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Paul from Rugsale.com has written a guest post to give us some insight on hand tufted area rugs and hand tufted area rugs. Look for tomorrows post on hand tufted area rugs! Thanks, Paul!

Hand Tufted Area Rugs

While most handmade rugs are of the hand knotted type there is a different weaving process that doesn’t involve any knots whatsoever. It is know as the hand-tufted process. Hand-tufted rugs were very fashionable in the 1920’s and 1930’s and though they are not as popular today they do offer people a less expensive option to hand tied rugs.

The base material in a hand-tufted rug is primarily a pre-woven canvas. The pile of these rugs can consist of wool, silk and synthetic fibers.

Hand-tufted rugs can be mistaken for hand-knotted rugs because they can share similar properties, however they’re not as durable as hand knotted rugs but they cost considerably less. The main reason hand-tufted rugs are cheaper then hand-knotted is they are much easier and quicker to make. Hand-tufted rugs aren’t made by forming little knots; instead they’re made by forming little tufts using specific tools.

The process starts by cutting the backing material into the correct size and shape so that it can be stretched over a backing frame at which point the craftsman can commence. A drawing of the proposed area rug is created so that its image can be projected onto the material and the area rugs design can be traced. Like a paint-by-numbers kit, numbers are given to each area to represent the colors to be used. The correct color yarns are than pushed, with the use of a unique device called a tufting gun, through the backing. Latex glue is then applied to hold each tuft to the backing. The looped tufts are then cut to create the pile. A layer of latex is then laminated on the back of the rug along with a layer of a material designed to protect the floor in the homes where the area rugs will be placed.

While not as durable or valuable, hand tufted rugs do come in similar styles to hand knotted and at a price more consumers can afford.

This article was produced exclusively for Floor Talk! by the staff of RugSale.com an online retailer.