How to Ensure That No One Slips on One of Your Rugs

It’s a nightmare scenario: a visitor comes to your house and slips on one of your rugs, potentially injuring themselves. But before your fear of this happening has you sticking all your beautiful rugs in a dumpster, be aware that there are some simple steps you can take to ensure that no one suffers a rug-related injury in your home. And if the worst happens? We take a look at the protection you need to have in place.

Choose the Right-Sized Rug

Get the basics right by taking careful measurements to ensure that the rug you purchase is the correct size for the room. A rug that’s too large will be forced to curl up at the edges to accommodate walls or existing furniture, making for a major trip risk. However beautiful the rug, if it’s the wrong size, don’t be tempted - move on.

Deal with Turned Up Corners

Turned-up corners or bunched rug material are the biggest offenders when it comes to rug trip hazards. Rug tape or grippers may be a great solution, helping to keep the rug in place and its corners from turning or curling up. You could also anchor larger rugs with the heavy items of furniture already in the room.

Using a steam cleaner or iron may be an effective means of sorting out rug corners that have already curled up. On a sunny day, you could also try lying the rug outside - the heat will help relax the fibres, hopefully causing the corners to unfurl. To prevent rug corners curling up going forward, avoiding high humidity in the room is a good idea, and a dehumidifier can help with this.

Prevent Rugs from Moving About

Another common cause of rug-related trips is down to rugs that move or slip about on the floor. You could consider using a rug pad, which is placed beneath the rug to provide a sturdy base and prevent the rug from moving around. In general, foam or rubber rug pads work best for rugs laid on carpets, as they provide more friction between each surface.

Non-skid rugs can also be purchased, which are specifically designed to not move around on your floor. These are available in a wide range of colors and styles, so it’s easy to find the perfect option for your decor and taste.

Don’t Use Rugs to Hide Electric Wires

It’s so tempting, isn’t it? That messy nest of wires coming from the television or sound system could be so easily hidden beneath the edge of a rug. However, the uneven (and often camouflaged) bump in the material that results can constitute a major trip hazard. So resist the temptation and use cable ties or clips instead to keep those wires neat and tidy - they’re a cheap and effective way to do the job.

If you have young kids, you may also find small toys tucked beneath the rug regularly, so keep an eye out for these, which can also cause bunching and lumps in the material and, as a result,  trips.

Think Carefully About Rug Placement

Reduce the chance of a rug accident occurring by thinking carefully about where it’s laid. For example, never put down a rug anywhere near the top of a flight of stairs or in the kitchen. Further, rugs should be laid only on even surfaces to help prevent a trip. The patterns on a rug may camouflage an uneven surface, making it easy for a visitor to your home to stumble or fall.

The Importance of Personal Liability Cover

And if, despite your best efforts, the worst happens and a visitor to your home slips on a rug and suffers an injury? This is exactly why personal liability coverage for renters (or homeowners) is so vital. This type of coverage is often included as part of a general renters insurance policy and typically indemnifies you should someone injure themselves while in your home, including against any legal exposure that may result.

Personal liability may also cover you if you accidentally damage or injure someone at someone else’s home, as well as injury or damage caused by your pet to another person or their property.

Meaning, in a nutshell, that should a visitor to your home slip on one of your rugs and injure themselves, personal liability coverage will usually kick in to protect you against the financial ramifications of this event.

Making Your Home a Trip-Free Zone

Rugs are a great way to beautify and personalize your home - but it’s important to be aware that they can comprise a trip hazard, which could have potentially serious consequences. Luckily, taking a few simple steps can hugely reduce the risk, so you can enjoy your home’s gorgeous aesthetic without compromising your peace of mind.