I get a surprising number of emails asking whether or not I use rug pads or non-slip rug grippers. Up until a few weeks ago, the answer was no. I’ve never liked cushy rug pads for the sake of padding alone. For me, they make vacuuming more difficult and I feel like they’re just one more thing to collect and hold dust. And the good ones are expensive!
As far as non-slip pads go, most of the larger area rugs in my home either have a built-in, non-slip backing (living room sisal, boys’ Flor tiles) or are anchored by such substantial pieces of furniture (dining room kilim, master bedroom jute) which render rugs pads unnecessary. The shag rug in the living room is layered over sisal which has a textured surface that holds the shag rug in place. The cotton and jute rug in Mabrey’s room rests directly on the wood floor. When I first bought the nursery rug, I was sure we would need a pad of some sort to keep it from shifting so I was happy to discover that it stays put. I think it’s because the room is so small and doesn’t see a ton of foot traffic. The 4′ x 6′ sisal in the entry has a built-in, non-slip backing.
I don’t use a pad / gripper under the kilim near the kitchen desk – nor under the Persian rug near the kitchen sink. The kitchen is a high traffic, high mess area so I’m frequently taking the rugs outside to shake out crumbs and dirt. A gripper would keep them from shifting but I don’t want them stuck to the floor. I tried the cheap mesh grippers that you can cut to size but found them completely useless. They bunched up and only stuck to themselves. If we had elderly people in our household then I would consider anchoring the rugs properly (or forgoing them all together) but we don’t find them to be tripping hazards. We’re all subconsciously aware that they’re here, I guess.
The only rug that has given us problems is the seagrass runner in the hallway. (Btw, do you call it a hall or a hallway?) It has a cloth backing and due to all the traffic it sees, it shifted easily. I was constantly repositioning it and, more than once, it posed a tripping / falling hazard. Since the only functioning bathroom is the master, we and our guests have to walk down the hallway to use the restroom. Most OH SH@#! moments occurred as someone was exiting our bedroom and entering the hallway. I called it rug surfing. Fearing someone would inevitably experience a full on wipeout, I finally bought some gripper tape to keep the rug in place.
After measuring my runner, I bought two boxes of rug gripper.
I removed the runner from the hallway. I vacuumed the floor then wiped it down thoroughly with Bona and a microfiber cloth to ensure the gripper tape would have a clean surface to adhere to.
While the floor was drying, I vacuumed the underside of the runner. Preparing clean surfaces for the gripper tape is essential.
I applied the gripper tape around the perimeter of the (backside of the) rug then ran an extra line down the middle for added adhesion. This used up the majority of the two boxes of tape.
I removed the yellow backing from the tape then carefully put the runner in place and walked around on it to press the tape to the floor. Easy!
The rug has been in place with the aide of the gripper tape for over a month now. It hasn’t budged. Not even with kids running wild and weekly vacuuming. If you’re curious, I vacuum the rug weekly and use an attachment tool to vacuum the narrow space between the rug’s border and baseboards.
While we’ve had great success with the tape, the reviews are all over the place and, from what I can tell, results vary depending on the type of flooring and rug. It doesn’t look like it works well on carpet or on rugs with highly textured backing. But with our wood floors and fairly smooth cloth backing? Two thumbs up. Even so, I expect the tape will need to be replaced at some point in the future. But if it keeps people from wiping out in the hallway then I’m all for it. (FYI – I used this same rug tape in our previous home under a small rug in the entry. We had hardwood flooring in the entry. When we were preparing to move, I took up the rug and tape and there were a few sticky spots of residual adhesive but they cleaned up with a little Murphy’s oil soap and elbow grease. There was no damage to the wood floors.)
What about you? Are rug pads / gripper tape necessary in your home? Is there a particular pad you would recommend? Oh! In case you’re wondering, the seagrass runner is from Overstock. I love the texture it brings to the bland hallway. I can’t wait to add art to the walls.
P.S. – See who won the ShoeMint giveaway here. I added sources for my entire outfit since so many of you asked.
budget decor, DIY, housekeeping