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Rug Frequently Asked Questions
Shopping Options
Payment & Security
Shipping / Delivery / Arrival
Returns
Rug Maintenance
Product
How can I buy rugs from Rugman.com?
It’s easy! We offer two convenient ways to shop.
- Via www.rugman.com through our 100% secure shopping service.This is easy and always available for your shopping convenience.We have state of the art technology including secure server encryption technology to protect all of your personal credit information.
- Via our call center at 1-877-784-6261. Just call and one of our helpful, knowledgeable customer care representatives will take your order over the phone. Our hours of operation are:
Mon - Fri: 8:30am - 11:30 EST and
Sat - Sun: 10:30 am - 6:00pm EST.
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How do I create a Personal Wish List?
- A personal wish list is a great way to save carpets to look at later or to email to family or friends. Click the “Add to wish list button” on the Rug Details page located on the far right column.
- To see your selections, simply click on the icon at the top right of any page, called Wish List, and you will see all of the carpets. There is an easy to use comment section and you can email your list to a friend or family member. Your selections will remain indefinitely in your Wish List or until the carpet is sold. You do not have to register with us to enjoy this useful feature.
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How does our pricing work?
- We’re often asked how we can afford to offer these authentic, handmade Oriental and Persian rugs at such affordable prices. The answer is simple... at Rugman.com there are no middlemen.
- In North America there are generally six to ten layers of middlemen between them and the source of the rug and this adds significantly to the price.
- Our buy-direct / sell-direct philosophy means that we eliminate most of these middlemen and bring the rug to you at a price lower than the wholesale price most rug dealers pay.
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What methods of payment does Rugman.com accept?
- For your comfort & convenience, Rugman.com accepts a wide variety of secure payment methods ?both online and off. We currently accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diner’s Club, Discover, and PayPal, as well as International Money Orders in US Dollars, and corporate checks.
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Do you offer a payment plan?
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How can I be sure that both my credit card number and personal financial information is kept safe when making a payment to Rugman.com?
- Our secure server software is among the best available today for secure commerce transactions. All information transmitted is first encrypted using a 128-bit SSL (Secure Socket Layer). This is industry standard and offers the highest level of encryption possible, which means you can breathe easy- all communications between your web browser and our site’s servers are always private and secure.
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How can I tell if it’s in Secure Mode?
- Standard, unsecured URL address begins "http://". When you enter secure mode, the beginning of the URL address will change to "https://"; the "s" stands for secure. Most browsers in secure mode also display a blue line along the top of the browser window. Netscape Navigator?(versions 3.0 and earlier) displays a broken key symbol in the lower left corner of your browser window when you are not viewing a secure page of a site. This key will become solid when you enter secure mode. Netscape Communicator 4.0 uses a padlock, in the same location as the key, to indicate if you are in standard or secure mode. The padlock is open in standard mode and closed in secure mode. In Microsoft's Internet Explorer? you'll see a padlock symbol at the bottom of your browser window when the browser is in secure mode.
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How do I view my orders?
- From the homepage of the site, select My Account at the top of any page and enter your email address and password. A selection of options will be presented, check “My order History?to track your order.
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What shipping options are available to me as a Rugman.com customer?
- Rugman.com uses FedEx as its primary source of transport. Products which are shipped from our own warehouse are offered with Basic Ground shipping, Express Ground shipping, Second Day Air, or Next Day Air shipments. Special delivery options apply to products (mostly machine made rugs and accessories) that are shipped to you directly from a manufacturer.
- Please note that only those orders shipped via Basic Ground shipping qualify for free shipping within US & Canada.
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How much will I have to pay for shipping?
- Rugman.com uses FedEx as its primary source of transport. Our Standard Delivery Options include Basic Ground shipping, Express Ground shipping, Second Day Air, or Next Day Air shipping. Please note that only those orders shipped via Basic Ground shipping, qualify for free shipping within US & Canada. Special Delivery Options apply to certain items not held in our own warehouse.
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Do you ship to APO/PO Boxes?
- We regret that at this time we are unable to ship our products to APO or PO Box addresses.
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How long does shipping take?
- For those orders shipped via FedEx?Basic Ground to residences within the US and Canada, you may generally expect your delivery to arrive within 2-3 weeks of order processing. Please note that consignment orders held in an overseas inventory may take longer to arrive.
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Do I need to be at home to accept my delivery when it arrives?
