Buying rugs, especially silk rugs might seem like a piece of cake. However, it’s anything but. You need to know what you’re getting for the money that you’re spending. You must be sure that you’re buying real silk handmade rugs. So, here are some mistakes many people make when buying silk rugs which you should avoid.

Mistakes To Avoid When Buying Silk Rugs

You Choose Online Shops That Are Not Reputable

Even though everything seems to be online in this day and age, silk rugs aren’t things that you can blindly buy from online stores and forums. There are just so many scams waiting to happen and you don’t want to spend your money on a duped item. So, it’s better if you don’t opt for this route and go for authentic silk rug stores you know and heard of.

Buying silk rugs, or any rugs for that matter, that too from an online store can have lots of risks. First of all, you probably won’t get the same thing that you’re looking at. Photos can be edited and they are made to look appealing. However, they’re anything but. So, you want to be careful when treading these dangerous waters, because you don’t want to get caught up in the waves of scams and waste your money at the end of the day.

If you want to buy from an online store, check its reviews on social media sites and what people are saying about them. Only trust the groups or accounts that are either verified or those which you found to be useful in the past.

You Didn’t Go To A Retailer

If you opt for buying rugs from a local shop, then that’s amazing however, you’re not completely there yet. You want to ensure that you’re going to an authentic rug retailer that has a lot of variety for you. You can’t just buy silk rugs from your local stores and call it a day.

There are a lot of things that go into buying silk rugs and the true, authentic ones are only available in retail shops that originate from the place where the rugs are made. So, you want to choose these places for buying silk rugs because the rest of the places can be a gamble.

You Don’t Know The Origin

Speaking of the places where the rug originates from, you also want to know about the origin of the rug. Usually, silk rugs are mostly oriental and Persian rugs and they’re usually made in China, the Middle East as well as Iran and Turkey. So, you’re going to get the most authentic quality rugs from retailers that come from these places and source their rugs from there as well.

These rugs have a different quality and they’re traditional yet modern at the same time, so they will steal your heart in the best way.

You Didn’t Do The Burn Test

One way by which a lot of people test whether a silk rug is made out of real silk or not is through the burn test. This test involves burning a strand of silk from the rug and observing the smell. If there is a smell that is similar to burning hair, then you have a real silk rug. If viscose rayon is burnt, it smells like paper.

Usually, these tests are done by retailers and you can request them on the spot too. This is why the burn test is really important to figure out whether you even have an original silk rug or not. It will save you a lot of money in the long run.

You Didn’t Consider The Knot Density

The next thing to go over is the knot density of the rug. Knot count is essentially the number of knots per square inch of a rug. The higher the knot density, the stronger and more durable the rug is. However, you also need to keep in mind that rugs with higher knot densities can also be pretty expensive because they take twice as long to make.

So, even though these silk rugs will be expensive, you want to go for a decent rug knot density, because it will only last longer.

You Don’t Know About The Rug Foundation

A lot of the time, people can overlook this detail and this can cost them a lot. You need to check the foundation of the rug. The foundation is essentially the base of the rug and if you’re going for a silk rug, then you should opt for a cotton base rather than a synthetic base. A cotton foundation is very comfortable and it’s also long lasting.

On the flipside, a synthetic foundation is not nearly as comfortable and it can pinch your feet and hands, so it won’t give you the same luxurious feel as cotton.

You Didn’t Look At Other Options

You might think that going to the first store and getting a rug from there is a shopping accomplishment, but that is not the case when it comes to silk rugs. Look at other options.

Since these rugs can vary in price, every retailer will have a different quote for the similar silk rug. Now, these rugs are anything but cheap, but you still want to get the best bang for your buck. So, you must tour different stores. This won’t only give you a better price range, but who knows? Maybe you’ll find something even better at other places.

You Didn’t Inspect The Rug

This tip mainly applies when you’re buying a vintage silk rug. A lot of the time, vintage silk rugs are sought-after and people go crazy for them. However, there’s an art that is involved in buying these rugs.

Whenever you’re in a physical store, you want to ensure that you’re looking at the rug with a microscopic eye. Even though vintage rugs will have a bit of an older look to them, you still want to ensure that there isn’t any major damage on them because you want the rug to shine in its beauty.

You Get A Massive Discount

This is probably the biggest mistake people make, and they think that they hit the jackpot. Silk rugs and even Persian and oriental rugs for that matter are never on sale. They are a different class of rugs that don’t need to be on sale.

Silk rugs are usually bought at full price. So, if you see a sign that says something along the lines of “silk rugs at 50% off”, then it’s a scam through and through and you shouldn’t even be tempted to take a peek at these rugs because they won’t be the real thing and you’ll end up wasting a lot of money.

You Buy The Rug Without Any Research

Buying rugs is not simple. You need to do a lot of research beforehand and look for options that will be the best for you.

Silk rugs are hard to maintain, so you need to ensure that you know all the possible ups and downs when it comes to owning a silk rug. This is something a lot of people don’t do and this can cost them a lot in the future.

Conclusion

Silk rugs are really expensive so you want to get your money’s worth and not make these mistakes. Only buy genuine silk rugs VA by first choosing a reliable store and then by carefully inspecting the rug to avoid fake rugs. However, if you trust the store, you may not even have to worry about fake silk rugs.