You have a valuable silk rug that probably took months, maybe even years to make by hand and now you should protect it with the right rug pad. Silk rugs are very detailed, valuable and impressive. The fact is that this type of rug is an investment and we should protect this investment.
The best rug pad for silk rugs is one in which there is a textured surface and a non slip bottom. This pad is usually made of a jute surface and rubber bottom. There are lots of choices available and it is important to make sure you choose the right version of this rug pad. Make sure the surface is made from a recycled jute that is needle punched. This process creates an extremely dense pad with a slightly textured surface. The texture tends to hold your silk rug to the pad, making it less likely to crawl on the pad. The bottom of the pad should be a solid layer of rubber. I always stress the fact that this should be solid rubber because there are many imitations available that are less expensive because they are made with a sprayed on latex or chemical. Although this will hold the rug to the floor, it will not last as long as the original and tends to damage floors over time.
Many people use the thin non slip pads with holes in them. These are good for some rugs but the fact that the pad has holes does not provide as solid a foundation as is required for silk rugs. Thicker pads are great too but here most thick pads may not keep your silk rug flat. I have a client who only buys fine persian rugs and she keeps coming back for the jute and rubber pad. I asked her if it works as well as I believe and her exact words were ” I would not use any other pad. I have had my first one for 12 years now and it still has several years left.” When it comes to your silk rug investment, do not skimp on the pad. Using the right pad will prove to be a solid decision and one that will protect your investment for years to come.
