It is not uncommon for oriental rug dealers to aggressively sell rug padding, and customers often assume or are led to believe that a pad will be necessary for a fine oriental carpet. This is not necessarily, and not often true. For example, hand-knotted oriental rugs and hardwood floors get along quite nicely. Both are natural products, and in the absence of mitigating circumstances, nothing further should be needed. Rugs do not need to “breathe”—a common, but irrelevant trope that essentially means nothing—with the exception of placement on cement slabs that may be prone to moisture.

Wait a minute. No, it’s not really a university—it’s really just a blog—but the term “university” conjures regal images of bluestone and brick, books and baristas, academic excellence and ivy league largesse. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little upscale branding. Work with me on this.