How to hang rugs.

Thank you Albert!!! A lot easier than mine and will use that combination the next time. Jlind, if you have ceilings that are 10' tall there are probable a few people that would help you in room acousitics. ;-) My ceilings are 8' and from listening to other people's system I've come to understand that the room is part of the sound equation and you haven't said what your new room size is so can't really offer advice on rug placement. Good luck!

Boss302

My wife & I are fans of good weaving and have collected rugs for many years. The only thing I'd add to Alberts' advice is that sometimes when you hang a rug on a wall facing the exterior, sufficient moisture can migrate through walls over time to cause rust to develop on the steel tacks in a tack strip. It has been my preference to use copper tacks which can be purchased at any well stocked hardware store. Boss302's sewing method works well too, I've done that for flat weave kilims or small Afghan saddle bags.

I have a tapestry on my wall. It is meant to be hung, unlike a carpet, which can be hung or put on a floor. It is hanging with Velcro. One strip of the Velcro is on the back of the tapestry. The other is on a 1x3 board so the the tapestry is supported along its length. It is the long edge of the tapestry which is supported, unlike rugs which are usually supported by the narrow end. The top edge of the board has eye hooks, which then slips onto another set of hooks on the wall. I didn't come up with this myself. The artist who made the tapestry prepared it and sold it with this hanging system in place. I don't know whether putting a Velcro strip on the back of a silk Persian would be the thing to do. I would want to check with a store which sells them, or even an antique dealer. I like Alberts's idea with the tack strip. The more tacks the better so that each holds less weight.

I checked at a carpet store and they used a staple gun and a 2"x2" piece of wood.
Nice rug too.

We use a variant of the Velcro method described by Markphd on several Navajo rugs to good effect. Velcro is attached to the back of the rug, (a light stitch done by a rug restoration specialist or any quality framer experienced in museum quality preparation). Velcro is also then glued onto a piece of wood which is nailed into the position - much easier to level a piece of wood!

Another alternative not mentioned here is to attach loops to the rug and then hang it from a rod. This can be quite decorative (eg wrought iron with finials etc) if that works in your home.

For smaller pieces a UV plex display box cover. The rug is mounted to a complimentary silk or linen backing then the box goes over it. I mention it because it is a nice way to handle a small piece (up to 2x3 or so) that won't hang well on its own. Obviously this approach negates any acoustical benefits of hanging a rug.