How do I get my rug to lay down flat?

asked by Mary Jo S. on 5/23/21

1 Answer
Thumbnail of user graysonb3

Hello Mary! Our apologies for the delayed response (we don't get many inquiries on this platform). Typically the rug will lay flat within 1-2 weeks on it's own, however if you would like to hasten this process, we recommend the following these 4 steps:

Step 1
Try back-rolling the carpet. To do so, unroll the carpet and then roll it again, this time rolling it in the opposite direction. Let the rolled carpet sit for a day or two and then unroll it again.

Step 2
Place a piece of furniture or a stack of heavy books on the creases for a few days to flatten them out using weight. If the corners of the rug are curling, curl them backward, flatten them back out and place weights in just the corners of the rug.

Step 3
If your rug still won't lie flat, apply some heat to it. Spread the rug over a clean concrete or asphalt slab such as your driveway on a sunny day. It's best to do this in the afternoon on a warm day, giving the surface time to absorb the sun's heat all morning. Usually, one or two hours in the sun is enough to release wrinkles and creases. If you don't have a large enough patch of sun, flip the rug over and use a hair dryer to heat up the creases of the rug and release them. Always hold the hair dryer 6 to 9 inches away from the rug and use a sweeping motion. It's possible to melt rug fibers, so use a low or medium heat setting and keep the hair dryer moving back and forth at all times.

Step 4
Tape it down. Double-sided carpet tape is available in furniture and home improvement stores. Apply this tape to the back of your rug; then remove the paper covering the adhesive and smooth the rug over the floor. Press the tape down firmly, smoothing it as you go. Carpet tape works on hard floors and on existing wall-to-wall carpet, holding your rug in place to flatten existing creases and eliminate new ones.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at 1-800-818-4097

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