| Various methods are used to hang kilim area rugs, each more or less appropriate to the size, weight, condition or value of the piece to be hung. In any case, it is our recommendation that you avoid nailing or stapling it, particularly if the kilim area rug is large, heavy, or has considerable value. Small to medium size, light-weight, decorative kilim area rugs may be tacked (along the edge which is to be the top of the hanging) to a wall or to a flat, narrow piece of wood (a lath) which is then fixed to or suspended from a wall. |
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In this case the use of large-headed upholstery tacks is recommended. For small area rugs picture nails are also sometimes used - the nail partially driven into the wood or wall and then bent upwards to form a hook - provided the resulting esthetic effect is acceptable. Large poster mounts (or holders) are also deemed appropriate for small area rugs, as is the attachment of the kilim area rug by means of proper clamps, either to a wood lath along the edge that will be hung uppermost, or to a lath frame. The upper lath or the lath frame, as the case may be, is fixed to the wall with the kilim rug facing the room and hiding the wood. These mounting methods serve to distribute the load evenly and prevent possible damage made if the fabric is suspended directly from nails or staples. If the kilim rug is to hang on the wall for a long time rotation can also be used as a precaution by reversing the upper edges to become lower edges at some reasonable time intervals. A wooden lath frame can also be used to stretch a canvas-type fabric over it by nails, tacks or staples - much like a painter stretches canvas over a frame for painting - and the kilim rug is then stitched onto the stretched fabric, with the kilim rug either covering the whole fabric or leaving a frame-like border at the edges. The whole arrangement can then be mounted on a wall by hanging it from the lath frame.
There are also other ways to hang a kilim area rug without nailing, tacking, stapling or stretching. One way is to sew a sleeve, pocket or casing (three names for the same thing) onto the back (or reverse) of the kilim area rug (i.e., the side which is to face the wall), along and just below the edge which is to form the top of the hanging. This sleeve is a relatively narrow piece of fabric forming a slot (or bulge) towards the back of the kilim rug , the slot designed to hold a straight rod, lath or batten just a little bit shorter than the kilim edge from which the hanging is to be suspended. This slot must be sewn on in a straight horizontal line, not along the kilim edge or along any band in the kilim design because these edges or bands often do not form straight lines - a kilim rug suspended from a sleeve sewn on along an uneven contour will display wavy vertical folds rather than hanging flat on the wall. The rod, lath or batten inserted into the sleeve can then be attached to the wall by brackets, screws or nails, or suspended by a monofilament or thin piano wire.
Another means used to hang kilim area rugs is Velcro, with the softer, fuzzy part of Velcro replacing the sleeve (described above) at the reverse top of the hanging, keeping in mind the requirement for the Velcro to be sewn on in a straight line rather than following any kilim contours in order to avoid folds when the rug is suspended. The stiffer, wiry part of Velcro tape is then fixed to the wall by any suitable method, or attached (glued, stapled) to a wooden slat which is then mounted on the wall. Following this the Velcro strip sewn on the kilim rug is pressed onto the strip fixed on the wall to complete hanging the kilim rug. The size and weight of the kilim area rug to be hung will determine the width and number of Velcro strips to be used, the bigger and heavier a kilim rug, the wider the strips and more of them are used.
It should be noted that although we have described the known and popular ways used to hang kilim area rugs, these are not the only possible methods. Human ingenuity, common sense and the availability of new materials (Velcro was unknown not so long ago and it seems now that ‘gecko glue’ may soon be on the market!) will always combine to come up with novel solutions.
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