Top Tips for Choosing an Outdoor Area Rug

Published by AshleyK on November 13, 2020

Pick a Short Fiber Rug

Because your outdoor area rug will be outside or close to the outdoors, you need a rug that will be easy to clean. While long fiber rugs look lovely, their place is primarily indoors away from dirt and debris that can catch in the strands. Long fiber rugs are also prone to destruction from damp or rainy conditions. Short fiber rugs provide all the style you need in your outdoor space along with being easy to care for. They also come in plenty of styles, colors, and patterns that easily fit into your home’s design—like Berber loop or turf grass styles.

Customize the Size

Before you choose and purchase a rug, make sure to take down measurements of the space you would like the rug to fill. When searching for the perfect rug, you need to make sure that it will fit exactly in the spot you would like it to, and be able to hold all the furniture that you would like to put on top of it. If you purchase a rug and find out too late that it is too big or too small for the area you have chosen, it will be a hassle to return.

Save yourself the trouble—get samples of the rugs you like and customize the size of the final product. Customizing your rug will save you the frustration of searching for a premade rug with the perfect measurements. At Koeckritz Rugs, we specialize in customized rugs for any space of your home, just give us the measurements and we will give you the price.

Match Your Home’s Aesthetic

Your rug is meant to accessorize your home’s patio and bring out colors or details that guests would normally look past. Do not pick a rug that actively clashes against the themes and design of your home. Use the colors of your patio furniture to pick a simple pattern with a color that complements both the furniture and the home’s color. If you have a neutral home color, picking a rug that does not clash will be easier than a home with a bold color. Pick a rug that makes you feel like you are on vacation in your own backyard.

Know What Material Works Best for Your Environment

Outdoor rugs should be able to handle any weather conditions that Mother Nature throws at them. Synthetic fabric, such as our standard olefin fabric, is perfect for rugs that need to resist rain and humidity. Our synthetic rugs are also resistant to sun damage and are easy to clean with nothing more than just a hose and a brush—making them easy to keep around children and pets. Whichever rug you pick should also resist damage and dirt that comes from high traffic areas in your home.

For an enclosed porch, your options are much wider as you can pick either an indoor or an outdoor area rug without worrying about how the elements will affect it. Remember that the room is still close to outside, and dirt can still catch easily in the fibers of the rug. Because of its proximity to your yard, it may be wise to keep an outdoor area rug within your enclosed porch.

Pick the Right Location

The placement of your outdoor porch carpet is important when it comes to how much it impacts your exterior home decorating. Placing an area rug underneath your patio furniture adds a classic, elegant accent that may reflect your indoor rugs. It also provides shade for your rug, allowing it to avoid sun and water damage.

If the purpose of your rug is to capture dirt from feet and shoes before they come inside your home, make sure to place the rug exactly where it needs to be to catch traffic. You may need a longer rug depending on how dirty shoes will be—especially for commercial or industrial grade entrances or exits.

Choose a Rug That is Easy to Clean and Maintain

For the rug to function, it needs to stay clean. Before you purchase the rug, make sure that you can clean it easily with very little effort. You should scrub your rug once every month, and whenever it looks like it needs it. Some rugs need little more than a quick hose-down followed by hanging it up to air dry.

Never keep a rug out during the winter. A heavy snowfall will keep the rug wet until you can dig it out and dry it. Always roll the outdoor area rug up, wrap it in plastic, and store it somewhere dry and out of the way until winter is over. Do not fold a rug up unless it is too big as it will cause creases to form. While you can easily remove creases naturally once the warmer months begin, it is still a pain that you should avoid when possible.

Remember these top tips for choosing an outdoor area rug when changing the design of any porch, patio, or deck. Deciding on a rug is just as important as choosing a piece of furniture or décor. An outdoor rug will immediately improve the aesthetic of your favorite outside relaxation zone. Koeckritz Rugs manufactures a plethora of appealing area rug designs, patterns, and materials to give you the most diverse options of customizable indoor or outdoor area rugs.