Oriental rugs are made in one of two ways, hand made and machine made. Machine made rugs, also called "power loomed" rugs, are new to the world of oriental rugs, but they are very popular. Handmade rugs are woven by hand, and are divided into three categories: hand knotted, hand tufted and flat woven.
Machine made rugs are also called power loomed rugs as they are woven on a power loom. The power loom is operated either by hand, machine or computer which follows a predesigned pattern. The rug designer chooses all the colors and designs and creates computer card. The computer card tells the loom exactly how to produce the rug. The loom is then strung with a warp made of jute or cotton. Next, the rug is woven using materials such as wool, nylon, polypropylene and olefin, a highly resilient synthetic material.
The two types of looms used to create machine made Oriental rugs reproductions, however there are three different types of machine made rugs: the Wilton, the Cross-woven Wilton and the Axminster. Different looms are used to create different pile heights, densities, finishes and level of quality.
Machine made rugs are often considered lower quality than hand made rugs. However, machine made rugs today are so well made that only an expert can tell the difference. One of the main drawbacks to machine made rugs is that they are harder to repair once they are damaged. Machine made rugs are often more affordable than hand woven orientals, and with modern technology they are stunningly beautiful.
Hand knotted Oriental rugs are considered extremely high value art that add warmth and style to any home. The time and expertise that goes into the making of these rugs makes them far higher in value than machine made rugs. Hand knotted Oriental rugs are much stronger as well, as they are made from densely compacted knots and the fringe is actually the warp thread of the rug, running through the end in one, solid thread making them a good investment that will last for a long time.
Hand tufted and hand hooked Oriental rugs are woven by placing a U shaped loop of yarn through the back of a canvas. This forms the pile of the rug, and is done using a tufting gun. Tufted rugs are then sheared to look more carpet like, whereas hooked rugs are left with the loop intact. The quality of the rug is determined by the density and size of the loop, and falls into one of three categories. The smaller the size of the loop, the higher quality the rug.
Rugs that are woven without pile are called flat woven rugs. Some of these rugs are woven on looms, while others are stitched directly onto the canvas of the rug. After weaving, a strong fabric is attached to the back of the rug to ensure that the finished product will lay flat and have a long life. Some of the best known types of flat woven rugs are; Kelims, Dhurries, Soumaks, Needlepoints and Aubussons.
Aubusson rugs are woven on looms, with the weft actually forming the design of the rug. They do this using what is called a slit tapestry weave, a style in which the colors are separate pieces of the rug which are sewn together after the rug is removed from the loom. This is very different from other types of flat woven rugs such as needlepoint. Needlepoint rugs are sewn using a type of stitch similar to cross stitch. The design is placed directly beneath the canvas.
Hand woven rugs are by far superior in terms of their overall quality and value, however machine made rugs are still quite beautiful. There is a rug quality for everyone.
Rugs love dust... that is why you need to vacuum your rug every 10-14 days depending on the traffic it gets. However, that's not enough, In-order to keep the rug in top shape you should use a professional cleaner every year or two, at least. the cleaner should preform a full rug cleaning process which keeps the fine quality of the rug and extends it's life for years to come. For example, an important step in the process - which is not done by you at home - is dusting, a step which even many companies skip duo to the high cost of the dusting machine. Without dusting, dirt will accumulate in your rug fibers and ultimately destroy it.
To learn more about professional rug cleaning process, visit Flat Rate Carpet rug cleaning page. They explain in detail how a proper rug cleaning process is done. We've been working with Flat Rate Carpet for many years and highly recommend them if you are in New York area, looking for a professional cleaner.
