What To Know Before Adding An Outdoor Rug To Your Patio

Outdoor rugs and patios are often built for the effects of the outdoors. They’re rugged and ready to withstand what Mother Nature throws at them … within reason. Even with moisture resistance, outdoor rugs can still cause mildew when left on patios for a long duration without time to dry off the surface, especially on unsealed concrete. Even sealed stone patio pavers can be penetrated by mildew when exposed long enough. Mildew can lead to unsightly stains, so clean it right away. You can do so with some outdoor bleach, a scrubber brush, gloves, and goggles to protect yourself. Scrub the affected area until you no longer see the mildew spots.

Meanwhile, tile patios can receive grout damage when exposed to trapped moisture from wet rugs left on too long. This can also be averted through sealing, though you should still be mindful of drying out outdoor rugs just in case. Owners of wooden patios should also double-check that their material is water-proofed and treated to be stain resistant. One effect of placing a rug on top of the wood is that it protects the material from sun fading. The downside is that if the rest of the patio gets faded but the area under the rug doesn’t, you’re left with a silly cookie-cutter shape in your patio. This can also happen with brick patios which are known to fade from the sun, too.