Brian’s Blog

When you’re shopping for the perfect area rug or binding a carpet remnant for your floor space, you’re probably not thinking about all of the people who came before you and have bought or repaired their own rugs, but people have been decorating rooms with carpets for thousands of years. You are in some excellent company.

How old is the world’s oldest rug?

The Pazyryk Rug is believed to be the oldest known pile rug in the world. It was excavated in Siberia in 1949 by Russian archaeologist Sergei Rudenko who unearthed the Pazyryk mounds, including the burial mound of a 4th or 5th-century Scythian prince. The permafrost environment of the Pazyryk Valley (which is located where the borders of modern Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and China come together) kept the items in this tomb in remarkable shape for thousands of years.

Made of wool, and woven in the symmetrical double-knot, or Turkish knot, technique, the Pazyryk Rug is composed of more than 1,250,000 knots. The design depicts men on horseback and also dismounted. There is a border of griffins and a border of fallow deer, and the central field is filled with crosses containing lotus buds. It is a striking piece and reveals a great deal about the people who made it and rugmaking in the ancient period.

It’s unlikely that Scythians knotted it themselves, however. They were a nomadic people, at home on horseback and knowledgeable about the art of war. Both the Scythian men and women fought in battle and were known to be fearless, and the Pazyryk Valley is near to several trade routes that merchant caravans traveled in order to sell their wares. Due to the sophistication of the Pazyryk Rug’s construction, it’s much more likely that it was woven in a more settled, populated area with enough wealth to support various artists. Textile expert Ulrich Schurmann believes it originates in Armenia. How it got into the possession of these Scythians is anyone’s guess. It may have been bought or stolen or both.

If you want to see the Pazyryk Rug, you’ll have to journey to the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg where it is now housed among many other of the world’s most fabulous works of art. If you do ever travel there to see it, remember that the ancient Scythian prince who owned it and treasured it enough to be buried with it enjoyed it for the same reason we like our own rugs: they make our rooms warmer and more comfortable and more beautiful to look at. Our rugs are unlikely to last 2400 years, but, again, no one expect the Pazyryk Rug to survive that long either. Anything is possible.

Previously we’ve talked about how to turn a carpet remnant into a rug and also automotive uses for Instabind, but today we’d like to highlight the work of some our customers. There are a number of tutorial sites online demonstrating their beautiful work. These are people who have been so pleased with how simple and affordable carpet binding with Instabind can be that they’ve made their own tutorials or written down their experiences and triumphs. Let’s highlight some of the best Instabind feedback, with their comments, for inspiration.

Mom Writes Life (Adventures in Binding a Carpet Remnant/Rug) enjoyed the process of binding the carpet with her husband: “When we were working on the binding it was probably the most quiet we’ve been in a long time because we were in tune with each other’s pace of glue and sticking the binding down!”

House185 (How to Turn a Carpet Remnant into a Rug): “I used Instabind from Bond Products. They offer affordable DIY binding options plus how-to videos that make the process a breeze and provide a professional looking edge. Before I ordered anything from them, I purchased a color card and picked out the binding color I liked best for the rug.”

Carpet Edging (Instabind, the Ultimate Carpet Binding Tape) : “The main advantage of carpet edging is the fact that it helps in turning waste carpets to efficient rugs that can be used for a number of purposes around the house. This in turn helps in reducing wastage of worn out carpets. Instabind carpet edging also aims at enhancing the interior décor of a house.”

Karl’s Place (DIY Carpet Binding): “We’re pleased with the results of using Instabind to protect the edge of a carpet remnant that we bought for our basement.”

Jalopy Journal (Home Brewed Carpet) on installing carpet in his restored car: “I was about to give up when my wife told me that she had found a product on the internet that claimed that their process would allow you to easily bind any carpet with professional looking results. After reading a lot of positive reviews I decided to give it a try. It proved to be very easy to work with and the results on my opinion look great.”

If you’d like more ideas or help on using Instabind, Pinterest has an Instabind page. Of course there’s always our YouTube instructional video too.

