Yes, you can put a rug on top of your carpet! Whether it is to protect your carpet or cover up a stain, you can pop a rug on top of your carpet without getting a call from the style police!
We have a few tips that will help you place a rug on top of your carpet and why you should put a rug on your carpet.
First off, carpet cleaning is expensive, especially if you have them professionally cleaned.
By placing a rug on your carpet, you protect it from stains or damages that can be expensive to repair.
If you have carpet by your dining table or where you eat, a rug underneath can save you the trouble of trying to remove spaghetti stains from a cream carpet!
Popping a rug over your carpet can also add a pop of color to the room or change up the style! If you are renting and unable to change the carpet, adding a rug is an excellent way to add your style to the room.
It can also be worth doing if the carpet in your rented home is damaged or worn, and you can prevent further damage from occurring and enjoy your own style in the room.
If you are in the process of redecorating and aren’t able to change the carpet, adding a rug will allow you to give the room a new lease of life.
It's amazing what a brightly colored rug on a light carpet will do to the room!
When choosing a rug, you will want to pay attention to its texture. Rugs usually work best over looped or short pile carpets.
If you have one of these, you can place a thick and luxurious rug that will give the room an elegant feel.
For those with more plush carpets, you can opt for a low-profile Berber or woven rug. These will be best suited for the carpet and won’t be too heavy for them.
The last thing you want is to put a rug on your carpet that isn’t properly supported! No one wants a rug that will shift or wrinkle!
You will also want to pay attention to the size of the rug. Small rugs floating in the room that don’t touch any furniture can look awkward and a little cheap.
You want the rug to be scaled to the size of the room, regardless of what’s under the rug! Where possible, you want the legs of your furniture to be placed on the rug to provide cohesion, especially in living rooms.
Measure your area and find the largest rug you can to fit the space.
Consider the pattern and color of the carpet too. It's best to avoid mixing patterns and go with one per room. If you have a plain carpet, you can opt for a patterned rug. For those with patterned carpets, go for a plain colored rug.
You don’t want the floor to look too busy! Opt for colors that will work well within the room too.
Whether to cover up a carpet that no longer matches or to give your room a breath of fresh air, you want the colors to be the best possible ones for the room!
Consider all of these factors when deciding whether to place a rug over your carpet or not.
Will A Rug Damage Carpet?
You can breathe a sigh of relief, as a rug should not damage your carpet! Providing that the rug isn’t too heavy for your carpet, it should be fine and not damage the carpet.
However, there are a few factors that you need to be aware of before placing a rug on a carpet.
The first is that it does not have a stable foundation when a rug is on a carpet. Unlike wooden flooring, carpets have far more give in them and are typically less stable.
Have you ever noticed how your foot sinks slightly when you stand on a squishy carpet?
That's because of the foundation! So when you stand on the rug on the carpet, you will compress the carpet fibers, which will then decompress as you lift your foot and move away.
What this does is push against the rug, causing it to move on the floor. You will find yourself needing to regularly adjust and reposition the rug throughout the day, especially in high-traffic areas like walkways.
These areas where rugs are frequently stood on can also get stretched out of shape and start to look unsightly.
Suddenly your attempt to cover up an ugly carpet has been thwarted! Finally, your rug will bunch up and become a tripping hazard!
You will need to be careful with rugs on carpets, especially if you aren’t the most steady on your feet.
To prevent your rug from moving on top of your carpet, place a rug pad underneath the rug. This can help to give the rug a stable foundation, preventing the carpet from moving the rug.
You can purchase these in various ways; just be sure the one you select is the best for your carpet.
Some cheaper plastic mats can leak chemicals that will discolor and damage the carpet; where possible, look for those made with natural materials, like natural rubber.
Another issue to be aware of is cleaning your rug. If you use a steam cleaner to clean your rug and carpet (or hire an unqualified cleaner), you could damage the rug and carpet!
If the fibers of your rug get wet, you run the risk of colors bleeding and transferring to the carpet below.
Where possible, you will want to clean and dry the rug away from the carpet to avoid this happening.
Also, if the rug doesn’t dry fast enough, mold can grow between the rug and carpet! To avoid this, you will want to ensure that your rug is completely dry before placing it back onto your carpet.
You can also hire a professional carpet cleaner to steam clean your carpet and rug.
They will know what they are doing and work to ensure that your rug and carpet don’t get damaged in the process!
