If you want to add more life to your flooring, you might probably consider using pieces of Oriental area rugs. But how would you determine the difference of a genuine rug from the other one that looks like one? Knowing some basics about rugs could help you a lot in this endeavor. Once you have a better understanding on quality rugs, you will have more chances of purchasing the best pieces, right for your taste and your existing floor layout.

Here are some things to remember while you shop for your pieces of Oriental area rugs.

1. Composition
•Rug fibers are usually made up of wool from moderate to upper end.
•Rugs made out of cotton, sisal, and sea grass are classified as moderate.
•Synthetic fibers like the acrylic, polyester, nylon, and even olefin are found in economical rugs.
•Most rugs that are resistant to stains contain these synthetic fibers but are not that luxurious and soft.
•Rugs made of natural fiber are prone to staining especially when spots are not immediately cleaned.

2. Quality
•Quality of the rugs largely depends on the kind of dye used.
•Fine wools are dyed with roots of plants, vegetable, and fruits.
•Synthetic dyes are being used to color cheaper wools.
•Focus on the fiber and check its integrity and make sure it’s not unraveling.
•Very fine wool of fiber often appears soft like silk if you are inexperienced in checking quality rugs.

3. Handmade or Machine-made
•If you see a clear pattern in the back portion, the rug is hand-made.
•A machine-made Karastan rug is done using interlocked unit to ensure durability while getting a look of a hand-knotted rug.

Beware: Handmade rugs having cloth backings might be hiding flaws. Also, a rug with glue backings tends to wear out when it is moved or cleaned.

If you are still unsure, you should check the back portion of the rug and look at the fringe. If it is sewn, it’s not an original piece of an oriental rug.

Basically, the border of an original piece of Oriental rug comes straight out of the material being part of the loom rather than sewn afterwards. A genuine piece can be easily checked by looking at its price. Hand-knotted rugs differ roughly twice higher than hand-tufted rugs.

Introducing Karastan Rugs

Karastan started its business on oriental rugs on 1928 in Leakesville, North Carolina. The company rolled off its first oriental rug, called Axminster loom, in 1933 in a World Fair held in Chicago. It was used to cover the whole flooring. This loom is considered to be one of the best of its kind that buyers started to notice a handmade rug is no different than machine-made rug. Approximately, 5 million people crushed their feet into the stylish rug. Mr. Field managed to divide the whole thing into two, making the first half of the rug a sample. He had it cleaned, and the other half was used to simply show that even after a very heavy traffic, a Karastan oriental rug was still durable and elegant. Indeed, Karastan rugs have surpassed the test of time.

Investing your money with Karastan rugs is not expensive at all. Instead, you save on a lot of money while you enjoy seeing your home being touched by elegance for years to come.