FAQ's, frequently asked questions

The lighter they are, the easier they are to carry. Seriously though, we will offer almost every collection from a manufacturer or other vendor who meets our criteria for 1) Quality of product and service, 2) Uniqueness of product in colors and designs, 3) Availability of product and quick-ship capability.

RugSmart offers free shipping and no tax plus we guarantee you will love your rug or we will exchange it at no cost. 

Approximately 40% of our rugs are machine-made or power loomed in order to meet the lower price points or to meet the necessary technical characteristics for wear and cleaning capability. About 10% of our rugs are flat woven, needlepunch, hook and hand-knotted. The remaining 50% are hand-tufted and offer a huge value for a wool rug at very affordable prices.

RugSmart offers free shipping and no tax plus we guarantee you will love your rug or we will exchange it at no cost. 

The intended use and size of the room will dictate the rug size. Sometimes, the customer’s personal taste and/or budget will be the determinate factor. Dining rooms almost always take an 8x11 or larger but never closer to the wall than two feet. Living rooms vary starting from a 5x8 all the way up to 15x18. The side of the rug can end just before the sofa or under the front two legs or under the entire sofa. The same can be said for bedrooms. Kitchens, hallways and entrance foyers all have different parameters.

RugSmart offers free shipping and no tax plus we guarantee you will love your rug or we will exchange it at no cost.

Generally, it is what “floats your boat” as long as it looks right. For instance, a five foot round rug with a third or half of it going under the bed would look strange.

RugSmart offers free shipping and no tax plus we guarantee you will love your rug or we will exchange it at no cost.

You can tell it anything you want but it will not listen. Seriously though, this reminds me of a rug training I gave about 15 years ago when I asked the attendees the same question. One nice young lady answered by saying “Just look at the price tag. The more expensive it is, the better the quality”. Not a bad answer at all once you think about it. However, in the absence of pricing, there is a very sound way. With rugs of the same fiber (either polypropylene or wool etc), rug designs that are more precise in detail and clarity will be a better quality and a higher cost because they require more fiber per square foot and will be much slower in the manufacturing process. This is true of both machine-made and hand-made rugs. Comparing rugs with different fiber contents is somewhat similar but depends a lot more on the use and aesthetic requirements of the consumer. At that point, it is up to the salesperson to explain the features of each fiber and the benefits it offers to the consumer.

RugSmart offers free shipping and no tax plus we guarantee you will love your rug or we will exchange it at no cost.

If four different families with the same house, same number of occupants and age, same everything and same room needing a rug, they would all select different rugs with different designs, construction and price points. However, the most important consideration is always about color and design. Assistance from the salesperson or Customer Service for a website can be very helpful.

RugSmart offers free shipping and no tax plus we guarantee you will love your rug or we will exchange it at no cost..

Rugs for outdoor use should be made using the polypropylene fiber or bamboo. Neither is affected by the rain, temperature or sun.

RugSmart offers free shipping and no tax plus we guarantee you will love your rug or we will exchange it at no cost.

Ask your pets. How would I know what they like.However, if I had, dogs, cats gophers, groundhogs or other animals that like to dig and scratch and if I wanted to buy a rug, I would be guided by the two most important items of a rug – the fiber and whether it was a loop pile or a cut pile.

The very best fiber is polypropylene because it is an absolutely solid fiber and has no pores in the fiber strands as do all other fibers whether synthetic like nylon or natural like wool. The pores in the fiber is what absorbs the urine, smells and stains.

A loop pile rug can be disastrous. A loop pile gets caught in the nails of the pet and the rug will have “pulls” in it. A cut pile rug will not be easily prone to this problem.

RugSmart offers free shipping and no tax plus we guarantee you will love your rug or we will exchange it at no cost.

Refer to my answer regarding pets.

RugSmart offers free shipping and no tax plus we guarantee you will love your rug or we will exchange it at no cost.

Traditional rugs, Silly.

Up until about 1980 hand-knotted rugs in traditional designs dominated the rug industry and represented in my opinion about 85% of the market. With the advent of 5-color rug looms to make much less expensive rugs and also the introduction of hand- tufted and gun-tufted rugs that were positioned cost-wise between the hand-knotted and machine-made rugs, the dominance of traditional designs sank in today’s market to, probably, about 15% of the market. Hand-knotted rugs still to this day are almost entirely made in the classic traditional designs.

RugSmart offers free shipping and no tax plus we guarantee you will love your rug or we will exchange it at no cost.

Predominately, machine-made rugs. A very good percentage of “hand-tufted” rugs are made in contemporary designs.

RugSmart offers free shipping and no tax plus we guarantee you will love your rug or we will exchange it at no cost.

Rugs are normally categorized in this day and age as “Outdoor” by manufacturers and suppliers on their websites. Many of these rugs will contain that notation in the rug’s label on the back of the rug. Many of them are well suited in color and design for use indoors. Many are level loop rugs while others have a cut pile. The construction of the rug whether woven or tufted does not matter very much. Polypropylene/olefin would be the best fiber for the surface yarn.

