How to Keep Outdoor Rugs from Curling | The Right Way

An outdoor rug offers a wide range of advantages, such as beautifying your space and many more. However, after some time of use, the edges of your rug may begin to curl up, causing you to trip or fall, therefore making your outdoor space unsafe to use. To prevent this, you need to fix or keep your outdoor rugs from curling to ensure your space is safe for use.

Aside from protecting your floor from scratches and damage caused by sharp objects and heavy furniture, outdoor rugs are proven to provide comfort for your feet and add to the aesthetics of your patios, porches, or deck. For these reasons, you can’t do away with them.

So how do you keep your rug from curling or fix your curled rug? A curled area rug will not only cause tripping hazards but will also become unsightly. So without any further ado, below are various to keep your rugs from curling.

How to Keep Outdoor Rugs from Curling

• Placing Potted plants 

Placing potted plants on the edger of your rugs is one of the easiest ways to keep your outdoor rug from curling. Rugs usually start curling from the edge, and placing potted plans on them will keep it down.

This method is also a simple way of enhancing the aesthetics of your outdoor living space. Using beautiful pots and growing some evergreen herbs or flowers will be ideal. Doing this also prevents your rug from blowing away if you stay in windy areas.

• Using adhesive

Another good way to prevent the outdoor rug from curling is by securing the edges with tape or glue. Regardless of the type of floor you have on your outdoor space, adhesive tape or glue will work just fine. This will keep the edges down and your rug in place.

• Using furniture 

Using heavy objects such as outdoor furniture is another good way to keep your rug from curling. Placing your furniture on the edges of the rug will keep it down. This could be a sofa or an outdoor sectional, with ottomans and side tables to keep various rug edges down. This will also keep your rug in place and prevent tripping or falling while using the outdoor space.

• Use a rug pad 

A rug pad or liner will help keep your rug in place and make both its weight and your weight help smooth out any curls or waves that form. Just make sure they’re compatible with your particular type of outdoor rug.

Also, do you not use a rug pad on the wooden deck as they are known to absorb water leading to moisture which can cause the deck to rot. However, it is okay to use a rug pad in a covered outdoor space or on the concrete floor.

• Using Fender Washer

Another good way to keep outdoor rugs from curling is by using a screw and fender washer on the edges. However, this only applies to a wooden floor. A steel screw with a fender washer is used to hold down the rug’s edges, therefore preventing it from curling up. This will keep your rug in place and prevent it from curling at the same time.

Why is my outdoor rug curling?

Outdoor rugs have a very high tendency to curl, especially having been washed a few times. The curling process may be hastened when your home’s temperature is hot, or you have high humidity.

Another factor contributing to this menace is a poor choice of material, low-quality material, or rolling and folding from production or during transit. As a result, rugs will curl when folded for a long time.

In addition, your outdoor rug might also curl if foundation strings were overstressed during the manufacturing process, or the pressure may not be adjusted correctly in some areas. Finally, curling is common in tightly woven rugs and has a thick pile.

How to Fix Curled Rug Corners

There are numerous ways to fix curled rug corners which are highlighted below. The various ways to keep rugs from curling can also be used to fix this. However, since you already have curled rug corners, there are some approaches to ensure you get it.

Roll in the opposite direction

If the rug is folded for a long time, it can curl. In this case, rolling it the other way can help get rid of the curls. To get a completely straight rug, you must roll it in the opposite direction for at least 48 hours. This is the first thing you will want to do if you have a new rug with curled corners. However, if your rug is not new, then you will want to try out other approaches below.

Anti Curl Corner Side Gripper

If you have been using your rug for some time and its edges begin to curl up, then one of the easier ways to fix this is using a curl stopper. This side gripper is attached to the corners of your rugs, which keeps the corners from sagging.

There are various curl stoppers, but the Gorilla adhesive corner side gripper is our recommended side gripper. This curl stopper comes with eight pieces, enough to use for every corner of your rug. Using this takes less than a few minutes, and your curled rug corners are fixed, making your outdoor space safe to use again.

