Skip to content

How to stop rugs moving on carpet, wooden floors and laminate

Chances are, you’ve spent some time choosing the perfect spot for your new rug — so it can be really quite annoying when it gradually starts to creep out of place or bunch up, spoiling your décor. An unsecured rug on a slippery floor can also be dangerous, as there’s always the possibility that the rug will skid underfoot, potentially leading to a nasty fall. So, it’s important to find a way to keep it securely anchored in place.

Here, we’ll explain how to stop rugs moving, whether it’s on carpet, wooden, or laminate floors.

STOPPING RUGS MOVING ON CARPET

When you place a rug on a carpet, you’ll often notice that your rug gradually starts ‘creeping’ across the floor. This is because of the carpet pile: if you look closely at your carpet, you’ll see that the pile all flows in one direction. This helps to give the carpet a plusher look and richer colour, but because the pile leans to one side, it can mean that any rug placed on top of it gradually moves in the same direction, especially if it’s in a part of the house that sees a lot of foot traffic.  

Naturally, it’s a pain to have to keep repositioning your rug, so the best way to stop rugs moving on carpet is to use some anti-slip rug underlay for carpets. This is a tactile, non-slip, rubberised fabric which grips to the pile of the carpet underneath, holding the rug in place.

STOPPING RUGS MOVING ON WOODEN FLOORS AND LAMINATE

Because wood and laminate floors tend to be smooth and polished, your rug is more much more likely to skid underfoot when you walk over it, which puts you and your family at risk of falling and hurting yourselves. And, even if this doesn’t happen, it’s still very likely that there will be a bit of subtle movement each time you walk over your rug, which will make it gradually ‘creep’ across the floor. So, it’s particularly important to find a reliable way to stop rugs from moving if you have wooden or laminate floors.

The best way to do this is to place some underlay beneath the rug, preferably an anti-skid underlay for hard floors, as this is specially designed to provide added grip and preventing slipping on wood and laminate.

There are different types of underlay to suit various flooring types: non-skid underlay for hard floors, and underlay for rugs on carpets. These are specially designed to provide the best possible grip and support for your rug, without damaging carpet underneath. To use underlay, all you need to do is cut it to size and position it between your rug and the floor.

ANCHOR YOUR RUG WITH FURNITURE

You can also help to keep your rug in place by anchoring it with furniture. Of course, this doesn’t completely stop your rug from moving, and it may still rumple or lift at the corners. But, it’s far less likely to creep across your carpet when it’s weighed down by some heavy furniture.

This method works best with area rugs and living room rugs, which are usually large enough to be placed underneath several items of furniture at once. However, you could also go for a smaller style, but then arrange your furniture so that the front half of your sofas, chairs, and side tables hold your rug in place. You can learn more about choosing the correct size, and find more ideas for anchoring your rug using furniture, in our rug size guide.

You should note that this approach doesn’t always work quite as well for dining room rugs, as you may frequently need to move the chairs in and out, which can cause the rug underneath to rumple and ruck up. The best way to secure a rug in this area is to use a quality underlay.

For carpet runners and rugs in areas where there will be no anchoring furniture, we’d always strongly recommend getting some rug underlay. This is especially important in high-traffic parts of the house, as increased footfall tends to make rugs slip out of place more often.

MEASURING AND CUTTING UNDERLAY

Underlay really is the most effective way to stop rugs from slipping, but for best results, you’ll need to make sure that it’s the correct size and shape. That means you’ll need to measure your rug before you order any, and possibly even trim it to the right shape once it has arrived, too. 

The easiest way to work out how much underlay you need is to measure the length and width of your rug and then subtract four inches (10cm). This is because you want to leave at least a narrow border around the underlay, as this will make sure that you can’t see it when it’s in place. For circle rugs, measure all the way across the diameter, and then subtract four inches.  

Here at Rugs Direct, all of our anti-slip rug underlay is cut to order, which means you’ll only ever need to order as much underlay as you need — simply choose between underlay for carpets and smooth floors, enter the measurements and we’ll do the rest. Please note that we can’t provide underlay in circular shapes, so you’ll need to order a square and then cut it to size yourself. This can be done quite easily using a pair of scissors.

Now you know how to stop your rug from moving on carpet, wood floors and laminate, you can make sure your rugs are kept exactly where you want them in every room in the home. Here at Rugs Direct, we’ve got an incredible array of stunning rugs in a huge array of colours, sizes, shapes and styles. So, whether you’re looking for a modern rug, or a classic design, we’re sure to have something that will complete your home.

While you’re here, don’t forget that you can find plenty more rug inspiration and cleaning and care tips in our guides and advice centre. Got questions about any of our rugs or underlay? You can always get in touch with our care team on 0330 113 4909, or email us at customerservice@rugsdirect.co.uk.