Remember, Instabind is simple to use. Once you’ve trimmed your carpet remnant to size, there really are only three things you need in order to bind it. They are:

• A hot glue gun
• Scissors
• Clear tape

If you have a carpet project you’ve done that worked out beautifully, we at Bond Products would love to hear about it. Contact us any time. We would love to see your pictures too!

Have you ever wondered where braided rugs come from? This is a fabric art with a uniquely American history, but braided rugs can be made or adapted to complement many different styles of decor. Let’s talk about their history and construction.

You may know the story of Plymouth Rock, but the actual circumstances of the “Pilgrims” who came to settle in what was eventually Massachusetts is rather complicated. They didn’t intend to travel there; their ship was headed for more southern climes closer to Jamestown, and it got lost in the Atlantic and then redirected because of the onset of winter and harsher conditions at sea. Before everything was covered in snow, they had to choose a spot, and Plymouth was it. Unfortunately for them, they arrived in November, well past the time they could grow anything. To survive they ate corn they found in an empty Wampanoag village and hunted game.

The Massachusetts climate is much colder and snowier than the one they’d left behind in England, even though it’s further south. England has a moderate, maritime climate, but New England was intensely cold. In the beginning, the Pilgrims built and furnished their homes exactly like they had in England. It’s what they knew. Over time, however, they adapted to their new surroundings and made changes for comfort. This is how the braided rug came into being.

Cold floors, whether dirt or wood, take a toll on health, and this was long before the advent of central heating. A steady fire was their only heat source. A floor with a rug is warmer and insulated. The early settlers didn’t have large looms or flocks of sheep, but they were thrifty and inventive. They bought bolts of wool from England and made their clothes from it, and any scraps they had they used to make other things, like braided rugs.

Braided rugs are comparable to quilts in this way. The settlers who sewed them used the bits and pieces from other projects to make interesting patterns that were pleasing to the eye. The material they used had a number of wonderfully practical properties to use as a floor cover as well. Wool is warm and naturally repels water because of the lanolin the sheep produce, and even when damp, wool will still hold warmth. Dust mites dislike wool, and sparks from fire will most often smoulder and die when they land on wool. Wool is also mildew and stain resistant. It’s an excellent fabric for many purposes.

Because these rugs were both beautiful and practical, the settlers used them in their homes, their churches and public buildings – anywhere that could use some warmth and color. They also bartered rugs with the Wampanoag and other Indian tribes for tools and other goods. These rugs were hand sewn by women and were found throughout the colonies as a preferred rug choice in the homes of the working and middle class. With the Industrial Revolution and the advent of large looms other types of rugs eventually came into fashion, but braided rugs remain popular because they are still attractive and warm.

Braided rugs are all one piece and do not need to be bound, but like any other rug, they can be a slip hazard. Fortunately, Bond Products has what you need to keep your braided rugs safe and well maintained.

After you’ve found a beautiful area rug, and placed it in the perfect spot in your home, you’ll want to make sure you keep it nice so you can enjoy it for many years to come. The best rugs are art, after all, and art deserves to be respected and preserved. So what are some things you can do to maintain your rugs and keep them looking beautiful?

Keep the dirt out of your house

The best way to protect your rugs from the moisture, dirt, and pollen that will cause them to degrade over time is to limit their exposure to these things. Many cultures have the practice of removing shoes at the door so that dirt cannot be tracked in. In some of these countries that habit is entirely pragmatic since they do not have vacuum cleaners. Beating out a rug can be a huge job, but even in places with modern cleaning machinery, it’s best to stop dirt at the door. Put down a mat, and suggest your family and friends place their shoes on it.

If the dirt makes it past the door, however, it’s still not too late. Regular sweeping of your floors will protect your rugs and will help keep pollution and allergens out of your home’s circulating air.

Vacuum

Most of us should be grateful for vacuum cleaners. They make our lives so much easier and cleaner. Are you vacuuming your rugs enough, though? Embedded dirt is worse for your rugs than surface dirt and harder to get out. Make sure you are vacuuming both the front and the reverse sides of your rugs as both get dirty over time, and work at least a weekly vacuuming into your cleaning schedule for best results.

