn onto the back to cover up the glue.
If your rug has a material backing on it,
it's probably tufted, although some needle
points and hooked rugs have material on the back as well.
About 5% of the tufted-rug market
is very high end, custom-designed and custom-made
rugs with excellent fibers, dyes, and construction,
and these rugs are sold for thousands and sometimes
tens of thousands of dollars.
The other 95% are lower-end products
coming from India and China and sold
through large online retailers and megastores.
The great thing about these lower-end rugs
is that they make wool rugs very affordable,
but this affordability comes with a shorter lifespan
and an assortment of cleaning and use problems
because corners have been cut in order to produce them
at a lower price.
Here are some common issues with many tufted rugs.
First of all, many tufted-rug manufacturers,
primarily in India, mix powdered marble dust
in with the latex glue.
This filler weakens the glue and can
lead to premature cracking, powdering,
and delamination of the tufts.
The person with the tufting gun follows stencil marks
on the backing of the rug to create the patterns of the rug.
Sometimes those stencil marks aren't color fast,
and any type of liquid that reaches the backing of the rug,
including spills and even washing the rug,
can cause those marks to bleed through
to the surface fibers of the rugs, staining them,
often permanently.
Unfortunately, there really isn't any way
to know if the stencil marks on a rug are
color fast or not until you have a problem.
This is a manufacturing flaw, and any reputable manufacturer
of rugs should replace a rug with this type of problem.
This problem occurs most often from Chinese tufted-rug
manufacturers.
Sometimes the latex glue used in the manufacturing process
becomes sour or rotten.
This bad latex can cause serious odor issues
that can't be fixed.
Sometimes this odor is an issue when the rug is new,
and sometimes the problem shows up as the rug ages.
Again, this is a manufacturing flaw
that any reputable manufacturer should replace.
We see this problem most often in lower-priced tufted rugs
from India.
The other common odor issue can happen
with any type of latex rug as a result of pet stains.
Pet urine can soak into and combine
with the latex layer of the rug and can often
be impossible to remove.
Because the layer of latex doesn't let the floor
under the rug breathe, it is possible
for lower-end tufted rugs to have mildew on the cotton
backing of the rug.
This is especially true in humid areas.
This mildew can create an odor and can trigger allergies
in those with mildew sensitivity.
Rug pads can help prevent this problem.
The latex backing helps to give a tufted rug its shape.
As the latex breaks down, the rug can lose its shape
and buckle.
Buckling is more common in heavy-traffic areas,
if tufted rugs are placed on carpet instead of
on hard floors, and sometimes if heavy furniture
is placed on them.
Finally, as the latex breaks down,
it can discolor the flooring underneath the rug.
This discoloration can be permanent,
depending on the type of flooring
and the severity of the discoloration.
Rug pads can often help to prevent this problem.
Those are the most common tufted-rug issues
we see as rug washers, but most tufted rugs
are reasonably well-made and will provide years of service
if properly cared for.
The important thing to understand about tufted rugs
is that they are made quickly and have a shorter
life than a woven rug.
A woven rug may last hundreds of years,
while most tufted rugs may have a life of only 10 or even less.
Because of this, you might call them disposable rugs.
If you have immediate issues with powdering
on the floor, odor issues, or very heavy shedding
of the wool, then return or exchange those rugs right away.
Wool rugs are supposed to be washed,
and if the rug is in good shape and is relatively new,
a gentle immersion washing should be no problem.
If the rug is lightly soiled, surface cleaning
was standard carpet-cleaning equipment
can even be an option.
But if the tufted rug is dirty or has pet stains or urine,
it must be immersion washed because immersion washing is
the only way to get it truly clean all
the way through the foundation.
If the latex backing is weak, old, or delaminated however,
the rug may not stand up to even the most gentle
washing process.
If this happens, a repair is necessary.
This involves scraping off as much of the old latex
as possible, adding a layer of pure, undiluted, high-quality
latex, and replacing the material backing of the rug.
This can make the rug last longer,
but the cost of washing and repair
can often meet or exceed the price
of buying another tufted rug.
Tufted rugs can have sentimental value
or might be hard to replace, and for these reasons,
we immersion wash many tufted rugs
and we repair them as well.
If you'd like some advice on what
to do with your tufted rugs, give us a call
and we'll be happy to help you out.
And please let us know if you like this video.