What kind of rugs to use on wood floors

Join as a Pro. Houzz TV. Houzz Research. Looking for the perfect gift? Send a Houzz Gift Card! Best type of rug to protect hardwood floors in kitchen? Julie Drew 6 years ago. Email Save Comment Featured Answer. Like 6 Save. Sort by: Oldest. Newest Oldest. Its important to be sure kitchen rugs lie flat -- no curled up edges-- so no one trips. Like 2 Save. Like 1 Save. Sharon- Thanks for the follow. Of what you have received concerning your question so far, AFC Inc. The poster who claimed that the thicker the wood is, the harder it is, is totally incorrect.

So, lots of considerations here. Unless this existing floor is glued down on a slab of concrete no basement or other living level immediately below this one , the existing floor, if properly installed, is running as it should perpendicular to the existing joist system truss or solid or lam, no matter.

AFC is doing right by you here. You can run the new flooring at a 45 degree angle to the joists with no problem. Depending on the entire space that you would be covering, this may be an elegant design alternative I do notice a column with a face at 45 degrees to the camera lens in the background, so you could align with that.

Without seeing the entire layout, however, this one is a hard call. My tendency would be to suggest the angled installation as much more interesting, if it didn't create problems. Wood flooring installed on 45 degree angles to the space's walls will often serve to integrate the two legs of a large "L"-shaped space, or to eliminate any sense of the "bowling alley" syndrome in a long, narrow space.

So, on the 45 is definitely a great idea unless it creates other issues. In the kitchen, the wood will hold up fine. When it does show wear, as it will some day depending on your usage, you simply refinish it. If you buy prefinished wood, however, this can be a bit of an issue Some prefinished woods are basically impregnated with ceramic powder to make them harder and more resilient.

This is an over-simplification of the actual chemical processes involved, but you get the idea. The sellers of pre-finished wood often want to sell the most durable thing they can This creates problems, however, and I know all about them having been installing these things for 23 years.

The impregnated floors, particularly, are subject to uneven color changes If a manufacturer tells you this will not happen, do some research to really find out from them why they say that. Brazilian cherry has two innate characteristics It darkens. The last time I put in Brazilian Cherry, the client literally agreed not to put any furniture on it for 8 weeks, and no rugs on it for a year. At the end of the year, even though they were at their limits of trust of me at the start, they couldn't thank me enough.

We put down one little test patch of fabric in a place that would not be seen, and what we got after the year was something akin to the difference between fluffy white clouds and dark storm clouds. Both clouds, but so different in presentation and color it is hard to imagine they are both made of water, just at different densities.

Beware Brazilian Cherry darkening tremendously with age, especially early in life. Also, the decision to put in the tile in the kitchen has many more ramifications and potential affecting criteria than we can address here, but certainly it is an option.

I would want to talk to you about that one directly, and would be happy to if you happen to live in the DC area. And regarding another's post, running on the diagonal does create a bit more waste and higher labor not that much , but unless those increases blow your budget, I don't see that as reason to not do it And it is wood And your installer probably has mouths to feed ; Anyway, hope this bit of perspective helps.

Feel free to right back with any direct questions, or, if you do live around DC, please feel free to contact my work number. Regards, Jim. What is best hardwood floor for kitchen and livingroom Q. White Oak with 3 coats of poly would work great. There are some finishes like Bona Traffic that would give an added level of protection.

Here are some pictures of floors we recently made for other Houzz users. Let me know if you have any questions. Protecting Hardwood Floors Q. I tried the leather but that made the chairs which are heavy oak hard to move. For example, if shopping a rug for under kitchen dining table , you should buy a rug size which fits the seating area. Rugs comes in many shapes like round, rectangle and runner among others.

For example, the most ideal rug choice for a kitchen island is a runner. Pick one of these best kitchen runners for hardwood floors. A rug placed on top of wood floors must be regularly vacuumed or cleaned in other ways often like once a week. Failure to clean the rug you will end up with a huge build-up of dirt, debris and spills which will slip through to the floors ending up damaging them. The type of backing used on the rug or rug pad is very important.

You should avoid latex rubber backings because they have poor air circulation, trap moisture and leave stains on your wood floors. The most recommended backings for wood floors are those made from felt or a combination of felt and rubber. You must consider where the wood floors are when choosing an area rug. For example, if they are in high traffic areas like entryways , kitchen and wood decks , then you will have to choose the right rug which will handle that amount of traffic, wear and tear while still providing durability.

A rug safe for hardwood floors is the one which will meet the factors above. Below are some of the best recommendations;. Water is a great enemy of hardwood floors. It will easily cause rotting, development of pests and pungent smells like mildew. Rugs or rug pads with latex and rubber backing are what you should avoid. Instead go for rugs with felt or felt rubber backing.

Wool : It is durable, easy to clean, warm and comes in many styles and designs to choose from. Cotton : It is highly durable and comes in a wide variety of designs and styles to choose from. Natural fiber : There are many types of natural fiber rugs like jute , Seagrass and sisal among others.

They are made from natural materials which means they do not have chemical treatments which will damage or stain your floors. These types of rugs are also handmade, a feature which makes them very durable.

Synthetic fiber : This is the opposite of natural rugs because they are machine-made rugs manufactured in factories. Polypropylene and Nylon are the most recommended rug materials in this category. The country a rug is manufactured in will help to inform its quality and durability. These budget pads can react with the polyurethane finish which can potentially permanently discolor the floor.

Synthetic Latex - Performs well in the short term. Clay fillers are often blended with the latex which reduces manufacturing costs; however, Clay has a tendency to dry out leaving behind a pile of rubber flakes. True rubber pads offer non-stick grip to the flooring surface. This pad will work best on larger rugs which would anchor the pad as it lacks the grip of rubber.

This material offers the highest density and best underfoot comfort. Often made from recycled materials these can also be an eco-friendly option. You are getting the benefit of the cushioned protection of the felt with the gripping attributes of the rubber. In conclusion, PVC pads are not recommended for use over hardwood floors.

Synthetic Latex is a satisfactory option for short-term use but will cost more in the long term due to replacements. Natural Rubber is a great eco-friendly choice with great performance and suitable for any size rugs.

Felt Pads offers additional comfort but is only suitable for larger area rugs due to the lack of grip.