Water Damage
Most varieties of Oriental rugs have wool pile, but many have cotton warp and weft (the warp is the foundation upon which knots are tied to create the pile; the weft runs over and under warp strings between rows of knots to strengthen the rug from side to side).
This cotton foundation can be weakened, and sometimes actually rotted, if the rug is wetted repeatedly and not properly dried.
A common cause of such damage occurs when potted plants are placed directly on an oriental rug. The plant is watered regularly, the pot leaks, and the rug under the pot stays permanently damp.
Within two or three weeks the foundation of the oriental rug can become so weak that chunks can be torn from the affected area byhand. If you use planters near a rug, try to place them on a slim legged stool, or a caster-based support that lets you see under the pot and allows for ventilation.
After watering the plant check to be sure the rug under it is completely dry. It is so important for oriental rug care. Another form of water damage can affect rugs used in a basement or other area below grade level. If the basement floods the potential for damage is obvious. The rug must be removed quickly, properly cleaned and allowed to dry completely.
A more insidious form of damage can be caused by using a rug over adamp floor (as is often the case if the floor is cement). Even though the floor is not noticeably wet to thetouch, there can be enough moisture to allow micro-organisms to flourish in the material of the warp andweft and to degrade the strength of the rug's foundation.
A rug damaged in this way will often feel peculiarly stiff when manipulated. The rug will sometimes beso stiff it will be difficult to roll, and if you listen carefully to the back of the carpet when it is creased orfolded, you can often hear the cracks and popping noises made by breaking warp and weft fibres.
