DRY ROT

DRY ROT

Finally woven traditional rugs are more susceptible to dry rot than loosely woven decorative weavings.This extremely serious imperfection is manifested when the cotton warps and wefts that are tightly packed against one another lose their elasticity,become brittle,and eventually turn to powder and disintegrate.This decay of the foundation represents the death of the carpet.

Merchants gently bend or fold the rug,and if the back cracks,dry rot is present,and may pervade the entire piece.Because dry-rotted carpets crack easily,they are often rolled inside out with the pile exposed in order to prevent breaks and splits in the foundation.A piece that is rolled inside out in a dealer’s showroom may be brittle.If dry rot is advanced,extensive splitting and cracking occurs on the back of the rug.In order to maintain the integrity of the carpet,we are as master restorers sew all the little splits together.

Dry rot is generally invisible,but diminishes value significantly,and dealers normally do not buy carpets that have this form of deterioration.The piece may be in excellent condition on the surface,with perfect pile,and still suffer from the defect.

Certain antique Agra and Amritsar rugs with many splits,cracks,and tears sewn together throughout the carpet,may also have dry rot.The flaw often develops most egregiously in the area beneath or around a flower pot.Dry rot usually occurs when the plant is in a basket and water overlaps the dish beneath the pot onto the rug.The warps and wefts that are continuously exposed to dampness become hardand eventually dry and brittle.This area is difficult to repair because the damaged area must be cut out to where the foundation is strong and healty prior to rebuilding and reweaving.Most carpets would not merit the costs involved in reweaving an area eight inches or more in diameter.Flower pots that are placed on rugs should never be put in baskets and great care must be taken to prevent exposure of the weaving to dampness.It is necessary to move flower pots to different locations periodically.

Humidifiers should not be set directly on the carpet and must also be relocated from time to time.