Braided Rug

Braided rug is an essential part of every household these days. People usually like such rugs in their rooms as they help make the floor look more complete and very decent and also help improve the overall beauty of the house. So before you decide to buy a braided rug, let’s see how they are actually made!

Initially all the rugs were hand made which was a very labor exhaustive and costly work. Romeo Paulus was the pioneer of making machine made rugs who in 1910 discovered that the same technique in shoelace making can be used in making the rugs.

These days all the rugs made commercially use two basic techniques which have been implemented over the years. First one is the round (tubular) braid and the other technique used is the flat braid. It is therefore very important to understand the key differences between the two and hence making your purchase even more worth it.

Round Braid

The round braid consists of a single central core material enclosed in a braided outer shell. Round braids are similar in appearance to ropes and are usually made using the same machinery. The appeal of the round braid is cost. Since it is easier to manufacture it can be sold at a lower price. Braided rugs using this production method are most often found in bargain and discount stores.

The drawback with round braiding is the durability of the finished rug. This will depend in large part on the core material. While unseen by the consumer the type of core used is essential to the longevity of the rug. In low quality rugs this core can be made of foam rubber, waste material or even paper. Obviously, these materials do not make for a solid and durable rug.

Flat Braid

Flat braids are the traditional method of making braided rugs. They are superior in looks to the round braids and also in maintaining their shape and form. The braids can be manufactured from yarn or cloth, but the final braiding process is the same in each case.

For cloth braids, large rolls of fabric are first cut into narrow strips usually 1″-3″ wide. Each strip is then folded along the outer edges and then again in the center to form an enclosed four ply strand. This creates a clean edge and gives the braid added strength.

Yarn braids are created from rolls of yarn that are first woven into flat strips and then wound onto spools. Three or more of these cloth or yarn strands are then combined using various weaving techniques to form the final braid. The braid is then wound into the desired shape and stitched together to form the finished rug.

If you don’t know, now you know

Well, after going through this information, you can easily understand the difference between rugs and how they are actually made. Now when buying a rug you surely will get a picture of all the work put in making that rug!