types of rug construction.
while hand-knotted rugs are the most prestigious and well-known rug construction, the majority of rugs made today are less expensive alternatives. the following will help you understand more about the 5 most common construction types, including their respective durability, defining characteristics, and how they are made.
characteristics - Most prestigious, high quality rug construction. Great durability. Minimal shedding compared to hand-tufted rugs. The more knots per square foot, the more valuable the rug.
process- A weaver sits behind a loom and hand ties individual knots onto the vertical strings seen on the backside of a rug. The resulting face of the rugs is then sheared to a predetermined height to give the pile uniformity.
how to identify - The backside of a rug is the easiest way to distinguish its construction. The back of a hand-knotted rug shows individual knots and the overall design and colors of the rug’s surface.
characteristics - More affordable alternative to hand-knotted rugs. Larger looped rugs create a plush, heavily textured rug while smaller loops allow for greater detail in pattern and interesting texture. A nearly unlimited variety of patterns, colors, and textures can be constructed.
process - Hooked rugs are made by tufting loops of yarn or fabric through a stiff woven base such as burlap, linen, or rug warp which has been stretched over a frame. The design is printed on the base fabric, and the loops of yarn are pushed through the fabric (similar to the process for hand-tufting).
how to identify - The backside of a rug is the easiest way to distinguish its construction. A canvas backing is applied to hooked rugs with an adhesive to hold the yarns together – similar to hand-tufted rugs.
characteristics - A flat-weave’s most defining characteristic is their lack of base material. Common fibers in flat-weave include wool, jute, and cotton. Great durability and toughness.
process - The fiber itself is braided or woven onto a loom to create the structure of the rug – no base material is used so the pile is thin.
how to identify - The backside of a rug is the easiest way to distinguish its construction. Being reversible, a flat-weave’s “backside” will appear the same as its “front”.
characteristics - More affordable alternative to hand-knotted rugs. Quality and price depends mainly on what fiber is used. Life span ranges from about 3-10 years. A nearly unlimited variety of patterns, colors, and textures can be constructed.
process - Hand-tufted rugs are made using a “tufting-gun”: a hand-operated tool that punches strands of fiber into a canvas stretched on a frame. The design of the rug is drawn on the canvas, and the craftsperson fills in the pattern with the appropriately colored fiber. This process forms a looped pile, and if left uncut the rug is referred to as hand-hooked. If the loops are sheared off to create a cut-pile look, it is referred to as hand-tufted. When the rug design is fully piled the rug is removed from the frame and a scrim fabric is glued to the back of the rug. Once the glue is settled the scrim backing helps to hold the fiber pile in place.
how to identify - The backside of a rug is the easiest way to distinguish its construction. A canvas backing is applied to hand-tufted rugs with an adhesive to hold the yarns together.
characteristics - Usually the most affordable rug construction. Common fibers in power-loomed rugs include synthetic yarns like polyester, polypropylene, and nylon. A computer dictates texture, design, and color so there is little chance of production error. Unlike all other constructions, power-loomed rugs have distinctive production restrictions. In a power-loomed collection, rugs are restricted to a particular set of colors once in production.
process - Large machines have hundreds of spindles of fiber that are mechanically woven into a thin mesh backing. The machine is computer driven and runs continuously to maximize efficiency.
how to identify - The backside of a rug is the easiest way to distinguish its construction. Like hand-knotted rugs, you can see the design/colors on the back of a machine made rug, but it has a coarse latex backing that secures it in place.
other rug construction techniques and processes.
hand-carved.
the carving of lines or design patterns in a rug during the finishing process to create texture and dimension giving the rug a greater apparent value. It is analogous to shaving.
heat-setting.
This refers to a stage in the yarn production process whereby two or more yarn fibers are twisted together and then heated to ensure the yarns remain joined, permitting greater design flexibility and appearance retention. Heat set yarns are often used in indoor/outdoor rugs.