By using heavy furniture

Place your furniture strategically on the edges of the rugs to keep it down is another good way to fix curled rug corners. While this may not be the most attractive look for a room, it is only temporary and should resolve the issue within a week.

Also, rearranging your furniture will also give your space a new look, therefore enhancing the view of the outdoor space. You can decide to remove the furniture after some period to reveal a hopefully flattened rug. If not, you can keep it that way to prevent tripping and falling.

Use Potted Plants 

The use of furniture may not be possible for some people due to space constraints. But adding weight to the edges of the rug can be possible. You can do this by placing small or big potted plants on the rug’s edges.

This will weigh down the rug’s edges and fix it from curling further. This will also indirectly enhance the beauty of your space. Ensure you are using beautiful pots complemented with beautiful evergreen flowers or herbs.

Spray bottle and hairdryer

A spray bottle and a hairdryer can help remove rug curls. Just a few steps, and your rug will be perfectly flat with no curls. This is a simple technique of using heat to straighten your curved edges.

• Fill the sprayer with water
• Have your hairdryer close with you
• Spray water on the curled edges and dry with a medium heat hairdryer.
• Dry the curled portion completely.

This has proven to be effective on outdoor rugs made of synthetic and polyethylene which are the best materials for outdoor rugs.

Using Steam

It is most familiar with outdoor rugs to have their edges curl because they are frequently stored rolled up before being sold or used. When homeowners are laying them out, this can cause problems. The use of steam is the most efficient method of repairing a curling corner.

If you already have a steam cleaner, you can use it to moisten the corners of your rug with gentle pressure. This will loosen the fibers, allowing them to relax and lay flat on the surface. Then after an hour or two, you can gently weigh it down, and it will be completely flat.

Masking tapes can also work.

Securing the edges of your rug to the surface is another good way to fix curled rug corners. You can secure all edges using this or just the corners alone. Either way, you will be keeping the corners of your rug in place, thus fixing all curling issues.

If the need ever arises to remove the tape, it is straightforward to do so, and it is unlikely to leave any residue on your floor. In addition, you should use masking tape instead of sticky double-sided tape, which can permanently stick to your floor if you misplace it.

If your rug’s corners are stubborn, roll up a small, flat masking tape ball and stick each handful of tape under them. You can’t go wrong with this choice! This simple technique works like a charm for wood or tile floors in homes.

Use an Iron

If you don’t have a steam cleaner and don’t have the time to wait a few weeks for the weight to flatten your rug, ironing is another option you can go for. The process will be very similar to taking wrinkles out of a shirt.

When working with synthetic rugs, use extra caution when using a towel. For starters, lightly dampen the area where you’ll be pressing the iron. Before placing the iron on the dampened areas, wrap a towel around them to protect them.

As a result, the iron will not accidentally damage the bindings of the rug while ironing. Repeat the process for other corners while pressing down and holding the towel.

How to prevent rug corners from curling in the first place

You can avoid rug corners curling by avoiding excess humidity. If your home is humid, the excess moisture in the air can cause your rug’s fibers to dampen and dry unevenly, resulting in a poor appearance.

Installing dehumidifiers in problem areas can help. Aside from that, curling corners can be fixed by placing small circles of masking tape under the rug’s corners. This only works on hardwood or tile floors.

Also, let me show you a new trick. Two household rulers will keep your rug’s corners from curling. Look for a completely flat ruler with a cork liner on the back. The cork is needed to grip the rug’s underside.

Attach the two rulers right to the rug’s back, cork side down. A large needle and monofilament will hold the rulers to the rug. Stitch through the rug’s back and loop the thread around the ruler twice to secure it. This works well on heavier rugs.

Conclusion

As noted above, there are numerous methods to keep outdoor rugs from curling, but this can be avoided entirely if the proper precautions are taken beforehand.

It is not unusual to have curled rug corners; however, knowing how to fix them is important to prevent falling and tripping, which can be dangerous.

Listed above are the various ways to do so, and we believe fixing this will make your space safe once again. After some time, your rug will become dirty; check out how to properly clean it and make your rug appealing again.