What Is A Hand Tufted Rug

Although some of the rugs we carry are actually hand loom woven on antique looms, most of the area rugs we carry at Natural Rug Co are either hand tufted or machine tufted rugs, so we thought we'd give you a little insight as to the construction and benefits of them.

 

 

Hand-tufted rugs use high quality fibers so the finished product looks and wears much like a hand-knotted rug. Unlike a hand-knotted rug though, a hand-tufted rug is created without tying knots. Making a hand-tufted area rug takes a fraction of the time to make, therefore greatly reducing the cost. As a result, hand-tufted rugs are very affordable area rugs.

Hand-tufted rugs are made with a tool called a "tufting gun." Loops of fiber are pushed through a backing. When the rug maker is through with this process another foundation, called a scrim (a strong piece of fabric of other material) is applied with glue. This holds the tufts in place. When this dries, a final protective backing is applied.

The last step is to shear the rug so that all of the loops on the top of the rug are cut, which in turn creates the pile. 

Hand-tufted rugs can withstand high traffic, and will begin to wear out after 12 to 20 years of use. 

Machine tufted rugs also use high quality fibers and the finished product has great durability. Machine made rugs are made by large machines called power looms. They don't take as long to create as a hand tufted rug and therefore are very economical area rugs to purchase. A high quality machine made rug can last for many years if it is well maintained. Machine-made rugs can withstand high traffic, and will begin to wear out after 12 to 20 years of use.

High traffic areas include hallways, family room and entryway. Medium traffic areas include the dining room and home office. Low traffic areas include bedrooms and formal living rooms.