Area Rug To Cover Stains
So your cleaning lady just spilled an entire bucket of bleach across your newly installed carpet? Ouch! Of course you’ve probably already called the carpet’s manufacturer only to find to your dismay that bleach is not covered. Bleach along with several other very nasty liquids are not normally covered under most carpet stain resistance warranties. In the event that such a stain occurs, you may very well be on your own.
One remedy is to replace the damaged carpet. If the spill is located in a closet, or the corner of the room then you may be in luck. Depending upon the seam location, you may be able to replace the carpet with remnants left over from the install. If the spill is located in the middle of a roll width of carpet, then repairs could be costly.
You could cut out the damaged carpet and patch it with a remnant or close match. In some cases the result is acceptable, the patch barely noticeable. How obvious the patch appears will vary based upon the size of the repair, the style of carpet, and the color. Sometimes the resulting patch will be obvious and ugly.
You could also replace the entire length of carpet that the spill is located upon, or possibly just the full width spliced in. If the spill is particularly large or scattered haphazardly across a large area, then you may simply choose to re-carpet the entire room.
One option that doesn’t require costly repairs or color matching is to cover the spill with an area rug. This solution could potentially save you both time and money. It may also liven up the appearance of the room giving it a whole new look.
If you choose to cover the spill with an area rug, be prepared to face quite a few options. Area rugs come in all shapes and sizes. They can vary tremendously in both style and color. You can find everything from traditional area rugs to some very contemporary pieces. Price varies from as little as a few hundred dollars to thousands for a fine Fabrica rug made from silk.
When choosing an area rug, first figure out the size and shape needed. Will the rug extend underneath your sofa and past your coffee table? Do you require only a small rug near the doorway? Keep in mind that more traffic equals more maintenance. A runner along the length of the hall will take more abuse than a small rug in front of the fireplace.
Generally speaking, area rugs with patterns tend to hide dirt and wear better than plain rugs with solid colors. The color and pattern should compliment the room where you intend to place it. Standard sizes for rugs underneath a coffee table are 6’ X 9’ and 4’ X 6’. The rug should be large enough to contain all four corners of the table.
Area rugs placed below dining tables are typically eight feet wide. There should be enough room for the chairs to be pulled out and sat upon without leaving the rug area. If you plan to plop down an area rug in the center of the room, an 8’ X 11” will often be a good fit. Keep in mind that an area rug usually looks best in the center of a room when there are equal amounts of flooring exposed on all four sides.
One final item that we should mention is the importance of rug pads. Rug pads help keep an area rug positioned where you want it. They also absorb some of the wear and tear from foot traffic, make vacuuming easier, and help reduce noise. If you’re going to place an area rug upon hard flooring such as wood, a rug is necessary as it will protect the surface from scratches.
If you choose to cover your carpet stain with an area rug, we suggest shopping online first. Due to the low overhead of online rug stores, they are occasionally able to offer steep discounts, sometimes as generous as 50% and above. Their staffing costs are generally lower and they don’t need to pay the expensive rent and insurance that would be required if they operated at a mall for instance.
However you choose to deal with your carpet stain, keep harsh chemicals far away. Tell the cleaning lady that she’ll need to use something other than bleach next time.