Wind is often the nuisance of many patio setups. While a cool breeze feels fantastic on a hot day, mother nature sure does take it a bit too far sometimes.
If you live in a wind-prone area, you know exactly what I’m talking about. For the rest of you, simply put in a copy of the Wizard of Oz to get a short glimpse. However, it doesn’t take living in Kansas during tornado season to have a problem with your outdoor rugs flying away.
To that end, let’s take a look at a few smart ways that you can keep your patio rug from blowing away from your outdoor space.
Use washers to secure the edges
You may be tempted to just start putting heavy things on top of your textile and hoping for the best. This approach can work for light gusts of wind, although problems can still occur as the wind-speed grows.
If the wind catches a corner just right, you might still be chasing your rug down.
To solve your patio rug problem once and for all, consider fastening the patio rug in place with washers. Simply drill holes every couple of feet on the rug (ensuring to also cover the corners). Then place screws in those slots, fit washers over them, and tighten them all down.
However, not so fast. There’s a big reason why you might not want to take this approach. It requires you to cut additional holes in your patio rug!
If your rug is rare, expensive, or sentimental, this will naturally be a non-option. Not only will the holes themselves damage the rug, but can increase the likelihood of additional weathering.
That said, this is the most permanent fix on this list.
Barring hurricane-force winds or your rug somehow tearing, this should keep your rug from blowing away for as long as these washers are fastened in place.
Use caulk to secure your outdoor rug to your patio
Caulk can be another easy option to secure an outdoor rug to your patio.
Using clear latex acrylic caulk, run a thin bead along the edge of the underside of the outdoor rug. Firmly place it where you’d like it to stay. However, please note: you’ll want to allow ample time for the caulk to dry before allowing any foot traffic.
Two hours should be enough for the caulk to dry.
While this also damages the rug somewhat, there are no short-term cosmetic damages. However, be careful removing the rug, as you can damage it during this process.
Try potted plants
Why not try placing some planters on top of it? Plants can be a great way of sprucing up your outdoor décor anyway — you might as well get a little utility out of it.
A great benefit of plants and planters is that they’re naturally temporary.
They do not carry with them the finality of drilling holes and washers into your patio rug. In fact, you can place a planter on top of your rug today, decide that you want to change the arrangement, and have it gone before the sun goes down. All without causing any serious damage to your rug!
That said, this doesn’t mean that planters can’t damage patio rugs at all.
In particular, you want to make sure that soil or organic material from the plants doesn’t spill out of the planters and onto your textile. Make sure that you are using only high-quality, sturdy planters.
You can try to place towels underneath them but then you’ll have to ensure those stay in place as well or else let them flap away in the breeze.
One more thing to note: you also need to make sure that whatever plants and planters you put on top of your patio rug will actually stay put. Placing a top-heavy planter on top can be hazardous. All you’re doing is creating a situation where sooner or later it will tip over, spill soil and crushed plants all over the cloth.
Use your existing patio furniture
Maybe potted plants aren’t your thing or maybe you’re just someone who prefers entertaining outdoors. If this sounds like you, consider using the patio furniture you already have.
On the plus side, you certainly won’t have to worry about whether or not furniture will keep your patio rug in place. Obviously couches, tables, and chairs will be heavy enough to keep your rug from blowing away, assuming that they aren’t lightweight enough to be blown over themselves.
That said, most wooden and metal furniture will obviously be heavy and sturdy enough to stand in place, all while adding nice decorative flourishes to your outdoor décor.
The biggest downside to this approach is that furniture can be costly. While many heavy low to mid-range patio furniture exist, it may be too much to spend to simply make your outdoor rug stay put!
However, if you’re in the market for patio furniture anyway, this is a fine option to consider. We actually wrote a buyer’s guide covering patio furniture for a rainy climate if you’d like to see our recommendations.
You might also consider simply buying a heavier rug — we actually wrote an entire guide on how to choose the perfect outdoor rug.