Wool Rugs

Stan,

If you decide on a large area rug over tile or wood..I would suggest you look into a jute underlayment instead of the typical rebond foam pad. The jute/hair/wool has more surface area and will act as wider bandwidth filter less tuned to a specific frequency band unlike the foam pad.

Tom

A double thick layer of the best and thickest natural beaver felt laid atop sound absorbing composite from 3M. Or the nex time get a flokati rug with long hair. Shampoo and condition it the next time a flood occurs. Then blow dry it straight using an army of teen age girls from the nieghborhood armed with staightening brushes and blow dryers. Caution Use a surge protected power center with 12 outlets on dedicated lines and watch the total amperage for over doing it. It might get a bit hot too.

If you have a local estate auction house, try there for decent/cheap oriental rugs. Well-made oriental rugs will outlast anyone as long as you don't grind stuff into them. I've had a few of mine for 20-odd years and (they had 60-120 years on them before I bought them) and they all look identical to when i bought them, and probably have looked the same for 50-odd years. Buying them at estate auctions usually means you can get them cheap (they usually don't show up at yard sales but local/regional (not famous name brand) auctioneers are like institutionalized yard sales I find).

Photon46' comments on soft wool are spot on. Even coarse wool (like lightly spun goat hair which can be woven into (or used as the warps of) baluchi tribal rugs) will have a sheen to it. Stay away from any wool which feels "brittle."