Outdoor rugs can add style and comfort to your patio, porch, or backyard. But it’s super annoying when the edges flap in the breeze or the whole thing blows away in the wind.
Fortunately, there are some simple solutions to make outdoor rugs stay in place so you can enjoy them without constant fussing or chasing them down the street.
In this ultimate guide, as a professional custom rugs manufacturer, I’ll share my top tricks for keeping outdoor rugs firmly planted so they stay put all year long in 2024 and beyond.
Why Securing Outdoor Rugs Is So Important
You put a lot of time and money into decking out your outdoor living space. Outdoor carpets tie everything together while adding softness underfoot.
But it’s impossible to relax on your patio with your morning coffee or host family movie night with a constant windblown rug problem:
- Flapping edges or buckling corners become trip hazards that can lead to falls and injuries.
- Unsecured rugs can blow into outdoor furniture, plants, and other decor, damaging everything.
- Airborne rugs turn into dangerous projectiles in high winds.
- Constant fussing with rug placement takes all the enjoyment out of being in your outdoor retreat.
Fortunately, it’s easy to avoid injury, property damage, and general annoyance by properly securing your outdoor area rugs.
Let’s go over surefire ways to keep outdoor rugs in place on several types of surfaces.
How to Make an Outdoor Rug Stay in Place
Heavy Furniture Anchor Points for Outdoor Rugs
Using furniture legs, decorative accents, and potted plants are simple tricks for preventing flyaway rugs:
Place Heavy Items at Corners and Edges
Outdoor rugs get lifted by wind gusts catching the corners and folded edges. Place heavy furniture or decorative items on all sides to flatten and weigh down trouble spots.
Good options include:
- Patio armchairs
- Square coffee tables
- Footstools or ottomans
- Weatherproof deck boxes
- Large ceramic, concrete, or galvanized steel planters
- Decorative stone statues, boulders, or thick pavers
Don’t have suitably heavy items? Try some of these DIY anchor solutions using supplies from your local hardware store:
- PVC pipe filled with sand or concrete
- Metal hooks and pipe screwed into a wooden border
- Bricks or rocks placed on rug corners inside short spans of inexpensive PVC piping
Arrange Heavy Sofas and Dining Sets Over Rug
Carefully position heavier pieces to fully cover your outdoor rug. This uses the entire furniture footprint as an anchor:
- Place front chair/sofa legs along one rug edge while back legs sit just off the opposite edge.
- Center a dining table, then scoot chairs in just enough to trap edges.
- Arrange seating tightly together with some chair legs on, some legs off the rug.
Measure first to ensure full coverage without stretching or bunching up the rug. Make minor furniture adjustments with rugs on soft-surface patios or lawns to avoid damaging floors or surfaces.
Adhesives and Fasteners for Securing Outdoor Rugs
Alternative methods for keeping rugs in place include weatherproof tapes, mechanical fasteners, floor grippers, and stake systems:
Double-Sided Outdoor Carpet Tape
Start by thoroughly cleaning and drying the rug underside/floor surface area. Apply firmly pressed strips or full back adhesive coverage of durable double-sided outdoor carpet tape.
This creates a grippy bond between the rug backing and floor surface to prevent sliding, curling corners, and wind lifting.
Velcro Strips
Install hook and loop outdoor Velcro strips on the rug underside and flooring edges/corners.
This removable option pins down the whole rug or problem spots prone to catching air gusts underneath.
Rug Gripper Pads
Rubberized mesh rug gripper pads grab underneath to prevent slipping and boost traction on smooth flooring surfaces.
They won’t adhere well to rough or uneven patios or concrete. But pads effectively grip under rugs while remaining repositionable when needed.
Tight Lawn Stakes or Tent Pegs
Install angled metal stakes attached to small D-rings or grommets screwed into the backing at several points around or just inside the outdoor rug’s edges.
The secured perimeters resist catching passing breezes and allow air to pass underneath instead of getting trapped and lifting the entire rug.
Hold-Down Weights Inside Rug Edges
Sew pockets into the rug backing just inside all four sides. Insert metal pipes, PVC tubes filled with sand/rocks, chain links, or other heavy items with strap handles.
Close the opening with Velcro strips or durable stitching to contain the flat weights for added surface grip and wind hold-down.
Surface-Specific Tips for Securing Outdoor Rugs
Some methods and materials work on nearly all ground surfaces. But tailoring placement solutions to your specific patio, balcony, porch, or backyard flooring gets the best results:
Lawn and Soil Surfaces
- Use landscape anchor pins, plastic sod staples, or tent pegs around edges.
- Weigh down curled corners with flower pots or decorative lawn items resting on rug folds.
- Always start with a padded rug underlayment to cushion and prevent moisture seepage underneath.
Wood and Composite Decks
- Use strips of durable double-sided tape or removable adhesive Velcro strips under edges.
- Avoid sharp hooks, staples, or screws that could damage deck material.
- Weigh down corners and sides with larger deck planters or heavy storm-worthy deck storage boxes.
Concrete, Stone, and Tile
- Apply strips of the rugged indoor/outdoor carpet tape made for rugged outdoor conditions.
- Get maximum cling by thoroughly cleaning flooring first. Allow floors and tape to dry completely before application.
- Use a hand roller or firmly smooth tape ends for best adhesion to the floor when securing edges prone to catching passing breezes.
- Avoid excess moisture and puddling rains on taped areas. Gently lift rugs to dry out floors completely before replacing.
Balconies, Raised Patios, and Rooftop Decks
- Secure corners/edges with small squat flower pots or decorative concrete blocks.
- Thread thin rope, nylon straps, or stainless steel stretch cord with carabiner clips through protective rug edge piping or grommets.
- Securely clip the opposite end around posts or other stable anchoring points.
Regular Care and Maintenance
Outdoor rugs take more abuse from sun, rain, dirt, lawn treatments, people, pets, seasonal storms, and other elements.
Keep your carpets looking vibrant, clean, and resilient by:
- Placing rugs in covered areas protected from harsh weather whenever possible.
- Storing patio rugs properly over winter or extended unused periods.
- Routinely removing debris by shaking out, sweeping, or vacuuming.
- Spot cleaning food spills and pet accidents immediately to prevent staining.
- Deep cleaning entire rugs 2-4 times per year depending on exposure and use.
- Checking edging, weights, floor attachments, and corner reinforcements every 1-3 months to ensure effective hold-down staying power.
Enjoy a Beautiful and Functional Outdoor Rug Space
You invest a lot in creating a comfortable, stylish outdoor living space. Take the simple extra step to securely anchor your patio rugs, and they’ll stay beautiful and enhance enjoyment of your yard for years.
Keeping outdoor carpets where they belong lets everyone fully utilize and appreciate breezy, inviting alfresco rooms without safety issues, constant fussing, or chasing runway rugs around the neighborhood!
Focus everyone’s outdoor adventures on fun times together instead of fighting the wind over a poorly anchored rug with my floor-specific tips for effortlessly keeping outdoor area rugs in place once and for all.