The Essential Glossary of Rug Terminology

Here at Rugs Direct, we like to think we’re the experts when it comes to rug terminology. So much so, in fact, that sometimes we forget that not everyone knows these terms. With that in mind, with today’s blog post we’d like to define some key words and phrases that you may come across in our online rug shop.

• Hand-tufted: This is a process of weaving that involves tufts of material (usually something like wool) being pulled through a base material by hand. Tufting can also be done with a machine, but hand-tufting is a more traditional approach.
   
• Pile: The pile of a rug is the loops of yarn that come together to form the surface of the rug. Pile can be either dense or lightweight, and exists in countless different forms depending on materials and so on.
   
• Underlay: Rugs can sometimes be prone to slipping, especially when they’re placed on hard flooring. Underlay elegantly solves this issue by being placed below the rug and creating friction to prevent slippage. Find out more about rug underlay.
   
• Yarn: This is one of the simplest building blocks of any rug: yarn is essentially the strands of fabric that form the pile. Yarn can be made from any number of fabrics, but you’ll most commonly find it in the form of wool.
   
• Warp and weft: When weaving a rug, some techniques involve the interlocking of two different yarns. In this case, the warp yarns form the base material and are held in place by a frame or loom. The weft yarn is then woven through the warp horizontally. This is a traditional technique that’s so effective it’s still widespread today, albeit mechanized.
   
• Hooked: A hooked rug is made using a very specific technique known (perhaps unsurprisingly) as rug hooking. This works by having loops of yarn pulled through a stiff base material (like burlap) using a specific hooking tool to provide leverage. Rug hooking isn’t common nowadays, but it’s still an effective technique for rug-making.
   
• Runner: There are a couple of different types of runner you may encounter: a hallway runner or a stair runner. In either case, the concept is the same. A runner is a narrow length of rug or carpet that’s used to cover a specific section of flooring in your home. Find out more about runners now.  

If you have any questions about rug terminology, or you simply want to find the best rug for your home, explore the site today or call us on 0845 838 8638.