- No, unless you specially request that a signature be obtained upon delivery, you are not required to be home. However, if you require a signature you must be home. If delivering to your home is inconvenient, you may opt to redirect the package to your work address in care of yourself, so that a signature can be acquired. If you choose to have your rug shipment sent to your place of business, please make sure to complete the Company Name field while checking out.
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Can I track my order while in shipment? How?
- After you have placed your order, you will receive a confirmation email from Rugman.com. Once your order has been shipped, we will contact you again with the necessary shipping/tracking information. You may use that information to login at the FedEx website to track your shipment by confirmation number.
- Alternatively, you may login at Rugman.com to check the status of your order. From the homepage of the site, select My Account at the top of any page and enter your email address and password. A selection of options will be presented, check "My order History?" to track your order.
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How will I be contacted if I don’t have an email address?
- You do not need an email address to order a rug from us. Once your order is placed online or via phone, you will receive a phone call from our Customer Care department with details regarding your order details.
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How is my rug packaged for safe shipment?
- Your rug will arrive tightly and carefully wrapped to best preserve it during its journey from Rugman, to your door. While wrapped in its original packaging, the rug may appear to be quite small in comparison to what one might expect. Don’t be fooled by its small package size! Following a thorough wash and dry process, your rug is folded up as small as possible before being rolled up tightly for safe packaging and shipment.
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What happens if my rug is damaged or lost while in transit to me? Who is responsible?
- Because of the way our wool rugs have been packaged, and because of our long-standing relationship with our trusted transport provider, please note that damage and/or loss during shipment is a rare occurrence. Nonetheless, Rugman.com takes careful precaution to ensure our customers are inconvenienced as little as possible under such circumstances. That means full insurance coverage has been provided by Rugman.com in order to cover the cost of such loss in the rare case this should occur.
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When I un-wrap my rug I see slight folds & creases. How can I get rid of them?
- Because your rug has been folded and/or rolled up tightly for safe and efficient transport, you’ll note that in some cases the rug may curl along edges, or show creases along lines where it has been folded. Never fear- to remove the ‘curl? simply place something heavy (but safe!) like a stack of books on the curling edge. After a few days, the rug will lay flat, as it should. Ridding your rug of any creases is even easier. Simply allow for regular traffic over the rug, and creases will be put to an end shortly following its debut.
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What if I don't like the product after I receive it?
- Persian rugs must be returned within 180 days of delivery. All other items (e.g. non-Persian rugs and accessories) must be returned within 30 days of delivery. Rug care items (e.g. cleaning lotion) and rug pads are subject to a 25% restocking fee.
- If a returned item is covered by a payment plan and not yet paid in full, it will be subject to a Payment Plan Adjustment Fee in the amount of 10% of the item price (max $100 per item).
- Merchandise must be returned in its original packaging or equivalent.
- IMPORTANT:
Please email ( support@rugman.com) or call us (1-877-784-6261) before you ship any items back to us. We will give you specific instructions about how to return your items. You may need to obtain an RMA number from Rugman.com client services prior to shipping. Please note that clients are responsible for return shipping.
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How do I maintain my rug?
- Before discussing different ways of maintaining a rug, it is important to mention that even though a handmade rugis a work of art, it is made to be used and walked on. Traditionally, handmade rugs, especially in the Middle East, were the only type of furniture; people slept, ate, and sat on them. Older rugs are expected to look worn. With usage, as the top layers of pile (in most cases wool) break, the pile looks shinier and smoother, and with light exposure the colors look more harmonious. With proper use, handmade rugs generally become more valuable. Remember that handmade rugs are not easily damaged, so enjoy your handmade rug without any worries.
- Follow the instruction below and you will enjoy your rug for generations:Every two to three years wash the rug professionally. It is important to have it washed professionally because as the rug is used, dust, dirt and broken fiber get into the foundation. Do not take the rug to general carpet-cleaning companies because the techniques and chemicals they use for wall-to-wall carpets may not be appropriate for handmade rugs.
- In case of water spill, dry the wet spot immediately with a hairdryer on warm temperature. Try to dry both sides of the rug if possible.
- Vacuum or sweep your rug regularly. Use suction in the direction of the pile. AVOID USING A BEADER BAR since it will ruin the pile of the rug. Be very careful so that the fringes do not get pulled or sucked in by the vacuum cleaner.
- For old stains, take the rug to a professional handmade rug retailer. Do not try to clean old stains yourself.
