Hand Woven vs. Tufted - What’s the Difference?! - Prescott AZ
I’m Ruthie with Arizona Oriental & Specialty Rug Care and there are two types of rugs that we see come into our shop a lot - Hand woven and tufted rugs. Most people don’t really know the difference between the two, so I thought I would talk about that difference with you all today!
The easiest way to tell a handwoven rug apart from a tufted rug is to look at the back. Does it have a piece of fabric covering the back of it or can you see the pattern through to the back? If you can’t see the pattern on the back of the rug because there is a piece of fabric over it, then you have a tufted rug. Why? It has to do with how the rugs are made!
Hand woven rugs, as the name implies, are done by weavers that create knots around foundation fibers by hand. These foundation fibers, called warp and weft yarns, are typically made from either wool or cotton. When you take good care of these rug, they can last through many generations, especially if they have been well-made.
Tufted rugs aren’t necessarily “cheap” rugs, but it’s important to understand that they lack the structural integrity of a hand woven rug. Instead of knotting the tufts of wool, they are instead pushed through a mesh foundation with a tufting tool into the design. Once that is done, a layer of latex glue is applied to hold everything in place, followed by a piece of fabric laid over everything to give it a finished look.
Most tufted rugs have a lifespan of about 10 years. Latex glue isn’t meant to last forever and it will dry and crack over time. If you find a white powder that’s sitting beneath your rug, then that means the glue is breaking down. At this point, you have two options available to you – replacement or restoration. When you restore a tufted rug, the backing is removed and the dried latex glue is scraped off. A new layer of glue and a new piece of fabric are then put on the back. If you can’t (or don’t want to) find a replacement rug and would rather continue to enjoy the rug that you have loved for years, Arizona Oriental does offer the repairs necessary to restore your rug.
Till next time, enjoy your beautiful art for your floor and remember a clean rug is a rug that will last much longer than a neglected, highly soiled rug.
Arizona Oriental and Specialty Rug Care serves Prescott, Prescott Valley, Sedona and much of the Northern Arizona areas. We meet the highest standards in professional cleaning of area rugs with rug wash specialists having earned the highest training which includes certification as WOOLSAFE FIBRE CARE SPECIALISTS through the WOOLSAFE ORGANISATION. Such extraordinary certification ensures the area rugs of our client’s receive the utmost in care.
If you are looking for more information about the difference between tufted and woven rugs call Arizona Oriental at 928-445-1718, visit our website at www.ArizonaOriental.com, or stop by Monday through Friday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm at our rug washing facility at 565 EZ Street, Prescott, AZ 86301 (pick-up and delivery also available). (07-18-17)
