Antique rugs are loved by many as they are long lasting and give your home a unique look. While this is the case, not all rugs are ideal for you. Some are too worn out or just contemporary rugs that have been made to look antique. To avoid buying the wrong units you need to be keen. To help you out, here are tips that will help you buy the right units:
Check the antique oriental rugs for cracking
A cracking sound means that the rug is rotting or has already rotten thus there is no point of buying it. To test the rug for cracking lay it on its face and look at its back. If there are light colored patches, it means that the rug has mildew thus you need to pay close attention to it.
You should then carefully twist the rug while gripping it with both of your hands. If there are any splitting sounds, you should stop twisting and stay away from the rug. If there is another rug you should test it. If there are no sounds coming from the rugs, feel the material used in making the rug. If the rug is made from silk, it should be brittle regardless of how old it is. If made from wool, you should expect its texture to vary with age. As wool gets old, its lanolin content gets depleted thus it gets firm with age. If the Persian rug is made from wool, you shouldn’t stay away from it even if it’s hard.
Watch out for Oriental rug repairs
Just like when buying any other product, there is no reason why you should buy an oriental rug that has been repaired plenty of times. The simplest way of identifying repaired areas in the rug is running your hand over both the front and back of the rug. If there are any mended areas they feel rough and bumpy.
Take a look at the rug knots
Knots help you in identifying whether the rug is antique or not. An old rug should have old knots that would have been flattened out and slightly polished while the rug was being walked on. Some unscrupulous businessmen might try polishing the rug in order to give it an old look but you shouldn’t fall for it. To ensure that the rug is antique, break open a pile on the face and look inside. Persian antique rugs have their foundation threads discolored where most of them have a yellowish-gray color.
