It is not uncommon to interchange rug and carpet when referring to a kind of floor covering, but technically speaking, the similarity between the two can be summed up in two words: same purpose: to act as floor covering. But the similarity ends there. Simply put, rugs are smaller versions of a carpet, and are used to cover only certain areas of a floor such as stairs or hallways. Carpets, on the other hand, can cover wall-to-wall spaces. If a rug covers more than 40 square feet of space, it isn’t a rug anymore; it’s a carpet.
Both carpets and rugs are attractive additions to any home, business establishment, private or public institution. The former requires professional installation, or removal, and constant maintenance like regular cleaning with vacuuming in between. The latter is low maintenance, easier to install, or remove, and does not need professional cleaners to give it a spic-and-span appearance. A rug can be hung on a wall, while a carpet, obviously, cannot. Still, both have their own special qualities. A carpet is thicker than a rug, with a more lavish feel to the touch, yet a rug is usually more expensive because they tend to be naturally more delicate.
Both carpets and rugs can be manufactured by machines or they can be hand-woven, in which case both their prices are much higher, especially if they are authentically Turkish or Persian. Although some carpets are manufactured from man-made materials such as polypropylene and nylon, others are also made from wool or wool-blends, unlike rugs which are almost exclusively made from wool or silk. Whereas a rug can be conveniently moved around from one location to another, the same cannot be said for a carpet. Have you made a choice yet?