Home - Garden
What To Consider Before Adding An Outdoor Rug To Your Patio
By AMANDA FINN
Outdoor rugs add a splash of color to your patio, but having a rug may do more harm than good, especially if your patio is concrete or tile.
"No rug is weatherproof, but a rug can use UV-treated polypropylene yarns to resist fading," Carmen Barbee, merchandise buyer for Ballard Designs, told Consumer Reports.
Barbee suggested that buyers choose rugs made of polypropylene or olefin, which are breathable, moisture-wicking, and good for outdoor use.
Even with moisture resistance, outdoor rugs can still cause mildew when left on patios for a long duration without time to dry off the surface, especially on unsealed concrete.
Rugs can protect wooden or brick patios from fading, but while the area under the rug doesn’t fade, the rest of the patio does, leaving a silly cookie-cutter shape.
Getting a rug made of synthetic fibers is often recommended because they're easier to clean, but they can also dye your wooden patio.