Have you ever got a rug which is too big for your desired space? Well there are ways you can go about it. One of them is resizing your handmade rug. Here is the complete breakdown of the resizing process.

Measurements Are Everything

Measurements play a huge role in resizing. You are probably resizing the rug because you didn’t take care of the measurements beforehand, which is why it is too big for your place. You need to lay your rug down on a flat surface. Now is the time to break out your measurement tapes or scales, whatever you are comfortable with. The key here is to measure slowly and take your time to do this, because this is the most important step.

After you have your measurement tape on the rug, make sure it is flat and not twisted or sagged at all. This will create a lot of errors in the final product. If you must, then put something heavy on top of the tape to prevent it from moving too much. Make sure the tape is straight and parallel to the edges of the rug.

If you must, repeat this step multiple times to get the proper measurements, because once you start cutting, there is no way out. Measurement is a meticulous process and if you are going to resize your rug yourself, then you need to be patient in the process and double check your measurements after every try.

Make Markings

Once the measurements have been made, now is the time to flip the rug over, so that the right side is facing the ground and the harder rubber like side is facing you. The rubber side is where you need to make markings. The reason why you are making markings on the other side of the rug is because you don’t have to worry about messing up the rug with incorrect markings. You can go over the markings again and again and once the markings are in sync with your measurements, then you can be sure that you made the right markings.

The markings can be made by a pencil or a tailor’s chalk. The tailors chalk is your best bet since the neon and bright colors show up on the rug and you know exactly where the markings are made, whereas with pencils, you can lose track of the markings since the surface of the area rug and the pencil are both dark in color. So, you should go with something that you can clearly see, because once you go to the cutting process, you need to be able to see everything clearly so that you don’t make mistakes.

The Right Tools To Cut The Rug

Now is the most important part, cutting the rug. You need to have the right tools for properly cutting your rug. The tools also need to be sharp. A carpet knife, a sharp cutter and some shears are all that you need. Start with the carpeting knife and score through the rubber slowly. You will have to go through the rubber a couple of times to ensure the cutting is going smoothly and you are going through the entire rug. This will take some time, so it is suggested to have some patience and try to work slowly and in increments as you go.

Seal The Rough Fibers

Once the extra rug has been cut off, you will see a lot of rough edges poking through the places where you cut your rug. You will need some sort of clear adhesive and shears to snip off the obvious pieces first, then you can apply a layer of adhesive with a small brush. This will seal the rough edges in place and the rug will look a lot more neat and cleanly cut. Applying the adhesive will also prevent the carpet from fraying and balding from the sides.

Conclusion

There you have it! Now you don’t have to go through the exchange process, you can easily get it resized or resize it yourself. All you need is some patience and correct measurements. However, if it is a Persian or traditional rug which would look bad after resizing, buy a new rug from rug stores Northern VA.