The Pros and Cons of Rugs on Vinyl Plank Flooring
Many people choose to install vinyl plank flooring in their homes. Not only is this type of flooring easy to install and inexpensive compared to standard hardwood floors, but it is also easy to clean and maintain. So, if you have decided to install vinyl plank flooring in your home, you might face the decision of whether or not to invest in area rugs.
Pros
- Rugs for vinyl plank flooring are a great way to protect your floors from scratches and other damages. Even though most vinyl flooring states they are scratch-resistant, I can assure you that kids and dogs will find a way to scratch them. This comes from first-hand experience.
- They are also a good way to add color and pattern to your home. They also can improve the appearance of your space, especially if you are not in love with the current vinyl plank flooring in place.
- Inexpensive. Area rugs don’t have to be expensive. You can find quality rugs that are safe for vinyl flooring just about anywhere. It’s just important to be mindful of the type of rug you’re buying to make sure they are safe for the vinyl floors.Â
Cons
- The only drawback of using an area rug on vinyl flooring is that certain types of rugs can stain or damage vinyl flooring. We’ll get into this more below.Â
How to Choose a Rug For Vinyl Plank Flooring
This mainly comes down to personal preference of what types of rugs you enjoy, colors, height, etc.Â
Any rug will work on vinyl flooring. It’s the backing (or lack thereof) that we need to talk about.Â
Today, many area rugs come with rubber backing to make them non-slip. We want to stay away from those. This can make our selection more narrow as we need to look for rugs with a cotton backing, which are safe for vinyl floors.Â
Natural fiber rugs that are handwoven can be a great option here, as they do not have a backing. However, the tougher natural fiber materials like sisal and jute can be scratchy and may scratch the vinyl flooring. In this case, a safe rug pad will help.Â
The single most important thing to know about rugs and vinyl flooring is to completely avoid rugs with synthetic rubber backing. This type of backing will ruin your floors.Â
The Best Rugs For Vinyl Plank Flooring
Safe Without Rug Pad Use
- Wool area rugs. Wool is one of the softest natural fibers available. We know this. A quality wool area rug presents zero danger to your vinyl plank flooring when used without a rug pad.
- Cotton-backed rugs. Going back to what we covered above, it’s important that if the rug has a backing, it needs to be safe for the flooring. Cotton is another extremely soft natural fiber that will not harm your vinyl flooring.Â
Safe With Proper Rug Pad Use
- Sisal, Seagrass, or Jute Rugs. These rugs can at times be made to be soft underfoot. Especially jute. However, compared to wool and cotton, they are rougher and can become scratchy. This is why its best to use a rug pad underneath.Â
Helpful Buying Guides
Here is the thing about rug pads. A lot of rug pads on the market are cheap and made with synthetic materials, such as cheap rubber. Synthetic rubber rug pads are NOT safe for vinyl flooring. They will likely discolor your vinyl flooring.Â
So, what Do You Mean by "Proper" or "Safe" Rug Pad?
All 3 of these rug pad options are 100% safe for vinyl flooring and come backed with a 10-year guaranteed warranty.Â
Colorfastness Rugs
Colorfastness is the ability of a carpet to retain its color long after it has been manufactured, cleaned, and installed. This is very important in the rug business because if a rug loses its color, it is no good to the consumer. Equally important, if the rug loses its color on to vinly flooring, it can lead to staining and discoloration
This is why it is so important to ask the manufacturer of your rug what the colorfastness of their rugs is.
Colorfast rugs are safe for vinyl flooring as dyes will not react to water or sunlight and will pose no threat to your flooring.Â
Rugs Not Ideal For Vinyl Plank Flooring
Briefly mentioned above, some of the tougher types of natural fiber rugs may not be suitable (without a rug pad) for use on vinyl flooring as they may possibly scratch the floors.Â
Rugs made from synthetic materials like polypropylene, polyester, nylon, and chenille are not safe for use on vinyl floors. The chemicals in these rugs can react with the chemicals in the flooring, leaving behind stains, patterns, and residue.
Again, any rubber-backed area rug or rug pads can cause potential harm. Stay away from these.Â
