As much as everyone loves the look of a beautiful rug in their home, sometimes practical problems arise. The most common complaint people have when it comes to their rug is accidentally tripping over the corners. All too often, a brand-new rug arrives neatly rolled up and sealed in its packaging. Little do you realize that it could potentially take months for the corners to completely lie flat!
If you’ve run into this situation, you’re not the only one. Upturned corners can be a nuisance, and can also be a major security hazard if young children are running around. Protect your home from easily avoidable accidents by learning how to lay your rug flat using the tips below.
Use a cork-backed ruler
Here’s a trick you might not have heard of. You can stop your rug’s corners from curling up by using two household rulers. Look for a rule that’s completely flat, and most importantly, make sure the ruler is lined with cork on the back. The cork is needed to provide grip on the underside of the rug.
Simply attach the two rulers at a right angle on the back of your rug at the corner, cork side down. Tie the rulers to the rug using a large needle and a monofilament. Go ahead and stitch through the back of the rug and loop the thread around the ruler two or three times in order to make sure it’s completely secure. Generally, this will do the trick on heavier rugs.
Dampen the rug and iron
Don’t have two rulers to spare? You’re still in luck. There are many ways to lay your rug flat so that you won’t trip on it anymore. First, try dampening your rug with a bit of water, and then iron the edges of your rug flat.
You can dampen your rug by either using a steamer or a wet paper towel/sponge. Make sure the edges are slightly damp but definitely not soaked all the way through, which could risk damaging your rug. Next, put a towel over your rug and iron the entire section flat. If that doesn’t work, try ironing the rug directly. Just make sure to put your iron on the wool setting before using to avoid a burn.
Try masking tape
If your rug is on a hard floor, using a little bit of masking tape might just do the trick. Look for a simple brown masking tape – the kind that’s often used by painters. This kind of tape is easily peeled off if needed in the future, and it also most likely won’t create any residue on your floor. Use masking tape instead of sticky double-sided tape, which might permanently stick to your floor by mistake.
Simply roll up a small, flat ball of masking tape and stick each handful of tape under the stubborn corners of your rug. This simple method works like a charm, especially in homes with wood or tile floors. Even better, it’s a no-brainer!
Flip over the rug
Got a team of people handy? If your rug is extra-large, you’ll want a small group of people at the ready for this method because it can be hard to flip your rug over if you’re alone. Try flipping your rug upside-down to undo the curls at the corners. It will still take time for the rug to completely lie flat, but this might be the easiest option, especially when initially uncurling your rug.
Keep in mind, you shouldn’t walk on your rug while it’s lying upside down, so you may want to store it in a spare room while it unfurls. Despite the unpredictable amount of time it might take to get the corners of your rug to lie completely flat, this method is very effective. Once your rug is unrolled, bottom side up, just let gravity do the rest of its work naturally!
Use furniture or books
Last but not least, using an old standby like this is often an easy solution. Intuitively, you might imagine that placing heavy objects on the corners of your rug will help flatten those corners. Well, as a matter of fact, you’re right!
Grab your heaviest phone books and textbooks and place them on every corner that seems to be causing you trouble. This method will work particularly well if you aren’t able to move furniture around very easily, however, you’ll need to keep the weight placed on the rug for up to three days. If time is an issue, try rearranging your furniture temporarily so that the heaviest items, like a sofa, sit atop the corners that are curling up. Potted plants also work as weight, too. Give it about a day and your corners should lie flat! No more tripping and heading for a nosedive in the middle of the night.
