Why rugs buckle — and what puts them flat again
Handmade rugs are under tension from the day they come off the loom. Humidity changes, uneven wear, a bad pad, or years of being stored the wrong way eventually distort that tension and the rug starts to ripple or curl.
Blocking uses controlled humidification and gradual tension to reset the geometry. No adhesives, no backing. When it is done right, the rug stays flat.
Our blocking process — step by step
- 01
Assessment
Measuring the distortion and identifying the cause — humidity, storage, traffic pattern, or underlayment.
- 02
Moisture treatment
Controlled humidification softens the fibres so tension can be applied without stressing the foundation.
- 03
Stretching
Gradual tension applied to all axes. We work in small increments over hours, not minutes.
- 04
Pinning
The rug is pinned flat during a controlled drying cycle so the new geometry sets permanently.
- 05
Release and inspection
Geometry verified, edges re-checked, photographed. If anything needs another pass, we take another pass.
