Do rugs make a house warmer?

[TrillsCarolsOutOfTune]

Or do they just feel nice under your feet?

No carpets downstairs in our (rented) house.

End terrace so there is a lot of outside wall.

Do rugs actually make it warmer? I can't really see how they would...

If you have wooden floors then yes absolutely, as cold air comes up through the tiny gaps between the planks.

They will help with draughts coming through the floorboards, I suppose, and are definitely cosier on your feet.

Yes. A giant rug in ds's floorboarded room has transformed it into a cosy room from the cold, dark, cavernous place it was before. Maybe it's psychological, but it's made a huge difference.

Yes they help a great deal. I think the word is insulation - they hold on to the heat, and stop it disappearing through the floor, and stop cold air coming up.

Quieter as well.
We have several huge Indian ones that are very worn down, but still vibrant and very easy to clean.

It's not floorboards, it's that clip-together stuff, there are no "gaps" exactly

It will still help. honestly it will!

Will you think I am having a larf if I say that in that case what I need is a big red rug?

Ours are red with lovely patterns on. They came from ebay - one of them is about 14ftx12ft, I think it cost about £40.

I found the worn ones are cheaper than the still-very-fluffy ones but they've done us proud for nearly 5 years now and still look like they did when we got them.

I was like you: could not believe a rug would make a difference. My d-mum was for ever trying to get me to put a rug in our living room. She buys all the home decorating magazines and spends all her free time in furniture and home decoration shops.

She had now given up the fight to convince me and just bought a rug for us. It is quite lovely, a bit Christmas-sy actually, with warm reds, greens, browns and creams. IT is in my living room and i am looking at it as i type: It does make the room look cosy.

Rugs are lovely, and even better of you put them on top of carpet underlay. Go for the best underlay you can get. Just cut to fit, and tape together.

DP thinks it will just be a thing to trip over.