The Rug Library

A tufting gun feeds yarn through a needle and punches it rapidly through a backing fabric, forming either loops or, with a cutting action, cut pile.

As the latex in a tufted rug ages it can break down into a fine, sand-like powder that collects on the floor beneath the rug.

Hand-tufted rugs are often sculpted after tufting with carving scissors, including electric carvers, to trim edges and add relief to the design.

After tufting, a coat of latex adhesive is applied to the back of a hand-tufted rug to anchor the tufts, followed by a secondary backing cloth.

Tufting guns can produce cut pile, loop pile or both, and can create more than one pile height within the same rug.

In hand-tufting, a netting layer and then a jute or canvas-like cloth are typically laid over the latex-coated back of the rug to hold the tufts and cover the reverse.

The secondary backing on a hand-tufted rug adds dimensional stability and protects and neatens the underside of the finished piece.

Cut-pile tufting gives a soft, slightly shaggy surface, while loop-pile tufting leaves tight connected loops that show fewer footprints.

A hand-tufted rug is made by punching yarn through a stretched backing cloth rather than tying individual knots, which makes it much quicker to produce than a hand-knotted rug.

Because tufts in a tufted rug are held mainly by adhesive rather than knots, the rug's longevity depends heavily on the condition of its latex backing.