Rugs for Covered Balconies and Sit Outs

A covered balcony or sit out in India suits a flat, handwoven rug that can be lifted, aired and brought inside when the weather turns, such as a jute rug or a reversible rug in recycled and natural fibres. No handmade rug should live in open rain, so the rug belongs only where the roof keeps it dry.

Can you put a handmade rug on a covered balcony?

Yes, you can put a handmade rug on a covered balcony, as long as the floor stays dry in ordinary rain and you are willing to lift the rug in heavy weather. The roof is what makes it possible, so check where driving rain reaches before you choose a place for the rug.

Indian apartments and villas use the word balcony for very different spaces. A deep, recessed balcony with a slab above and walls on three sides is almost a room.

A projecting balcony with a thin canopy takes rain sideways in every storm. A villa verandah under a deep roof sits somewhere between.

Watch the space through one heavy shower. Note where the floor gets wet, and where it stays dry. The rug goes only in the dry zone, and the dry zone in the monsoon is always smaller than you think.

We want to be honest about the limits. Rugberry does not describe any of its rugs as weatherproof or made for open rain. What we can tell you is which weaves are flat, light and quick to dry, and which fibres are kept happiest away from water.

Which Rugberry rugs suit a balcony or sit out?

The Rugberry rugs best suited to a covered balcony are the flat, handwoven reversibles in Rugberry's Indoor/Outdoor collection, and, for the dry months, the handwoven jute rugs. Both are flat, light enough to lift and simple to air.

Rug	Fibre and construction	Regular price, ex GST	On a covered balcony
Sandstorm Reversible Rug	Recycled and natural fibres, handwoven, flat, two usable faces	₹24,000 for 5x8 ft, ₹33,000 for 6x9 ft, ₹48,000 for 8x10 ft	Best fit. Light, flat, can be turned to even out sun
Rift Reversible Rug	Recycled and natural fibres, handwoven, flat, two usable faces	₹30,000 for 6x9 ft	Good for a larger sit out
Stella Reversible Rug	Recycled and natural fibres, handwoven, flat, two usable faces	₹24,000 for 5x8 ft	Good for a small balcony
Kora, Masai and Pampas Jute Rugs	Jute, handwoven	₹28,000 for 5x8 ft, ₹38,000 for 6x9 ft, ₹56,000 for 8x10 ft	Good in dry months; keep dry, bring inside for the monsoon
Hand tufted wool and Botanical Silk rugs	Wool or Botanical Silk pile on a backing	Varies	Not recommended; keep them indoors

Prices are regular prices from the product pages, ex GST, at the time of writing. A seasonal sale may show lower figures on the product page.

For a covered sit out used all year, choose a reversible over jute, because the reversibles carry no instruction to keep dry and can be turned to share the sun. For a balcony used mainly from October to March, a jute rug gives the warmer, more natural look.

Is jute a good idea on a balcony?

Jute is a good idea on a covered balcony in the dry months and a poor one in the monsoon. Jute is a plant fibre that is firm, cool and handsome in daylight, but it marks with water and can grow musty if it stays damp.

That is why Rugberry's own care line for Kora, Masai and Pampas says to blot spills at once and keep the rug dry. On a balcony that means three things: no potted plants standing on the rug, no wet clothes dripping onto it, and no rug in the rain line.

• Kora Jute Rug: handwoven natural jute at 10 mm, plant spun and hard wearing. A plain, warm ground for cane chairs.
• Masai Jute Rug: handwoven natural jute at 10 mm, firm and textured. A good partner for teak and terracotta.
• Pampas Jute Rug: handwoven jute in natural and black with diagonal stripes. The most graphic of the three, good for a modern sit out.

Kora, Masai and Pampas are also flat enough to turn over, which helps them wear evenly. Rugberry's guide to what a jute rug is explains the fibre, and our post on whether jute rugs shed covers the first weeks.

A balcony rug lives in the dry zone. In the monsoon, the dry zone is always smaller than you think.

What size rug suits a balcony or sit out?

A balcony rug should be about 2 ft narrower than the balcony depth and stop 6 to 12 inches short of the railing and the drain. For most Indian apartment balconies of 4 to 6 ft deep, that means a made to measure rug of about 3x5 ft to 4x6 ft, or a 5x8 ft rug on a deeper sit out.

