How Rugs Can Enhance Your Classroom

A school rug is more than floor decor. Without breaking your school's budget, an area rug can change the look, sound and feel of your classroom.

Why Add a Rug to Your Classroom?

Most classrooms are made up of a variety of hard materials - hard floors, hard boards, hard desks and chairs. The combination of so many hard surfaces can cause echoing and disruptive noise levels. The murmur of a group working together times five is quite loud in a small classroom. The soft material of a rug helps absorb the ambient noise for better concentration.

Teachers often have little say in what the chairs, tables and desks look like in their classroom. A school rug is an excellent way to introduce color and a little personality into the space. A reading area can go from boring to brilliant with the right rug.

Sitting in hard school chair isn't a fun way to spend the entire school day. A soft school rug is a great place for kids to stretch out and read in comfort - just like they would at home.

What to Look for in a Classroom Rug

How a rug is constructed can determine how long it will last in your classroom. There are a few things to look for when selecting a rug:

• Thickness - Ply measures a rug's yarn thickness. The ply refers to how many strands of thread are twisted together to form the individual yarn piece. A higher ply means more threads are used and the thicker the rug will feel. Another contributing factor in the thickness of the rug is the pile. The pile measures the height of the carpet fibers; rugs are often referred to as low pile, medium pile or high pile. While a high-pile rug is usually the comfiest, custodians might prefer a lower pile in a classroom setting for easier vacuuming and upkeep.
• Edges - Since your classroom rug will face a good deal of wear and tear, you will want to select a style with serging or binding at the edges. Unfinished edges unravel quickly and result in a sloppy look. Serging is when the edges of the rug are finished with a continuous wrap of yarn. Some people prefer the look of binding at the edges, which is when the edges of the rug are folded over and neatly stitched onto the rug. Both serging and binding look great and help extend the life of your rug. Some rugs even feature both serging and binding techniques for extra durability.
• Rug Treatments - Many school rugs feature special chemical treatments that improve performance and longevity. Antimicrobial treatments help cut down on the spread of germs and odors in the classroom. Stain-resistant treatments are also quite common in school rugs. Look for key features like Premium WearOn Nylon for rugs that require less cleaning.
• Backing - Anti-slip backing keeps your rug in place, a great choice in high-traffic classrooms. Backing should be flexible and contribute to the overall comfort and durability of the rug. Good rug backing resists bunching which is a major trip hazard in classrooms.
• Fire Rating - Some federal laws require institutions like schools, nursing homes and hospitals to only use floor coverings that pass a strict set of flammability guidelines. Rugs are treated with flame-retardant chemicals and then tested to ensure the treatment stops the spread of fire after ignition. The Class 1 fire rating is indicated in the specification section of each of our classroom rugs. For more information on the fire requirements for your carpets and rugs, contact the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Shapes and Sizes

Rectangle rugs are the most common shape for classroom, but you might find that round or oval shapes fit better with your arrangement of desks and chairs. If you are looking for a seating rug, then a rectangle rug is the best choice.

Classroom rugs come in a big selection of sizes, from doormats to carpets that are over 13 feet long.

Deciding on a Classroom Rug Theme

From animals and ABCs to math and maps, there are hundreds of styles to choose from when shopping for classroom rugs. Some combine several learning concepts into one rug while others are so detailed and realistic that they become a piece of art on your floor.

Want a more subdued look but enjoy the softness and sound-absorbing qualities of classroom rugs? Select a well-made solid rug in a color that blends well with your classroom decor. The solid color Endurance Rug by Joy Carpets is our most popular classroom rug.

Our Classroom Rug Finder is an excellent tool for helping you narrow down the right rug for your classroom.