Why, do they do that? Why only move, one way?

Question

Ok, here is something that is driving me crazy. I have 4 small rugs, on my floor. About once a week. I have to reposition them, back to the center of the floor. One is in a hall way, one is in the center of the living room. One is in the kitchen and one is halfway into the kitchen. They are also different sizes, some on top of the carpet. 

The thing is, they all move the same way. To the south wall, of my apartment. They don't stop, when they touch the walls. They will curl up, over themselves. I walk east and west, for the most part on these rugs. Why, do they only move the one way? This maybe, the strangest thing, I've every seen.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

As you walk and put pressure on them, the friction between the rug and the floor allows them to move slightly. That's one mechanism.

Another is when you step on it, your foot moves the fabric of the rug in a small roll, or 'bubble'. When your foot leaves the rug surface this roll has moved forward with your foot and relaxes in a slightly new position.

It's really as simple as that, and it's more of a rolling effect than siding because I have a small landing rug at the entrance of my front door on my carpet and it also moves over time. About every week I have to grab its corner and tug it back in place again.

Anonymous · Answer

Try turning the rugs round 180 degrees and see if they go the other way.

If they do, it is something to do with the fact that the under side of the rugs are not perfectly flat, and when you squash them by treading on them they slowly "walk" across the floor.

Any carpet fitter will tell you this happens to carpets that are not nailed down - though explaining exactly why is a harder question.

Anonymous · Answer

Maybe your house is on a slope or something other than that I got nothin.

highlatency · Answer

this might need video evidence for me to believe it

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Why, do they do that? Why only move, one way?

4 Answers