When you buy them, rubber-backed rugs are a great idea.
This is a very cute rug!
It has a sticky back!
What could go wrong? That’s exactly when everything went wrong.
You’re welcome. If I have caught you before your purchase has been made, I am so happy you are here. This is important information.
Rubber-backed rugs have a rubber backing attached to one side of the rug that is facing the floor. The main purpose of this material is to stop slipping.
The backing of a rug is made from two different types of Rubber:
Rubber (natural) Synthetic (artificial).
Natural Rubber is great for most types of flooring, but artificial Rubber can be problematic.
Natural Rubber is environmentally friendly and does not react with flooring.
Synthetic Rubber is treated with chemicals that cause biochemical reactions in your flooring.
How do you choose the best rubber-backed rug for your floor?
Here’s a breakdown of what I’ll be doing.
What is a rubber-backed rug
Rubber-backed rugs can be a great solution for tripping hazards around your home. These rugs come in a variety of sizes, from doormats to large area kilims for the living room.
They may not be very cushioned, but they have a great grip. They eliminate rug movement that could cause slippage.
Three types of carpets with rubber backing are available on the market.
Natural rubber-backed rugs
Rugs with a synthetic rubber backing
Latex rubber-backed rugs
Learn the differences between rubber-backed carpets and natural, synthetic, or latex-backed rugs. Also, learn how they are made. Let’s also see how they pair with different types of floors.
You can then make a good choice when you next go to buy a rubber-backed area carpet.
Natural rubber-backed rugs
The Rubber used to make the rug backing is 100% organic and harvested from rubber trees.
Natural Rubber’s main characteristic is its tensile (or stretching) strength. Organic Rubber is stronger than latex and synthetic counterparts.
It also wears naturally (though faster than synthetic Rubber) without releasing toxic toxins.
There are many benefits to using a rug that has an organic rubber backing.
The air quality is clean and free from harmful toxins. This is because a rubber-backed organic rug is environmentally friendly and does not off-gas, unlike rugs with latex or synthetic backing.
It is safe for your floor. Natural Rubber grips your floor instead of adhering. It won’t damage the flooring surface when you remove an area rug.
Rugs with a synthetic rubber backing
Natural Rubber is processed chemically to create a synthetic rubber-backed carpet.
PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) is one of the chemicals that are used to bind the materials in the manufacturing process.
Synthetic rubber-backed carpets can benefit from the use of chemicals during manufacturing.
Has higher resistance to wear, oxygen exposure, and extreme temperature conditions.
More flexible options than natural Rubber. It comes in a variety of colors and types.
The use of chemicals during the binding process can cause some problems with artificial rubber-backed carpets.
They emit and contaminate your home. It’s better to use them for outdoor carpets.
Instead of wearing out, they disintegrate with time. As shown below, they release flakes.
Latex-backed rugs
Latex is a liquid rubber synthetically synthesized. It’s classified as polymer. A polymer product is one that can bounce back into its original shape after being stretched.
The source of latex versus natural Rubber makes a big difference. Natural Rubber can only be harvested from rubber trees, while latex comes from trunks of over 20,000 different tree species.
The backing of a rug made with latex is waterproof and non-slip. It grips the flooring and prevents damage from water.
It is not breathable. A latex-backed rug traps moisture between it and the floor, which causes discoloration and dampness.
Latex sticks on the floor. It is hard to remove the sticky residue left on vinyl or laminate floors.