- Rotate your rug 180 degrees every few months depending on the extent of traffic. Rotation can be helpful since all parts of a rug can be exposed to light equally so that the colors fade evenly. When colors are exposed to the sun evenly, they become harmonious and the rug ages nicely, but if different parts of the rug receive unequal amount of sun exposure, overtime, one side might look over faded and one side too bright. Also, rotation can distribute the traffic evenly as well. All parts of the rug should be exposed to equal amount of traffic so that the pile wears evenly.
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How to choose professional carpet cleaning services?
- As a general rule, the safest recommendation we offer regarding cleaning any type of rug is to have it done professionally using the steam extraction method.
- Be sure your cleaner knows how to clean your particular type of rug. Cleaning a hand-made oriental rug is very different from cleaning wall-to-wall carpet!
- Inspect the rug with the cleaner. Note existing stains and damage before it is cleaned.
- Get a signed receipt for the work to be done and a guarantee, if possible, that it will be done.
- Make sure the cleaner can afford an insurance claim should something go wrong.
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What are consignment pieces?
- Our consignment pieces are rugs that are held in an overseas location. Once your order is placed, Rugman.com will confirm your order within 3 business days. Upon confirmation this rug will be delivered within 2 to 4 weeks.
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What is the pile of the rug? What is it made of?
- Pile refers to the material (fiber) used for weaving rugs. Only natural fibers are used in handmade rugs. The main pile materials are wool, silk and occasionally cotton. Sometimes, goat and camel hair are also used. In general, the same material is used for both by nomadic and village weavers.
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How thick is the pile of a rug?
- Thickness of pile varies from rug to rug. It usually up to the weavers?discretion to trim the pile as he desires. However, as rule of thumb, city rugs are trimmed lower (almost one to one and half Centimeter) and the tribal rugs are trimmed longer (up to two and half centimeter). City rugs usually are very creative in the nature of design and are full of curvatures and complex images. In order to show the design sharply the weaver must trim the pile low (if long they wool treads will mingle and will show a very messy pattern). However, the tribal rugs have very simple geometric design which can be trimmed longer. These nomadic people use the rug a tool of protection and they must be thick to prevent the cold to penetrate through the rug.
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What is the Foundation of the rug? What is made of?
- Foundation refers to the basic structural components of handmade rugs. These components consist of warps and wefts that is often cotton. Wool is used as a foundation material in some nomadic and village rugs because wool is readily available to these weaving groups. Silk is generally used in foundation of rugs with silk piles. Rugs with silk foundation and pile are very exceptional and expensive. These rugs are light in weight and are very finely knotted. Silk is a very good foundation material because it is very strong and keeps its shape.
- Warp - Warps are vertical strands of fiber which stretch from the top to the bottom of the rug. Warps are an extremely important component because the knots are tied to them and the weft strands are passed (woven) through them. Even tension of all warp strands is essential in producing a rug without wrinkles.
- Weft - Wefts are horizontal strands of fiber that are passed (woven) through the warp strands. Unlike the warps, wefts are not structured prior to weaving. They are added before and in between the rows of knots to secure the knots in place. Each side of the rug, where the wefts begin and end, is called selvedge.
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What is Fringe?
- The extensions of warp strands are rug fringes. Fringes are knotted at the ends to ensure that the wefts and the knots do not unravel.
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Why do the fringes of the rugs vary?
- The exact length of the fringes of handmade rugs was a choice made by the weaver of that particular rug or the client for whom it was made. Some are trimmed short, some long, and in older pieces are braided or non-existent. The type or length of the fringe of the rug has little to do with its value or quality.
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How do I determine the age of a rug?
- The approximate age of each rug should be stated in the rug's description. Generally, rugs are placed into categories including new, semi-antique and antique. The older pieces are usually higher in retail value. Some antique pieces are on display in museums around the world with a price tag of over a million dollars, and some are priceless.
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What do you mean by the age of rug? Is the rug been used before this?
- The age attribute specifies how old a rug is. There are three major timelines: New (0-25 years), Semi-antique (25-60 years) and Antique (60 years and up). We cannot tell you if the rug has been used before or not since there has not been a log for these rugs. Sometimes the rugs will stay in the Bazaar of Tehran moving from one merchant to another. However, Rugman.com guarantees that the rugs are inspected by our trained inspectors and are professionally cleaned prior to exporting to USA. Please note that aged rugs are more expensive and Persian rugs are made very durable so they can last for generations.
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What do you mean by the condition of the rug?
- The condition of a rug is an important element because it affects the beauty and value of the rug. Handmade rugs are classified according to their overall condition. In the handmade rug industry these conditions are Excellent, good, repaired, stained and low pile.
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What does repaired mean?
