• ULTRA-STOP is made from a superior quality polyester fabric coated with a high-grade vinyl compound.
• ULTRA-STOP allows maximum air circulation through an open weave construction making vacuuming easy.
• ULTRA-STOP helps keep tapestries and rugs safe from accidental slipping.
• ULTRA-STOP can be easily cleaned by hand-washing in a mild detergent, rinsed, and laid flat to dry.
• ULTRA-STOP is treated with MSM-Fresh® anti-microbial to inhibit the growth of odor-casuing bacteria, mold and mildew.
• ULTRA-STOP is fire-retardant and moth-proofed and can be custom cut to fit any rug size.
• ULTRA-STOP is guaranteed to maintain its "non-slip" properties for 10 years with proper maintenance.

An empty room may be designed around an area rug, or a rug may put the final touches on an existing room. When designing a room around an area rug, use the rug colors to decide upon furniture, paint or paper color. A well-chosen area rug can coordinate patterns, furniture, and wall prints to complete a room design.

Putting pattern in a room adds color, texture and design to your room without being overwhelming. Unlike solid colors, patterns have a "chameleon" effect: they readily blend with other colors in the room. This makes it easy to decorate from the floor up or match patterned carpet to existing upholstery and wall colors. Here are some decorating tips:

• Geometric with Floral - Floral patterns provide pleasing contract with geometric designs
• Simple with Complete - Busy intricate patterns pair nicely with less complicated designs
• Small with Large - Large patterns and small patterns couple well

Furniture may be selected around rug colors and design. Area rugs are an effective method to mix patterns that have the same color palette. Deep colored area rugs provide warmth and intimacy, while lights colored rugs can open a room and provide a more spacious feeling. When selecting an area rug around existing furniture, bring a swatch of the predominant pattern in the room.

Evaluate the size of the space and the area to cover. Larger area rugs provide comfort and benefit acoustics in a large space. Area rugs also enhance areas in bedrooms, kitchens and other smaller areas that may require a splash of color or warmth.

To place a room–sized rug on a hardwood floor, choose a rug which allows eight inches of wood to be exposed around the rug's perimeter.

For a dining room rug, measure your table top. Add four feet to the width and length to find the minimum size of your dining room rug. This extra length and width facilitates pulling chairs out from under the table.

There are a variety of area rugs made from synthetic fibers and natural yarns.

Synthetic Fibers

• Olefin (Polypropylene) is the predominant machine-woven synthetic fiber. Olefin has a soft wool-like feel, but resists wear and stains while being colorfast, strong and affordable.
• Nylon is manufactured in an unlimited variety of colors, resists soil and is easily cleaned. The resilient nature of nylon withstands the weight of furniture and heavy traffic.
• Polyester provides softness when constructed into thick, cut pile textures for area rugs and durability in furniture fabrics.
• Acrylic can be blended with other fibers to provide the look of wool at a lower cost.

Natural Fibers

• Cotton is available in many colors, provides softness and good performance.
• Wool is a versatile fiber that dyes easily to create a limitless range of colors. Because of the natural scales on wool fiber surface, light is diffused and provides a soft appearance with less shine. The protein core of wool fibers are reactive, therefore they absorb dyes beautifully and hold the color well. Wool has an elastic property that enables it to retain a dense pile through the weight of furniture, traffic and other uses for area rugs.

There is a variety of area rugs constructed from different materials and patterns. Your area rug should perform well in addition to looking great. To find the best area rug within your budget, consider the right combination of density, twist and fiber.

• Density refers to the tightness of the tufts, or knots. The denser the weave, the better the area rug will wear.
• Twist refers to the amount of yarn spirals. A yarn twist that is tighter provides added durability.
• Fiber for area rugs may be from a variety of synthetic or natural materials, which will help determine performance and appearance. Natural fibers provide soft, low luster colors and long-term performance. Synthetic fibers provide brilliant colors, softness, easy maintenance and value.

• Machine-made area rugs are made on power looms by hand, machine or computer. The loom is strung with a cotton or jute warp, and then woven using nylon, polypropylene, wool or other material. Computer operated machines produce a number of contemporary designs in various sizes and colors from a predetermined design. More than 40 shades can be achieved in a single area rug using a cross-weaving technique. Machine-made area rugs have become very popular due to the variety of sizes, colors, designs, lower pricing and availability.
• Hand knotted area rugs are woven by hand; and depending on size, construction and density, one area rug could take a year or more to complete. Hand-knotted area rugs are secured to the foundation by knotting, versus gluing, producing exceptional density and quality.
• Hand-hooked area rugs use a pattern and a hooking device, yarn is punched through a canvas cloth creating a looped pile. The yarns are then glued in place in lieu of knotting, and a cloth is attached to the back.
• Hand-tufted area rugs are usually created by punching yarn in a cloth that is attached to a frame, and then gluing the backs with latex after hooking the yarn. The surface loop pile is then sheared to produce a flat surface. This process creates an area rug that is very plush, generally less expensive and easier to make than hand-knotted area rugs.
• Flat weave area rugs are less expensive, easier to make and are usually made of wool, cotton, bamboo, or nylon. Because they are looped, flat weave area rugs do not have a pile and are reversible.
• Braided area rugs are constructed in several different ways, including tape, tubular, yarn and flat. In the tradition of early America from which braided area rugs were created, these area rugs may be woven with many different materials such as wool, clothing, old blankets, nylon and blends.

Circular and other uniquely shaped rugs can present a design alternative to rectangular or square shapes.

The type of light and amount of traffic in a room will affect choices of area rug material. Some man-made fibers resist fading better than natural fibers, so consider the amount of direct sunlight an area rug will receive.

Area rug durability is generally determined by the material, construction, and amount of traffic in a space. By carefully considering where the area rug will be placed and how it will be used, you can anticipate its longevity. The chart below helps demonstrate the life you can expect from an area rug of various constructions placed in different spaces.

L = Low Traffic (bedroom, bathroom, formal areas, etc.)
M = Medium Traffic (dining room, office, etc.)
H = High Traffic (hallways, family room, entry, etc.)

Remember that the type of material used in area rug construction will also affect its longevity (i.e., a machine made area rug of tufted wool will last longer than a man-made hooked area rug in a medium traffic area).