RugSmart offers free shipping and no tax plus we guarantee you will love your rug or we will exchange it at no cost.

The comparison of low pile versus high pile rugs has to be considered under two types of comparison. The first comparison would be if both have a cut pile. A low pile rug will clean a little faster, show less wear and the design will always appear sharper.

With pets the low pile will clean up better, faster and with much less effort. The second comparison would be between a woven loop pile versus a tufted cut pile whereby the features in the first comparison still apply. However, if the cut pile is very low and dense comparable to the loop pile, the cut pile would have the advantage in clarity of design and a much bigger advantage if pets are considered.

For use in the kitchen, dining room or with older citizens or those who have to use a walker or wheelchair, a low pile rug is preferable.

For luxuriousness and comfort, a higher pile is always preferable. For those who like a sharp, detailed design, whether hand-knotted or tufted or machine-made, the lower the pile the better the result.

RugSmart offers free shipping and no tax plus we guarantee you will love your rug or we will exchange it at no cost.

Many determinations affect the choice of the rug’s pile. Consideration has to be given to color, price point, trends and consumers’ end use. The same color can vary greatly from one fiber to another such as with wool, polyester and nylon and there is also polypropylene/olefin, cotton, viscose and acrylic. All these fibers vary in cost and, thus, influence the price. Trends with designers or a void in a manufacturer’s offerings will influence the choice of a fiber.

RugSmart offers free shipping and no tax plus we guarantee you will love your rug or we will exchange it at no cost.

A small percentage of animal designs are made from animal skins and they are usually in the 3x5, 4x6 and 5x8 sizes. The great majority are machine-made in all sizes up to 5x8. Depending on the design, some manufacturers offer sizes up to 9x13. Various types of fibers are used in the machine-made animal design rugs from wool to many of the synthetic fibers.

RugSmart offers free shipping and no tax plus we guarantee you will love your rug or we will exchange it at no cost.

A rug pad should absolutely be used under a rug; not a carpet pad. Carpet padding will slide around. A rug pad will not slide and will keep the rug in its place.

There is a distinct difference in the feel of a rug that has a pad compared to a rug with no pad. The comfort of a pad can be felt.

The pad also protects the rug from traffic so that the fibers are not constantly crushed against the hard surface beneath it. This is especially true with chairs plus table and sofa legs.

Very specific pads are for use over carpeting; either the type that sticks to the carpet which is never recommended or the type that prevents movement without the use of a sticky substance.

For use over a hard surface such as wood or tile, various pads are available in different materials and constructions all of which affect the price. Your rug salesperson or website can explain the features and benefits of the different types.

RugSmart offers free shipping and no tax plus we guarantee you will love your rug or we will exchange it at no cost.

It makes no difference. Just make sure a rug pad is used and make sure you know the difference in rug pads.

A rug pad should absolutely be used under a rug; not a carpet pad. Carpet padding will slide around. A rug pad will not slide and will keep the rug in its place.

There is a distinct difference in the feel of a rug that has a pad compared to a rug with no pad. The comfort of a pad can be felt.

The pad also protects the rug from traffic so that the fibers are not constantly crushed against the hard surface beneath it. This is especially true with chairs plus table and sofa legs.

Very specific pads are for use over carpeting; either the type that sticks to the carpet which is never recommended or the type that prevents movement without the use of a sticky substance.

For use over a hard surface such as wood or tile, various pads are available in different materials and constructions all of which affect the price. Your rug salesperson or website can explain the features and benefits of the different types.

RugSmart offers free shipping and no tax plus we guarantee you will love your rug or we will exchange it at no cost.

If the rug is not really dirty but needs to be “refreshed”, rent a cleaning machine but do not use any detergent . Plain water id sufficient. A detergent is extremely difficult for a homeowner to rinse away and, if there is any residue, it will attract and retain any soiling.

For rugs that really need to be cleaned, professional cleaning companies generally charge $2.00 per square foot which has to be evaluated as to whether or not that they clean the rug. If the homeowner decides to clean the rug, great care must be taken to properly remove the detergent if one is used. Plain water should be tried first. If the rug’s fiber is polypropylene/olefin, hosing it down on the driveway would work. A very important point to consider when cleaning a rug is to make sure it dries thoroughly front and back to avoid mildew and mold. Letting it dry outside on a warm summer day is the easiest way to dry the rug.

RugSmart offers free shipping and no tax plus we guarantee you will love your rug or we will exchange it at no cost.

Frequently, as needed determined by family activity.

RugSmart offers free shipping and no tax plus we guarantee you will love your rug or we will exchange it at no cost.

It would totally fade away if stolen!

The sun will anything from concrete to wood flooring to upholstery to rugs except for rugs made with the polypropylene/olefin fiber. Polypropylene/olefin is mixed with the dye in the molten stage making the color an integral part of the fiber and unable to fade. All other synthetic and natural fibers will fade from the sun.

RugSmart offers free shipping and no tax plus we guarantee you will love your rug or we will exchange it at no cost.