Sedona AZ - The Easiest Way to Spot the Difference Between Hand Woven and Tufted Rugs
Here at Arizona Oriental & Specialty Rug Care, we see a lot of two types of area rugs - handwoven and tufted. Most people don’t really know the difference between the two, so I thought I would take a moment to explain the difference to you all today!
The easiest way to tell a handwoven rug apart from a tufted rug is to look at the back. If you can’t see the pattern on the back of the rug because there is a piece of fabric covering it, then you have a tufted rug. This has to do with how the rug is manufactured.
Hand woven rugs, as the name implies, are created by weavers who tie knots around foundation fibers by hand. These foundation fibers, called warp and weft yarns, are usually either made from wool or cotton. A well-made, hand woven rug can last through many generations if they are properly taken care of!
Tufted rugs aren’t necessarily “cheap” rugs, but you need to understand that they lack the structural integrity of a hand woven rug. The tufts of wool are not knotted but are instead pushed through a mesh foundation with a tufting tool.. Once the desired pattern has been created, a layer of latex glue is applied to hold everything in place, followed by a piece of fabric laid over everything to give the rug a finished look.
Because latex glue isn’t meant to last forever, most tufted rugs have a lifespan of about 10 years. Latex will crack and dry over time and if you find a white powder sitting beneath your rug, it means the glue in your rug is breaking down. At this point, you have two options available to you – replacement or restoration. To restore a tufted rug, the backing needs to first be removed and the dried latex glue need to be scraped off. Then a new layer of fresh latex glue and a new backing can be laid over the back. If finding a replacement rug isn’t an option and you would rather continue to enjoy the rug you have loved for years, Arizona Oriental does offer the repairs necessary to restore your tufted area 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 Sedona, Prescott, Prescott Valley, 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). (08-18-17)
