When choosing the ideal place for your Oriental rug, you’re wise to choose a space that receives the least foot traffic, and that won’t become soiled by spills from drinks or food. What you might not have considered when finding that perfect spot for your rug is how much sunlight the area receives. This is important to consider because sun fading is one of the most common issues that affect area rugs in Atlanta, GA.
Compared to most machine made rugs, the organic fabrics and colors used in many handwoven rug designs are even more susceptible to fading when exposed to the sun. This is because authentic hand woven rugs are usually made from all-natural materials such as wool, cotton, and silk or a combination of the three. Before being woven into the rugs, these fibers are dyed using all-natural dyes. Prolonged direct exposure to sunlight fades the vibrant hue of these dyes leaving the fabric looking pale and colorless over time and greatly impacting the value of vintage, semi-antique and antique hand woven rugs.
When overexposed to the sun, vibrantly colored Oriental rugs will start to look dull and patchy in the spots most exposed. The extent of the fading and the time it takes to fade depends on the intensity of sunlight that area receives. The more sunlight the area gets, the faster the colors will fade.
The ideal spot for your hand woven rug should be free of heavy foot traffic and limited exposure to direct sunlight. If your unsure, take careful notice how much direct sunlight your hand woven rug gets exposed to during peak daylight hours. If direct sunlight cannot be avoided, remember to rotate your hand woven rugs every 2-3 months in order to slow down the rate the dyes fade. Come visit our showroom for more expert advise on antique rugs in Atlanta, GA.