Deep cleaning

Sometimes vacuuming just isn’t enough – you need to deep clean. If you have pets, young children prone to spilling sticky drinks, or have large or ground-in stains, you’ll have to either rent a steamer or call a professional. There is definitely a cost difference between the two, so factor in how valuable your rug is before deciding, but any carpet you want to keep for a long time will have to be deep cleaned every 12-18 months.

Flip your carpet

The traffic patterns of your house will wear a carpet down a certain way, so it’s good to turn the carpet around every 6 months in order to better distribute the wear. Sun can also be another concern. If only a part of a rug is in the sun, the fading will be noticeable over time. Turning it will help minimize fading and keep the whole looking beautiful.

All of the above tips are good things to keep in mind if you have made an investment in your floors. Cleaning and vacuuming more often will also help your home environment to be more healthy and free from the dirt and allergens rugs can trap. Keep yourself, your family, and your rugs in better condition with some easy regular maintenance.

As we come to the Christmas season and the end of 2016, it’s natural to look back at what the year held. For Bond Products 2016 was another successful year of creating relationships between great products and great customers. Here are the highlights of new products from our current catalog:

Bond Products now offers 10 new cotton binding and serging tape colors. These additional color options bring the total to 60 tape colors for customers to choose from. Bond Products also has new color card inserts available with 70 colors of ¾ & 1-¼ inch widths of both cotton binding and serging tape (1-¼ inch only). As always, our quality cotton tape is woven, dyed, and finished right here in our family’s fifth generation 100+ year old Philadelphia textile mill. Custom dying is also available to match your color samples, so call for minimums and prices if you would like to extend your options.

We also debuted our PBL-TXB Zig-Zag Tapestry Portable binder which comes with a tapestry guide and your choice of a narrow folder. This machine does the job of three other machines and is equipped with a zig-zag lockstitch that binds ¾ to 3-inch widths of tape in a single pass or a tapestry blind stitch up to 6-½ inches wide. It has a high lift needle for thick rugs, binds over 10 feet of carpet per minute, and is backed by Bond’s 90-day warranty.

Beyond our catalog, it’s been a pleasure to serve both our local and the online carpet community. We opened our doors to people for our 2nd annual Spring Open House in May, offering free labor on portable binder repairs, free instruction and training, trade-in values, and discounts to our customers. We enjoy being able to interact directly with our new and old customers, helping them to get more out of their carpet binders so they can offer more and better services to their own customers.

Every year offers unique opportunities and challenges, and 2016 was no different. Some of us will hold fond memories of it, while others are ready to say goodbye already. But for the year’s final days, we at Bond Products hope you have the best of holidays and will spend time with friends and family and celebrate your traditions and your faith with the freedom our forefathers ensured for all of us. With that, here is our Merry Christmas message to you and yours!

Last February Bond Products’ Brian Milnes had a televised interview with Michael King, the Cajun Contractor, and a few weeks ago the HomeTalk host aired his radio interview with Brian.  The show is dedicated to the American consumer, and the two took some time to discuss DIY carpet binding.  

As you may already know Bond Products makes and carries all varieties of narrow fabrics necessary for carpet binding – including cotton and polyester tapes and Instabind  for the DIYer. Bond Products has been manufacturing narrow fabrics since 1910 when John Milnes opened what was then known as National Tapestry Company and began producing woven high-­end upholstery fabrics with intricate designs on jacquard looms. We are proud of our company’s history and the fact that our products are still made in America by American workers.

Today Bond Products also manufactures the binding equipment to sew tapes onto the edges of carpet, as well as serging yarns and equipment, seaming tapes and equipment, and rug backings and underlayment. We have everything that the weekend DIYer would need to tackle home projects, and we also have the equipment an energetic entrepreneur would need to start or grow any company involving the installation or binding of carpet.

We often sell to businesses who already service or install carpets and seek to add other income streams. Carpet installers often have their garages full of carpet remnants, for instance. If they purchase the equipment and tapes from Bond Products, they can easily sell fully finished carpets and make a profit from what might otherwise be discarded.

If you have a minute, check out Brian’s interview with Michael King, and let us know what you think and how Bond Products can help you with either your project or your business.