The rug should sit under the seating, not the walkway. Place the chairs first, then size the rug so their front legs rest on it. On a narrow balcony a long, narrow rug under a bench or two chairs looks better than a square one squeezed in.

• Narrow apartment balcony, 4 x 10 ft: a rug of about 2.5x6 ft, made to measure, under two chairs and a small table.
• Deep balcony or sit out, 6 x 12 ft: a 5x8 ft rug under a bench, two chairs and a low table.
• Villa verandah, 8 ft deep and more: a 6x9 ft or 8x10 ft rug under the full seating group, kept well inside the roof line.

Think about how you sit there. A balcony used for morning tea needs a rug under two chairs and a side table. A sit out used for long evenings with friends needs a rug that takes a floor cushion or two, so size up and choose the softer reversible.

Every Rugberry rug in this post can be made to measure in any size, which matters on balconies, because few of them fit a standard rug. Rugberry's guide to outdoor rugs in India covers the wider question of open terraces.

How do sun and heat affect a balcony rug?

Strong sun fades every natural fibre over time, so a balcony rug that sits in direct afternoon sun will lighten unevenly unless it is turned. Turning a reversible rug every month, and a jute rug every few weeks, keeps the fading even.

West facing balconies in Indian cities take the harshest light from about 2 pm to sunset in summer. A blind or a deep chhajja above changes that completely. If the balcony bakes, fit a blind before you buy the rug.

Heat also dries jute. A jute rug that sits in hot sun through April and May can become a little brittle at the surface. Moving it into shade during the hottest weeks, or rolling it away until the evenings cool, keeps it supple.

Plants are the other heat question. A potted plant on a rug traps water under its saucer, and the patch below stays damp for days. Stand plants on the bare floor or on raised stands beside the rug.

Rugberry's guide to rug fading in sunlight explains which colours fade fastest. Natural, undyed tones such as jute's own colour show fading least, which is one more reason they suit a balcony.

How do you look after a balcony rug through the monsoon?

You look after a balcony rug through the monsoon by bringing it indoors before the heavy rains, or at least lifting it off the floor during storms. A covered balcony is still a damp place from June to September across most of India.

Even when rain does not reach the rug, the air does. Humidity of 80 to 90 percent in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Kochi means a rug that never fully dries. Jute in particular should spend the monsoon indoors, rolled with the face inwards, somewhere dry and aired.

• Before the rains: vacuum the rug, dry it in shade for a day, roll it and store it off the floor.
• If it gets wet: lift it at once, stand it on its edge or hang it over a rail in the shade, and let the floor dry before laying it again.
• After the rains: air the rug in shade for a few hours before it goes back out.
• All year: vacuum weekly with suction only; balconies collect fine dust and pollen.

Flat weaves need a little extra care when cleaned. Rugberry's guide to flatweave rug care covers the details, and our post on Rugberry's reversible rugs explains how to use both faces.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a jute rug on my balcony?

You can use a jute rug on a covered balcony that stays dry, especially from October to March. Jute marks with water and can turn musty when damp, so keep it out of the rain line and bring it indoors for the monsoon.

Which Rugberry rugs are for balconies?

Rugberry's Indoor/Outdoor collection groups its flat, handwoven reversible rugs in recycled and natural fibres, such as Sandstorm, Rift and Stella, for verandas and balconies. They suit covered spaces, not open rain.

Are Rugberry rugs waterproof?

No Rugberry rug is described as waterproof or weatherproof. Use any rug only on a covered balcony or sit out where the floor stays dry, and lift it during heavy rain.

What size rug fits a small balcony?

A small Indian apartment balcony of about 4 x 10 ft suits a rug of about 2.5x6 ft, made to measure, under two chairs and a small table. Keep it 6 to 12 inches clear of the railing and the drain.

How do I stop a balcony rug fading?

Turn the rug every few weeks so the sun falls evenly, and fit a blind on a west facing balcony. Undyed natural tones, such as the natural colour of jute, show fading least.

Keep it dry, keep it turned, and bring it in when the rains come. Browse the Indoor/Outdoor rugs and the natural jute rugs. Material first.