- Generally all of our wool rugs are in superb condition. Some older pieces may have had slight repairs done to them, but this is normal in older rugs. In such cases, the condition of the rugs will be mentioned. The repair should not be noticeable and should not devalue the rug in any way. Almost any rug can be repaired and restored to its original condition. Also, please note that repairing a handmade rug, similar to weaving, is very time consuming and labor intensive; as a result, repair can sometimes be costly.
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What does low pile mean?
- Some older pieces may have a low pile, but that wear often adds to their value. As is the case with wine, a good rug matures with age.
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What is the difference between good and excellent rug?
- An excellent rug is a rug in excellent shape with no stains, tears or holes, and no previous repair work. Since handmade wool rugs are very durable, most wool area rugs are in fine condition. It is very easy to maintain a rug in its excellent condition.
A good rug is a rug that may have undergone or may require some minor repair because of a few broken or torn warp strands, knots or fringes. If repair is needed, it should be done by a professional rug retailer.
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Why do handmade Oriental and Persian rugs occasionally have imperfections in regards to symmetry or size?
- A famous Persian proverb states: “The Persian carpet is perfectly imperfect, and precisely imprecise? This phrase comes from their important belief that only God can create perfection. Therefore, to make a perfect rug would be flying in the face of the Almighty! Fortunately, most of these 'imperfections' are very small details of pattern, like an extra leaf on a tree, or one flower of a color different from all the rest. In tribal pieces most variations are not intentional, but simply due to the fact that it is much harder for nomadic weavers to operate than it is for city weavers. The looms used in rural areas are usually very basic horizontal looms placed on the floor, which makes it much more difficult to weave a perfectly
symmetrical rug. By definition nomadic weavers migrate according to the seasons, and slight variations might also be caused by temperature changes and by the constant dismantling and re-assembly of their primitive looms. It is important to expert rug buyers to know that these items are hand-made and may have slight imperfections, as this can often increase their value and interest and is what many experts are looking for.
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What KPSI mean?
- KPSI stands for Knots per square inch and determines the number of knots in one square inch of the rug. It represents the overall number of knots used in creation of a handmade rug. Usually, City rugs have higher KPSI since they have more detail and they use finer wool. Tribal rugs have lower KPSI since their design is more simple and geometric.
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How many knots per square inch are there in your rugs?
- The knot count per square inch is a unique number for each rug. This number could range from 60 to 1400 KPSI depending on the material used and the skill of the weaver. When it comes to wool rugs, generally, the higher the knot count, the more valuable the rug.
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What is the layout of a rug?
- Layout is the overall arrangement of motifs or objects woven into a rug. Motif is any single form or interrelated group of forms which make up part of the overall design. All wool area rugs can be divided into three major layouts of all-over, medallion, or one-sided.
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| One Sided |
Medallion |
All-Over |
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What is one-sided layout?
- In this layout, the design is woven in one direction. Therefore, the rug can be properly viewed only from one side, similar to a photograph. For this reason, this layout is also known as one-directional. Prayer and pictorial rugs fall into this category.
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What is all over layout?
- In this layout, there are no dominant or central designs. The motifs on the rug are spread throughout the rug. Sometimes they are connected and sometimes they are separate. Usually a single motif or a group of motifs is repeated throughout the rug. The motifs could be small and repeated many times, or large and repeated only a few times. The Persian name afshan, which means scattered, has been given to the all-over layout. Some common designs that fall under this layout are repeating, endless repeat, and paneled.
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What is the Medallion layout?
- In this layout, a large centerpiece called medallion is the center point of the design. In Persian, this centerpiece is called toranj. The medallion layout is by far the most frequently used layout in every handmade rug producing country.
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What is the field of the rug?
- Field of a rug is the main central part of the rug which contains the medallion, motifs and the corners of the rug. Usually the color of the field has the dominant color in the background of the rug. The background color is the underlying color of the entire rug with the exception of the border. The most widely used background colors are red, blue, beige, and yellow.
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What is the border of the rug?
- Border is the outer part the rug which surrounds the field of the rug. The border consists of an internal and external border. The internal border encloses the field and the external border encloses the whole rug which is secured by Selvedge. The border color is not as readily distinguished as the background color. Major border colors are red, blue, beige, yellow, and green.
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What do you mean by the make of the rug?
- Make is the actual location where a rug is produced. A rug produced in pakistan may be Persian style and could be sold under the name of its style. At the same time, a rug could be woven in the same exact place where its style first originated. Therefore, sometimes the style and the make have the same name, and sometimes they have different names. When you are buying a handmade rug, you need to know both the name of its style, and its make because make could be a factor in the value of the rug.