Bond Products is excited to announce its Instabind app is now available in the iTunes App Store and for Android. We’ve designed this app to be as simple and convenient as possible for our customers to use anytime, not just at a work or home computer.

Once you’ve downloaded this free app, you’ll be able to easily access our video tutorials, order carpet binding supplies, browse our selection of binding tapes, find out about our specials, and get help directly right from your smartphone, iPhone, iPad or iPod. It’s simple to install, and literally puts all of our products and services at your fingertips. Search for “Bond Products” in the App Store, or go to any of the below direct links and get started today.

iPhone

iPad

Google Play

Bond is also pleased to offer a new webpage for Bond’s certified refurbished equipment. If your company is looking to add further capability to its service offerings, check out our deals on carpet binders, bobbinless binding machines, puller serger, bevelers, and much more. What we have available changes all of the time, so stop back frequently for reliable, useful equipment at wonderful discounts.

We are dedicated to making our customer’s experience as easy and positive as possible so that carpet installation, binding, and repair is as accessible and possible for the weekend DIYer as it is for carpet professionals. Contact us today if you have any questions or need help with your current carpet project.

Bond Products is proud to introduce our new PBL-TXB zig-zag wide-tapestry and narrow-tape portable binder combo machine.

Bond Products offers a variety of carpet binding and serging equipment to allow for binding of any size carpet on site anywhere. These machines are a great addition to your workroom or retail-business store, allowing you to make extra income. Charge $7 to $12 dollars per linear foot to add wide tapestry borders to rugs and carpet. Simply blind stitch the wide border on, flip, and glue it to the back side of the rug.

If your current binder only has one-stitch ability, the PBL-TXB will be a definite upgrade. This extra heavy-duty construction machine does the work of three machines, allowing you to go from a straight stitch to a zig-zag stitch easily. Its zig-zag lockstitch binds ¾” to 3” widths of tape in a single pass. It also has a tapestry blind stitch up to 6 ½ inches wide, adjustable stitch length, variable speed, a walking-foot top and feed-dog bottom for consistent pulling power, and a high lift needle for thick rugs. The PBL-TXB binds over 10 feet of carpet per minute, uses regular portable style A, HD bobbins, and is available in either 110 or 220 volts. An optional 3-inch sisal tape folder is also available with this model.

This portable binding machine has four heavy-duty caster wheels for stability, an 8-foot cord, and is, of course, backed by Bond Products’ 90-day limited warranty as all of our equipment is. It comes with a tapestry guide and your choice of a narrow folder.

If you’ve been looking to invest in a portable binding machine to expand your business’s portfolio of abilities or allow you greater flexibility in your work load, now is the time to take a look at our inventory. Bond Products has all of the binding machinery and products you need to get any carpet job done either in your shop or on site. Call us today to discuss which binder option would work best for you.

As the days fly past and we approach Memorial Day, it’s now the time of the year when porches and patios become rooms in our houses that get good use again. We take our outdoor furniture out of storage, set up our grills, breathe the warm spring air, and listen to the insects hum as we enjoy our meals alfresco again. The homemakers and decorators among us get to flex their creative muscles and extend the indoors to the outdoors, so it’s a good time to talk about outdoor carpets and which ones work well in these types of spaces.

For decorative purposes there are any number of rugs and mats that can be used to add color or spruce up a space. They are made from natural materials like jute or bamboo or from man-made fibers like nylon, polypropylene, or acrylic. Because these rugs are smaller and can be picked and moved or put into areas that are more protected from the elements, you have a large variety to choose from. Remember that rugs made from natural fibers can be very beautiful, but they are also far more vulnerable to staining and mold growth.

Of course, if the space you want to use will be open to the elements and the carpet will be regularly exposed to rain and moisture, it’s a good idea to use a marine outdoor carpet or an indoor/outdoor carpet. This type of carpet has an olefin top layer and a rubber backing. Olefin fibers are the only type of carpet fibers that will float on water. This is because they are made to resist moisture absorption and not only water, but dirt, fading, stains, and mold. It’s ideal for boats, but it’s also great for patios, garages, pool areas, and basements. Many olefin-fiber carpets can be hand washed with a mild bleach solution as well which makes for easy cleaning if they do get mildew or mold.

