Guide · For the trade
Patio rugs: specifying for a covered patio, a deck and a screened porch
Patio rugs are specified by exposure first and size second: a covered patio or a screened porch takes any UV-stabilized polypropylene or polyester outdoor rug on a thin open-weave pad; an open deck or pool deck takes a flatweave that drains and dries, stood on edge after heavy rain, with no pad or a drainage pad. Under an outdoor dining table the rug extends 24 inches beyond the table edge on every side, which makes a 48 inch round table an 8x10 and a 72 inch rectangle a 9x12; under a seating group, the front legs of every piece sit on an 8x10 or a 9x12. We carry 390 outdoor rug styles and 203 indoor-outdoor broadlooms for cutting to any size.
This guide is for the designer specifying the patio, the porch or the deck and the junior sizing it: the three exposures, the floor under the rug, sizes for dining and seating, pad and drainage, mold and fade in practice, and the seasonal instructions to hand the client. Fiber and what waterproof means are in the indoor outdoor rugs guide; the size tables are expanded in the outdoor rug size guide. This page is the room.
Three exposures, three specs
| Exposure | What the rug sees | Construction | Pad | Handling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screened porch or covered patio with walls on two sides | Humidity, blown rain at the edge, little direct sun | Any outdoor rug: machine-woven pile, Wilton, hand-loomed or flatweave | Thin open-weave rubber pad, 1/8 in | Hose and dry once a season; stays out year round in a mild climate |
| Covered patio, open on three sides | Rain reaching the first 3 to 4 ft, afternoon sun on one edge, pollen | Flatweave or low machine-woven pile, under 1/4 in, solution-dyed | Open-weave pad, or none on a sloped slab | Lift and dry after a storm; rotate twice a season for even fade |
| Open deck or pool deck | Full sun, standing water, chlorine, leaves | Flatweave only, polypropylene or vinyl, reversible | None, or a drainage pad with 1/4 in standoff | Stand on edge to dry after rain; store for the off-season |
What the floor under the patio rug does
The rug is water resistant; the floor is what rots, stains or mildews. A wood deck, ipe, redwood or pressure-treated pine, holds moisture under a rug and greys or mildews in a season, and a rubber pad traps it worse; specify a flatweave with no pad, or a drainage pad that stands the rug 1/4 inch off the boards, and tell the client the rug comes up after a storm. A composite deck does not rot but can stain under a rubber pad in heat; use a polyester-felt outdoor pad. Concrete and pavers are the easy floors: a sloped slab drains under the rug and a thin rubber pad is fine. Stone and tile are slippery wet, and the pad is for the client's safety; specify the open-weave rubber pad and a flatweave that lies flat at the edges. A dark floor shows through a pale flatweave slightly, which the sample on site tells the designer in a minute.
Sizes for outdoor dining and seating
The dining rule does not change outside: 24 inches beyond the table edge on every side so chairs stay on the rug when pulled out, 30 inches for deep lounge chairs. A 48 inch round or a 60 inch rectangle takes an 8x10; a 72 to 84 inch rectangle takes a 9x12; a 96 inch table or a table with a bench takes a 10x14 or a custom cut. Seating: the front legs of the sofa and every chair on the rug, 8x10 for a loveseat and two chairs, 9x12 for a full sofa or a sectional. On a long covered patio with both, specify two rugs, dining and seating, 18 to 24 inches apart in the same line and colorway. Where a standard size stops short of a post or a step, cut and bind an indoor-outdoor broadloom to the dimension; 79 of our outdoor broadlooms are flatweaves and ship bound in 3 to 5 weeks.
Outdoor rug for a deck: the flatweave rule
A deck rug has to dry from both faces, so it is a reversible flatweave in polypropylene or woven vinyl with no pile to hold water or leaves. The polypropylene flatweaves from Couristan, Prestige Mills and Stanton are the standard; DMI's TropicWeave is a woven vinyl made to order in custom sizes for the deck that gets hosed weekly. Weight the corners on a windy deck with the furniture, not tape, which lifts the deck finish. Fade is the deck's problem more than rain: a solution-dyed polypropylene holds its color for 3 to 5 seasons in full sun, and a mid-tone geometric shows the fade least.
Rug for a screened porch: where the indoor rules return
A screened porch is where the designer can bring back pile and pattern. The screen keeps the rain and most of the pollen out, the roof keeps the sun to a slant, and the rug sees a humid version of a living room. Specify a machine-woven or hand-loomed polypropylene with a 1/4 to 3/8 inch pile, a Wilton outdoor pattern, or a polyester outdoor rug that feels like wool, sized as a living room: 8x10 or 9x12 with the front legs on it. Couristan's outdoor lines, 136 of our outdoor styles, are UV stabilized and mold and mildew resistant by the mill's spec and are the ones we send first for a porch. Wool does not belong here, and neither does jute, which mildews in a season.
Mold, mildew and fade in practice
The fiber does not mildew; the dirt on it does. Pollen, leaves and food under a rug on a damp floor grow the black spots a client calls mold, and the cure is a hose, mild soap, a stiff brush and a day on edge in the sun, twice a season. A solution-dyed fiber fades evenly rather than streaking, and rotating the rug 180 degrees twice a season evens the exposure. A rug under the roof's drip line wears a stripe; move it 6 inches in or ask for a gutter.
Seasonal instructions to hand the client
- After a storm, stand the rug on edge until both faces are dry; the deck under it too.
- Hose and scrub with mild soap twice a season; never pressure wash a woven rug.
- Rotate 180 degrees at midsummer.
- Where it freezes, roll the rug dry and store it inside for the winter.
- Replace the pad every 2 to 3 seasons; it fails first.
Questions designers ask
What is the best rug for a covered patio?
A solution-dyed polypropylene flatweave or low machine-woven pile on a thin open-weave pad, 8x10 under a loveseat group or a 48 inch table, 9x12 under a sofa group or a 72 inch table. The more cover, the more pile and pattern the patio can take.
Can an outdoor rug go on a wood deck?
Yes, as a reversible flatweave with no rubber pad, lifted to dry after rain. A pile rug or a rubber pad on a wood deck traps water and greys or mildews the boards in a season. A drainage pad with a 1/4 inch standoff is the compromise when the client wants cushion.
What size outdoor rug for a patio dining table?
The table plus 24 inches on every side: 8x10 for a 48 inch round or a 60 inch rectangle, 9x12 for a 72 to 84 inch rectangle, 10x14 or a custom cut from indoor-outdoor broadloom for a 96 inch table or a bench.
Do patio rugs need a pad?
On concrete, pavers, stone and tile, yes, a thin open-weave rubber pad for grip and drainage. On a wood deck, no, or a drainage pad. On a composite deck, a polyester-felt outdoor pad rather than rubber.
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