Parametric Rug Cleats/Grips for Carpeted Floors (SCAD)

If you have rugs/runners on carpet, you know that they will tend to migrate across the floor like an inchworm. It's especially bad on deep pile carpet, which is what I made these for.

The shown cleats are all 5x5 cleats with an 8mm peg height, but the tessellation and height are adjustable in SCAD. The peg tips can be canted directionally if you feel that will provide better effect in your application. See the examples.

Carpet tape is an empty gesture; not only will it not work, it will leave adhesive residue all over the carpet. These cleats are intended to be glued to the rug backing. I simply used some leftover silicone caulk, though there's plenty of latitude on that choice. Flip the rug, apply some adhesive to the cleat, spread it thin with a putty knife, and stick/weight until dry. If you need to remove/reposition it later, use a long sharp knife to skive the glue joint apart.

I recommend printing a cleat and throwing it on the carpet. Stomp it down and scuff your foot against it. Get a feel for how well (or poorly) the cleat wants to grip. Are the pegs too tall/short? Throw it under the rug and see if you can feel it through the rug. If you don't like the feel, consider printing a smaller cleat, use a thinner backing pad, or maybe try TPU.

In my case, they do seem to work. They're not 100% effective at stopping the migration, but it's a big improvement. I'm not done trying to decide which cleat style is most effective.

Category: Decor