Grass carpet is another option for sports applications like an backyard putting green or for homeowners in drought-stricken areas who still enjoy seeing some green in their recreation space. Grass carpets are available in a number of grades, but if your space will be getting wet, look into getting a high-grade grass carpet with a marine backing. It will last longer and remain in place better.

If you already have your rugs in place and are concerned about maintaining them, Bond Products offers a marine-style Instabind product that is ideal for boat interiors and outdoor carpets. If you notice damage when you pull your outdoor carpets from storage this year, don’t fret. Like other carpets and rugs, outdoor carpets can be rebound simply and easily. Check out our catalog for options or call us today with your questions. We will be happy to help.

Our TV and Radio Segment is tentatively scheduled for an airing on April 2^nd, 2016, with HomeTalkUSA with The Cajun Contractor Michael King.  You can catch your radio interview LIVE on the Lifestyle Talk Radio Network (www.lifestyletalkradio.com) at 11:00am EST and your TV segment at 11:00am EST on the BIZ TV Network (www.biztv.com).

Click here to go to Bond Products’ page on HomeTalk’s website.

Many of our customers are looking to express themselves creatively, whether that is something as simple as binding their own carpet remnants or exploring interior design. Since what is popular for decor and carpet changes all of the time, we thought we’d mention some of the more recent trends.

Contrast – Pulling the old and new together is a recent aesthetic trend. In terms of carpet, this could mean adding a luxurious bound carpet to a distressed floor in a warehouse apartment or laying an antique rug over spotless tile.

Texture – Designers are pushing fabrics that people yearn to touch. This may mean faux fur upholstery or natural fiber rugs made of seagrass, jute, or sisal – anything that makes you want to run your hands over it when you’re looking at it is in.

Layered area rugs – If one rug on the floor looks fabulous, how great would stacking multiple rugs look? One of them, of course, needs to be fairly simple to pull this look off. Nicole Gibbons of So Haute recommends starting with a simple sisal rug and allowing 12 to 18 inches of size difference to allow for proper framing and contrast.

Natural fibers – Besides the aforementioned sisal, nubby wool rugs offer a soothing color scheme when other design elements are brighter and more intense.

Bringing the outdoors indoors – If you haven’t noticed, going green is all the rage these days, and architects and designers are currently excited about ways to incorporate natural elements into indoor settings. This goes beyond just buying houseplants or using recycled materials – like reclaimed barn wood – for flooring or furniture. The idea is to highlight life, whether that is indoor waterfalls, plant walls, greenhouse or conservatory space, or choosing bright area rugs with florals or leaves to position strategically on those hardwood floors.

Do you sense a pattern to the above suggestions? That’s right, the natural look is in. If it’s organic or – even better – alive, that’s what the people seems to have an desire for in 2016. Goodbye nylon, and hello wool and seagrass.

Of course, if none of the above types of design trends appeal, you should always feel free to find any rug that will enhance your surroundings and make your space feel more beautiful or more comfortable. Trends are fun to follow, but they change all of the time, whereas most of us do not redecorate entire rooms on a yearly basis. Still, it’s fun to incorporate something different into your decorative scheme, and one way to do that is to switch out your area rug!

Bond Products’ own Brian Milnes recently flew down to New Orleans to tape a spot on Home Talk TV with the Cajun Contractor Michael King. Home Talk USA is a weekly Q&A format talk show that provides useful and timely information about the specifics of home improvement to contractors, homeowners, and DIYers. Brian is also planning a follow-up radio interview with Mr. King. The television spot will air this Saturday on February 27, so set your DVR or watch it on Vimeo here after it airs.

Brian will be talking about all the ways to use our carpet binding tape, Instabind. It’s always exciting for a company when its product sells itself, and that has been the case with Instabind. A quick Google search will reveal how many DIYers have used our products and recommend it to others for:

DIY carpet binding

Car and truck floor mat projects

A vintage Jalopy interior

Boat interiors

Carpet remnant projects

and many other uses. Instabind is simple to use, inexpensive, and versatile, and we are proud that it has proven so helpful to our customers that they want to tell other people about it on their own blogs and within their own crafting communities.

