Area Oriental rugs don’t come cheap; therefore, it’s paramount that you ensure that you buy a high-quality rug. For you purchase a quality rug you need to consider a number of indicators that include:
Quality of materials
As I have mentioned here before, oriental rugs are made from a wide range of materials ranging from wool to silk. It’s all about you to choose the one that you want. Just like any other products, these materials come in different qualities. When you are buying a woolen rug, you should go for one with a sheen or luster. You should avoid a poor quality rug as it will start falling apart only after a few days. It also will start giving off an odd smell that will make your house unlivable.
To increase your chances of buying a high-quality unit, go for a hand-spun rug. You can easily detect it by its “knobby” texture. When it comes to silk rugs, you should test their quality by pulling a tiny strand from the carpet and burn it. If it gives off the smell of burnt hair and it shrivels, it’s silk. Good quality silk is also incredibly shiny thus you should go for it.
Dyeing of the rugs
To give color to the rugs, it’s common for the rug manufacturers to dye their rugs. The professionals use three main types of dyes: vegetable, natural, or chemical dyes. When making the purchase, you should go for those made from natural or vegetable dyes. While they will be a little bit expensive as the dye is complicated to work with, the extra cost will be totally worth it.
To ensure that you are buying a rug that will retain its color for long, you should pay close attention to the color-fastness of the rug. You can easily tell this by damping a paper towel and blotting the towel over the back of the rug. If there is dye on the cloth, the dyes are less than totally colorfast, and you should be cautious when cleaning the Persian rug.
Length of the pile
With only a few exceptions, most rugs with longer piles are of poor quality. This is usually because the longer pile results to complex designs that compromise the quality of the rug. It’s rare for a layperson to tell the pile size; therefore, it’s wise that you work with an honest professional from a reputable oriental rug store.
