How hand-tufted and hooked rugs are made
A cotton primary cloth is stretched on a vertical frame and the design is traced onto it. A worker fires yarn through the cloth from the back with a hand-held tufting gun. A cut-pile gun cuts each tuft; a loop-pile or hooking gun leaves loops. Hooked rugs are the loop-pile version of the same method.
Nothing holds the tufts in place yet. The back is coated with latex, a secondary cotton backing is pressed onto it, and the rug is dried. Then the pile is sheared level, design lines are carved with electric scissors to sharpen the pattern, and the edges are bound or turned under and taped.
The method is fast compared with knotting, and Bhadohi and Panipat, both Towns of Export Excellence for carpets and other textile floor coverings, make large volumes. Speed is also the risk: a rug coated with too little latex, or packed before the latex has cured, can look perfect at inspection and fail in the customer's home. See inspection in Panipat.
What we check on hand-tufted rugs
| Check | How it is checked | What fails |
|---|---|---|
| Latex coverage | Secondary backing lifted at a corner where allowed, or checked on an offcut; coat checked for even spread | Dry patches, thin coat at the edges, latex not reaching the tuft roots |
| Latex curing and odour | Back touched for tackiness; rug and packed rolls smelled | Tacky back, strong ammonia or rubber smell |
| Secondary backing adhesion | Hand peel at the edge and corners | Backing lifts easily, bubbles or wrinkles under the cloth |
| Tuft bind | Single tufts pulled with fingers or a hook across the rug | Tufts pull out whole from the back, not just loose fibre |
| Backing flexibility | A corner folded back on itself | Coat cracks or crunches: a sign of too much filler in the latex |
| Pile height and density | Pile gauge at several points; weight per square metre | Below specification or uneven across the rug |
| Carving and design lines | Carved lines compared with the approved sample; depth gauged | Wavy or shallow carving, cuts into neighbouring colours |
| Cut and loop areas (hooked rugs) | Loop height checked in each area; loops pulled for snags | Uneven loops, pulled loops, cut where loop was specified |
| Edges and flatness | Rug laid flat; binding or turned edge checked along the full length | Curling edges, glued binding lifting, wavy sides |
Common hand-tufted and hooked rug defects and how they are classed
| Defect | Typical cause | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Secondary backing peeling | Too little latex, or pressed after the latex skinned over | Major |
| Tufts pulling out | Latex not reaching the tuft roots | Major |
| Strong odour in packed rugs | Latex not fully cured, rugs rolled warm | Major |
| Edges curling | Uneven latex spread, tight binding, rug cut out of square | Major |
| Carving off the design line | Rushed finishing | Minor or major by visibility |
| Light shedding | Cut-pile fibre ends working loose | Usually not a defect if within the approved sample |
| Tufting gun needle or blade fragment in the pile | Broken needle not recovered | Critical |
Your defect list decides the final class.
Market rules for tufted rugs
- US flammability. Rugs need a General Certificate of Conformity to 16 CFR 1630 if larger than 6 ft and 24 sq ft, or 16 CFR 1631 if smaller, based on a test or a reasonable testing program; a rug made for children needs testing by a CPSC-accepted lab. The latex and backing are part of what burns, so a test on a different backing does not cover the order.
- US labels. The FTC Textile Act label gives fibre content, country of origin and the importer's name or RN. The backing may be left out of the fibre statement.
- EU. Regulation (EU) 1007/2011 covers the textile upper layer. REACH may apply to substances in the latex and dyes; see EU REACH. Low-odour or low-emission claims need test evidence.
- Labour. The US Department of Labor's List of Goods names Indian carpets for child and forced labour. Ask who tufts, coats and finishes your rugs, as these steps are often done in different units.
Lab tests are arranged through lab testing coordination.
Packing, transit and your purchase order
A tufted rug rolled before its latex has cured gives off odour that is trapped by polythene and can transfer to other goods in the container. Rolls should be cool and dry before wrapping. Rolling face-in protects the pile but can crease a stiff backing in cold weather; follow your approved method. The inspector checks the roll, the wrap, the label on each roll and that heavy rolls are not stacked on smaller ones.
- Fibre, pile height, cut or loop by area, and weight per square metre.
- Latex type, coat weight if you specify it, and secondary backing material.
- Edge finish: bound, serged or turned and taped.
- Odour limit agreed against a sample, and curing time before packing.
- Size tolerance and flatness.
Compare with hand-loomed rugs, which hold the pile with weft rather than latex alone. For high-pile tufted styles, see shaggy rugs.
Sources
- CPSC: Carpets and rugs (16 CFR 1630 and 1631)
- FTC: Threading your way through the labeling requirements under the Textile and Wool Acts
- Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 on textile fibre names and labelling
- DGFT: Appendix 1B, Towns of Export Excellence
- US Department of Labor, ILAB: India (List of Goods entries)