Your New Rug: Delivery, Unpacking and the First Week

A new rug settles best when you measure the route in before it arrives, unpack it in the room where it will live, cut the wrapping only at the ends, and check it the same day. Roll marks, curled corners and a little shedding are normal in the first week and fade with use and gentle vacuuming.

What should you do before a rug is delivered?

Before a rug is delivered, check the route into the room, clear the space where it will lie and make sure the courier can reach you. Most delivery problems with large rugs come from a lift that is too small or a stairwell with a tight turn, not from the rug itself.

A rug travels rolled, so the length of the roll is the length of the rug's shorter side. A 5x8 ft rug makes a roll about 5 ft long, while a 9x12 ft rug makes a roll about 9 ft long. Measure the lift's internal diagonal, the turns on any staircase and the doorway to the room. In many Mumbai and Bengaluru towers, a 9 ft roll fits only by standing upright in the lift or going up the service stairs.

Housing societies often have rules on delivery hours, service lifts and entry passes. Let the security desk know a large parcel is expected, and give the seller a complete address with tower, floor and flat number, along with a phone number that someone will answer on the day.

Clear the floor where the rug will go and vacuum or mop it the day before, so it is dry. If you have ordered a felt underlay, keep it ready to go down first. Our guide to rug pads on Indian floors explains which kind suits marble, tile and wood.

How does a handmade rug travel?

A handmade rug usually travels rolled around a firm tube, pile facing inwards, and wrapped in a protective layer. Rolling is kinder than folding, because a fold leaves a sharp line across the rug that can take weeks to fade and, on a firm weave, can strain the backing.

Rugberry delivers to every address in India, and delivery is free on every order. The FAQ on rugberry.in gives 7 to 10 days for rugs held in stock, subject to availability, while a rug made to measure follows its own making time first: about 30 days hand tufted or hand woven, about 35 days on the handloom and about 60 days hand knotted, plus delivery. These are estimates counted from the day payment is confirmed.

If you are tracking a parcel, the Track Your Order link in the site footer is the place to look. For anything unusual, such as a delivery to a farmhouse with a long approach road or a site still under construction, message the team before dispatch rather than on the day.

Unroll a new rug where it will live, not in the hallway where it lands.

How do you unpack a rug without damaging it?

Unpack a rug by carrying the roll to the room where it will live, cutting the wrapping only at the two ends, and then sliding or peeling the rest away by hand. A blade drawn along the length of the roll is the single most common way a new rug gets cut.

Lay the roll along the wall where the rug's edge will sit, with the loose end facing into the room. Unroll it slowly towards the centre. Two people make this easier for anything 8x10 ft or larger, since a heavy roll can twist as it opens and drag a corner across the floor.

Keep the wrapping and the tube for a few days. If something needs to be reported, the packaging helps show how the rug arrived, and if you later need to store or move the rug, rolling it back onto the same tube is far easier than starting from nothing.

A deep pile rug such as the Plush Wool Rug in Sand needs a little more patience. It is handloom woven in New Zealand wool at 18 to 20 mm, and its pile lies flattened from the roll at first. Run a hand across it against the pile to lift it. Plush in Sand is one of the rugs held in stock in six standard sizes, at a regular price of ₹40,000 for 5x8 ft and ₹79,000 for 8x10 ft, ex GST at the time of writing.

What should you check on the first day?

On the first day, check the size, the colour, the face and the back of the rug, in daylight, before furniture goes on it. This is the moment to see the rug clearly, and it is also when any manufacturing defect must be reported.

What to check	What is normal	When to write to the team
Size, measured along each edge	A small difference, since a handmade rug is never machine exact	A difference large enough to change how the rug fits the room
Colour against your swatch, in daylight	Slight shifts between dye lots and a sheen that changes with the light	A clearly different colour from the one you ordered
The face of the rug	Roll marks, flattened pile, gentle shading on smooth yarns	A cut, a hole, a missing section of the design
The back and the edges	Visible hand work and small irregularities in line	Loose binding, a backing that is coming away

Rugberry's policy on rugberry.in is clear on timing. If a rug has a manufacturing defect, email info@rugberry.in within 24 hours of delivery, and it will be replaced with another piece of the same rug. Take photos of the whole rug and of the problem area close up, with something for scale.

