How to Stop Rugs From Slipping on Carpet Or Hard Floors
Tips on How to Stop your Rugs from Slipping Around
Floor Rugs and Door Mats are used for a variety of reasons in a variety of places. Whether it be for comfort, aesthetics or for the wiping of feet, they almost always have a tendency to move or slip around. Size and weight plays huge role in this, as the heavier and larger the Rug the less chance there is for them to move. Not everyone can cater to a huge and heavy Rug though, or it may just not fit in the area, and so in this FAQ we will be discussing ways to stop your Rugs from slipping!
Rugs Slipping on Carpets
Generally, placing your Rug or Door Mat on a Carpeted area can present the most difficulty in terms of preventing movement. This is due to the fact that all Carpets have a pile, and this pile makes it much harder to prevent the movement of a Rug placed on top of it. Due to the fact that the top surface of the Carpet is above the base of the hard floor, the area forms air voids which are compressed down when walked on. This is the main cause for movement of Rugs and Mats on top of Carpeted areas.
Carpet will always move in one direction when compressed, so when a Floor Area Rug or Door Mat is placed on top and walked on, the pile of the Carpet moves sideways, usually making the Rug move with it. The taller the pile the more chance of this movement to occur, but if the pile is very dense then the sideways movement can be reduced. Figuring out the density of your Carpet can be a great first step to solving the problem of Rugs moving around a lot.
Area Rugs Slipping on Hard Floors
Out of all the kinds of flooring, hard floors are by far the easiest to control slippage. Glossy tiles usually represent the most slippery flooring, followed by wood, non-gloss tiles and then vinyl. Keeping this in mind can be key to dealing with Rugs that keep moving around in your home. One of the biggest problems with hard floors, however, is that people usually like Rugs that have a smooth backing to prevent scratching, which if its thin or light will allow it to slip very easily.
The movement of Mats and Rugs are a huge problem especially when considering safety, and for this reason alone many manufacturers make Floor Mats and Area Rugs with a Rubber backing already built in. This Rubber backing is designed to prevent slipping without the use of a secondary product, and can be very helpful in high traffic areas that have a glossy or slippery hard floor. Rubber backing can be a problem in and of itself however, as some types of Rubber can harden and deteriorate over time if they are maintained incorrectly. Some good base rules to remember is to use cold water when washing them out and to let them dry in the shade. Do not use warm water and do not leave it in the sun to dry, as this can make the Rubber backing deteriorate much quicker.
How to Stop Rugs Moving on Carpet
When it comes to stopping Rugs moving around on Carpeted Floors, there are a few different types of products available on the market. ScatterMats stock and recommend one very specific type of underlay, based on many years of feedback from our customers as well as self-trials. We recommend the Self-adhesive Foam Rug Underlay as one of, if not the, best way to go to prevent Rugs moving on Carpet Flooring.
This Rug Underlay for Carpet is made with a special dry adhesive that will adhere to any surface, and is placed on the underside of your Mat or Rug before being placed on to the Carpeted floor. This will stick it down and stop it from moving as much as possible. This product is available in 60cm and 180cm wide, and is really ideal for Hallway Runner Rugs or Event Runners, but can also be used with multiple lengths to cover Floor Area Rugs too. When determining specifically how much is needed to cover the Runner and stop it from slipping, try and aim to cover around 75% or more. This will generally be enough to stop your Runners from moving around too much, but this may change depending on other factors such as foot traffic.
Total Grip Rug Underlay is a must if your Door Mats, Hallway Rugs or Kid's Rugs are moving around too much. This is a white foam Rug Underlay material which is available in 3 Pre-made sizes of 110x180cm, 180x220cm and 180x270cm. This is the same product as is recommended above, but cut into general Floor Area Rug sizes. We strongly recommend this for maximum control of movement, as it covers the majority of your problem Rug or Mat.
Premium Rug Lock Rug Underlay Video Demonstration
For Instructions on How to Use this product see this video below
Solution for Rugs moving on Hard floors
To STOP Rugs from moving around on hard flooring, we recommend a Rubber product called Anti-slip Matting or Rubber Grip Rug Underlay. This product is only suitable for hard floors and is not self-adhesive like the previous product. The Rubber Underlay is dimpled and open to allow air to circulate and to prevent moisture trapping under the Rug. This Non-slip Matting is placed under the Floor Rug, ideally covering as much of the Rug as possible. If you find that the Rug moves off the Matting, then you can spot glue it to the back of the Area Rug using a craft glue.
Anti-Slip Rubber Grip Pad Rug Underlay
This is a White Rubber Rug Grip Rug Underlay material which is available in 3 pre-made sizes of approximately 110x160cm, 150x220cm and 180x280cm. This also comes in lengths of 75cm or 180cm wide, which can be used for Runners. We strongly recommend to make your Rug Non Slip, as the safety of you and your loved ones or employees is paramount. Just place it under your Mat or Rug and then lay your Rug down and that's it!
Rug Grip Rubber Rug Underlay Video Demonstration
For Instructions on How to Use this product see this video below
The ScatterMats team have used all these products on varying types of surfaces and they all perform extremely well. But as with everything, sometimes a 100% fix is not attainable. The best bet is to try and see if any of the above work, or ask a Sales Representative if they have any additional tips.