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What do you mean by the style of a rug?
- Style of rug is the design or the look of the rug that the associated to the region, city or the village that they make the rug. Persian styles are the most diverse styles worldwide. There are over fifty different Persian styles woven in Iran and other countries such as India, Pakistan, China, and some European countries. Some well-known Persian styles include Afshar, Arak, Ardabil, Bakhtiari, Bijar, Esfahan, Farahan, Ghouchan, Hamadan, Heriz, Joshaghan, Kashan, Kerman, Kermanshah, Lilian, Malayer, Mashad, Nain, Najafabad, Natanz, Qashghai,
Qazvin, Qum, Ravar, Sabzevar, Sarab, Saruk, Senneh, Serapi, Shiraz, Sultanabad, Tabriz, Tehran, Varamin, Yazd and Zanjan.
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How is the wool dyed?
- The process of changing the natural color of materials such as wool, silk, and cotton is called dyeing. There are two types of colors: natural colors and synthetic colors.
- Natural Colors
Until the late nineteenth century only natural dyes were used for coloring weaving yarns. Natural dyes include plant dyes, animal dyes, and mineral dyes.Plant dyes come from roots, flowers, leaves, fruit, and bark of plants. Below are some examples of plants used as dyes:
- Woad: mustard family
- Indigo: blue family
- Saffron safflower, sumac, turmeric, onionskin, rhubarb, weld, and fustic: yellow family
- Madder, Redwood and Brazilwood: Red Family
- Catechu dye, oak bark, oak galls, acorn husks, tea, and walnut husks:
Brown and Black family
- Please note that all the primary natural colors could be mixed to produce a wide variety of secondary hues. Today, natural dyes are still used in some traditional dye-houses and villages where natural sources are readily accessible.
- Synthetic Colors
In the mid-nineteenth century, due to increased demand for handmade rugs increased in the West, their production increased in the East. The need for easy-to-use and less expensive dyes with wider range of colors caused the development of synthetic dyes in Europe, especially in Germany. Synthetic dyes were soon imported to Iran. The first synthetic dyes were synthetic aniline dyes which were developed in the 1850s. Synthetic aniline dyes made from coal tar were brilliant, inexpensive, and easy to use; however, they faded rapidly with exposure to light and
water. In 1903 Nasser-e-Din Shah, the Persian king of Qajar Dynasty, banned the use of aniline dyes in Iran. Persian weavers discontinued the use of synthetic dyes until the modern synthetic chrome dyes were developed in the years between the First and the Second World Wars. Chrome dyes are stable (any dye that retains its intensity despite exposure to light and water), and are produced in an infinite variety of attractive colors and shades. Today, mostly chrome synthetic dyes are used for coloring weaving yarns. Natural dyes are used in places where they are easily obtainable. We could be confident that today whether we buy a rug made from natural or synthetic dyes, it will only improve with time.
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What are patterns?
- Pattern is the way lines are used to form shapes on a rug. The main patterns of rugs are curvilinear, geometric,and pictorial
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- Curvilinear
Patterns created with smooth curving lines are called curvilinear. Curvilinear patterns can be seen in all three layouts of all-over, medallion, and one-sided. Creation of curves generally requires a higher knot density. However, a high knot density does not automatically result in a curvilinear pattern. Kerman, Kashan, Isfahan, Nain and Qum styles are good representations of the curvilinear pattern
- Geometric
Patterns created with straight lines are called geometric. Their designs are created mostly with right angles, diagonals, triangles, and other geometric shapes. Geometric patterns can be used in all three layouts of all-over, medallion, and one-sided. Most geometric rugs are predominantly woven by nomadic tribes and village groups. The ones woven by nomads are simpler and the ones woven by villagers can either have simple or very complex motifs such as geometric rugs of Heriz style, which are very intricate. Baluchi, Turkoman, Hamdan, Heriz and Gabbeh styles are good representations of the geometric pattern.
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What are the benefits of using under-padding?
- Under-padding has many benefits for your rug. It holds the rug securely in place to prevent slipping, adding cushioning and luxury, and allowing for easier vacuuming.
Under-padding also prevents pile crush, protects rugs from the effects of sharp objects like heels, and generally extends the life of your rugs. Its use is highly recommended.
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Do you sell under-padding for rugs as well?
- Yes, we do sell under-padding for our rugs and it is available upon request during check-out.
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