It also helps to know what is not a defect. A handmade rug shows the hand that made it, in a line that wavers slightly or a colour that varies along the length. Our guide to irregularities in handmade rugs sets out the difference between character and fault.

Because each rug is made for one client, sales are final and returns or exchanges are not offered, which is why a swatch before ordering and a careful check on arrival both matter. An order can be cancelled with a full refund only before production begins and before the rug ships.

Why does a new rug have creases and curled edges?

A new rug has creases and curled edges because it spent days rolled tightly, and the fibres and backing hold that shape for a while. Most of it relaxes with time, warmth and feet, without any special treatment.

For a corner that lifts, roll that corner gently the opposite way for a minute, then lay it flat and place a stack of books on it overnight. Repeat for two or three nights if needed. Never use an iron or a steamer directly on the rug, as heat and moisture can mark the pile and, on Botanical Silk, leave a hard patch.

The Livid Wool & Silk Rug shows another early effect. It is hand tufted in New Zealand wool and Botanical Silk at 14 to 16 mm, with charcoal contour lines on an ivory ground, and on a new rug the Botanical Silk can show light and dark bands where the roll pressed it. A soft brush stroked in one direction evens them out. Livid is ₹40,000 for 5x8 ft and ₹79,000 for 8x10 ft at regular price, ex GST at the time of writing.

Patterned hand tufted rugs settle in the same way. The Bergamo Rug, ivory fragments on a warm sand ground in New Zealand wool at 14 to 16 mm, lies flat within days on a smooth floor, faster with a felt underlay beneath it. It is ₹40,000 for 5x8 ft at regular price, ex GST at the time of writing.

Is shedding or a smell normal in the first weeks?

Yes, some shedding is normal in a new wool rug, and a faint natural smell is normal in new wool and jute. Both fade with airing and regular vacuuming over the first weeks.

Shedding is short ends of fibre left in the pile after shearing, not the rug falling apart. The rugberry.in FAQ notes that it eases with regular vacuuming. Use suction only or a brush head, without a beater bar, and expect to empty the vacuum more often for a month. Our guide to why wool rugs shed explains how long it usually lasts.

A new rug can carry the smell of wool or of the workshop, sealed in by its wrapping. Open the windows, run a ceiling fan and let the rug breathe for a few days. Jute has its own dry, grassy scent, and the Savannah Jute Rug in Natural, hand knotted in jute at 15 to 16 mm, may keep a hint of it for a while. Savannah in Natural is ₹41,000 for 5x8 ft at regular price, ex GST at the time of writing.

How should the first month with a new rug go?

In the first month, set the habits that will keep the rug looking right for years: a felt underlay beneath it, shoes off where possible, a light vacuum once or twice a week and furniture placed so its weight is spread.

Put felt cups or small coasters under the legs of heavy pieces such as a sofa or a cabinet, so the legs do not leave deep dents. Move them a few centimetres every few months. If you plan to turn the rug end to end to even out sun and wear, start the habit now and note the date.

Look at the rug at different times of day in its first weeks. Smooth yarns such as Botanical Silk change with the light, and the same rug can look cooler in the morning and warmer under evening lamps. If you are still choosing a placement, our guide to rug placement covers the main living room and bedroom layouts.

Frequently asked questions

Can a rug be delivered to an upper floor without a lift?

Usually yes, carried up the stairs as a roll, though the stair turns set the limit. A roll longer than the landing is wide may not make the turn, so measure the tightest landing and share it with the team before you order a large size.

Will the delivery team unroll and place the rug?

Plan for the household to unroll and place a home rug, and ask the team when you order if you need anything more. For hospitality projects, Rugberry offers site installation, which is arranged as part of the project rather than with a home order.

What if I am not home on the delivery day?

Leave a working phone number with the order and tell your building's security desk to expect a large parcel. Couriers usually call before arriving, and a neighbour or the security team can receive it if you have arranged this in advance.

Can I store a new rug before moving into a new home?

Yes, keep it rolled with the pile facing in, wrapped in breathable cotton rather than sealed plastic, standing or lying off the floor in a dry room. Unroll it within a few months, especially through the monsoon.

Is GST charged on delivery?

No. GST at 5 percent is added to the rug price at checkout, with a GST invoice for every order, and no separate charge is made for delivery or handling anywhere in India.

Measure the route, unpack with care and give it a week to settle. See the Plush Collection and every Rugberry rug. Material first.