Finally, Bond Products has a new catalog. Take a moment to go through our full line of helpful products. If you need staples, staple guns, mallets, mallet caps, L-cleats, or finish nails for your flooring project, shop our Pro Drive HD™ line of supplies. When it’s too cold outside to enjoy mother nature, it’s just the right temperature indoors to start or finish a DIY project. Happy crafting!

There are so many automotive uses for our Instabind product – we at Bond know that. It’s particularly rewarding to see the wonderful results our customers get from it as well. We recently received these photos of the interior of a limousine, showing how Instabind can be used to bind carpet on site anywhere – to great effect.

These photographs came to us rather circuitously from the United Kingdom where our Instabind is known as Easy Bind. A company called Border Limousine Hire, located in the Scottish Borders, hired Hutchison’s Carpets to carpet the interior of one of their limos.

NICF master fitter Hugh Hutchison did the work, and it was photographed by Stevie Blake. To match the grey carpet, he used our Easybind Grey Dunn product in rope edge style.

These photos vividly illustrate the versatility of our Instabind/Easybind products, whether for crafts, car interiors, or the traditional carpet binding use, Instabind gets the job done beautifully.

Thank you, Hutchison’s Carpets, for trusting in and using Easy Bind for your work!

Bond Products’ binding tapes are used by any number of people – professional carpet layers, DIYers, and hobbyists. We are used to seeing a variety of projects completed using our products. One more recent use has been particularly interesting, however, and it came about all because of the weather.

The American West has been experiencing periods of limited or no rainfall for many years now. The dry areas stretch from Texas to Oklahoma to California, which, for 11 of the past 14 years, have experienced drought. In fact, scientists have begun to warn that this trend may be only the beginning – of the 35-year mega-drought to come.

The State of California, in response to a the dire lack of water due to four straight years of drought, has both declared a drought state of emergency and begun to take measures to limit how its citizens can use what water remains. Locally, many municipalities set regulations for water use, such as for watering lawns, but now Governor Brown has ordered mandatory water reductions for cities and towns statewide with the goal of reducing water usage by 25 percent. In addition to this, California is also ordering the replacement of 50 million square feet of lawn with drought tolerant landscaping and offering an artifical grass rebate program as an incentive as well.

For Californians used to lush gardens, year-round produce, and green, green lawns and golf courses, this is bad news indeed. However, some homeowners are taking the news in stride and creating their own solutions – with artificial turf. Just a few years ago, many people would have turned their noses up at the idea of a fake lawn, but as more winters pass without much rain or snowfall and the California drought continues, things change.

This past week The New York Times interviewed homeowners, turf salesmen, and environmentalists to see how minds were changing. There are a number of options for those looking at artificial turf, including better, more realistic looking products. For people who crave a natural outdoor aesthetic, this makes all the difference in the world. Tony Skelnick, general manager of Artificial Grass Liquidators, estimated that his company is installing 20 new lawns every month. Governor Brown has also indicated that he might sign legislation that would stop homeowners associations from banning or fining residents who wish to have artificial lawns installed. Four years ago, Brown vetoed a similar bill.

What does this have to do with our company? Well, as with other types of carpet, artificial lawns have to be bound in order to both look nice and hold up – particularly under more challenging outdoor stresses. And Bond Products binding tapes are up to the task. Does it seem odd that the weather in California influences carpet binding tape sales in Pennsylvania? Perhaps. But, if the past few decades have taught us anything, it’s that we now live in a global economy, so if a butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil…

If you have a carpet binding question or need, feel free to contact us at Bond Products. We have solutions for all sorts of challenges, most of them not related to the weather at all.

Bond Products always appreciates the cool new innovative ways folks use our products. Here’s a letter from one of our customers about a new Instabind application she came up with. Thank you, Renee!

Mr. Milnes –

Not sure if you would be interested, but I have found another application for your Instabind product. I recently re-covered two old lamp shades with Burlap and used the Instabind as a beautiful finish for the upper and lower rims of the shade. I’m attaching some pictures of the finished piece. Worked just as well on the shades as the carpet scraps. Thank you again!

Renee D.
Arkansas