How do I stop a rug slipping on a hard floor?

This is treated as a minor annoyance until someone trips on it. The products sold for it vary enormously in how well they work and the cheapest are the ones that damage floors.

Safety

Step by step

1. Use a proper rug underlay.A felt-and-rubber or natural rubber pad cut about 25mm smaller than the rug all round. It grips, stops the rug creeping, adds comfort and protects the floor. It is the answer for almost every case.
2. Match the underlay to the floor.Natural rubber for hard floors. Cheap PVC-backed pads can react with varnish and vinyl and leave a mark that does not come off — check the label and test in a corner.
3. Cut it slightly smaller than the rug.So no underlay shows and the rug edge still lies flat. Cutting it the same size makes the edges lift.
4. Be sceptical about rug tape.Double-sided tape holds for a while, then lets go leaving adhesive on the floor and on the rug backing. On wood and vinyl the residue is genuinely difficult to remove.
5. Understand what silicone dots do.They stop the rug sliding on the spot but not creeping over time, and they do nothing about curling corners. Reasonable on a small rug, inadequate on a large one.
6. Weight it with furniture where you can.Front legs of a sofa or chairs on the rug. It anchors it, it stops it creeping and it usually looks better as well.
7. Deal with curling corners separately.Curling is the rug's memory from being rolled, not a grip problem. Reverse-roll it for a few days, or lay it flat with weight on the corners.
8. Try heat on a stubborn curl.A steam iron held above — not on — the corner through a damp cloth, then weighted flat while it cools. Effective on wool and most synthetics; test first.
9. Take stair runners seriously.Never rely on a pad on stairs. Runners need proper rods or gripper fixings, and a loose runner on stairs is one of the more dangerous things in a house.
10. Check underfloor heating compatibility.Some rubber underlays are not suitable over underfloor heating and can discolour the floor. There are products rated for it.
11. Clean the floor before laying it.Dust and polish residue under a rug considerably reduce grip. Polish in particular makes any underlay slide.
12. Reconsider the rug for the spot.A small light rug in a doorway or at the bottom of stairs will always move. Either fix it properly or accept it is in the wrong place.

Tips

• Felt-and-rubber underlay costs more than the alternatives and it is the only one that reliably works. Everything else is a temporary fix.
• Test any adhesive or rubber-backed product in a hidden corner for a few days. Marks on vinyl and varnish are permanent.
• Standing furniture legs on the rug is free and works better than most products.

Common mistakes

• Using double-sided rug tape on a wood or vinyl floor — It loses grip within months and leaves adhesive residue on both the floor and the rug backing, which is difficult to remove without damaging the finish.
• Relying on a pad for a stair runner — Stairs need mechanical fixing — rods or grippers. A loose runner on stairs is a serious fall risk.

If it doesn't work

Questions people ask