Rugs and hardwood floors--overthinking it?

June 29, 2016 4:39 PM

We had the hardwood floors in our home refinished in October. Two coats of Swedish finish. We're about to put area rugs down. I know that by now the finish has cured. Should I use a pad under the area rugs? If so, is there any particular kind you would recommend and why?

The rugs we have are wool ones from Ikea, but the backing isn't wool--it's rougher stuff.

I'd hate to mar the finish. We're not super great about sweeping or vacuuming our floors as often as we should probably, so I was thinking dirt might get stuck under the rug and abrade things. I've also had an experience where a really cheap rug with a rough back totally wore patches through the finish on hardwood floor, so I'm feeling extra cautious.

Like I said, I might be overthinking this but I'd love your opinions.

posted by purple_bird to Home & Garden (7 answers total)

Best answer: Yes, you should use a pad. The thick felt kind is gentle on floors and feels great underfoot (or under-entire-lolling-carcass as it were).
posted by janell at 4:47 PM on June 29, 2016

Best answer: Pads not only protect the floor, but, more importantly, prevent your rugs from sliding around dangerously. I really like the IKEA sticky felt pads instead of the rubbery net style. The rubbery net ones sometimes half-life into the floor creating a sticky mess that's a pain to remove.
posted by quince at 6:40 PM on June 29, 2016 [5 favorites]

Best answer: Yes, definitely avoid the rubbery net. It completely ruined the finish under my rug.
posted by oxisos at 7:49 PM on June 29, 2016

Best answer: Rugs feel much more luxurious with a rug pad, and as you pointed out, grit sifting through the fibers can ruin the finish of your floors. A nice felt pad is entirely worth the cost.
posted by oneirodynia at 8:59 PM on June 29, 2016

Best answer: Highly recommend "dual felt rug pads." They are often on sale on Overstock.com. Far better than anything I've found at Ikea, Home Depot, Target and other local non-rug stores.
posted by apennington at 8:57 AM on June 30, 2016 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thank you all for your great answers, especially the advice about what kind to buy. I feel reassured that I'm not being overly cautious.
posted by purple_bird at 10:21 AM on June 30, 2016

Pads also protect the rugs. Walking on a rug that's lying on a hard floor creates more wear than walking on one with a pad under it. If you want the real deal, the best pads you can get, go with Ultimat. (I get them at my local carpet cleaner.) They're non-slip and they don't disintegrate like cheaper ones.
posted by booth at 8:22 AM on July 1, 2016 [1 favorite]