ChartStandard dimensions — nothing to enter.
Outdoor rugs use the same stock sizes as indoor rugs — 5 × 8, 8 × 10, 9 × 12 and so on. What changes outside is the border you leave and the fact that water has to get out from under it.
| Space | Typical size | Rug | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small balcony | 6 × 8 ft | 4 × 6 ft | Leaves floor at the rail and clears the door swing |
| Balcony with two chairs | 8 × 10 ft | 5 × 8 ft | Front legs of both chairs on the rug |
| Bistro set on a patio | 10 × 10 ft | 6 × 9 ft | Table and two chairs, chairs stay on when pulled out |
| Patio seating group | 12 × 14 ft | 8 × 10 ft | Front legs of the sofa and chairs on the rug |
| Large deck seating | 14 × 18 ft | 9 × 12 ft | All furniture legs on the rug |
| Outdoor dining, six seats | 14 × 16 ft | 9 × 12 ft | 30 in past the table on every side for the chairs |
| Under a hot tub or grill | — | Avoid | Heat, grease and trapped moisture; use a purpose-made mat |
The furniture rules are the same as indoors — front legs on for seating, 24 to 30 in past the table for dining. What is different is that you should leave more floor at the edges outside, so water can run off and the rug can dry.
Same sizes, same furniture rules. Front legs of the seating on the rug; 24 to 30 inches past a dining table so chairs stay on when pulled out. Nothing about being outside changes that arithmetic.
Leave more edge than you would indoors. A rug that reaches the edge of a deck or runs to the balcony rail traps water underneath. Keep it back a foot or so from the edges and off any drainage channel.
Water has to get out. Polypropylene outdoor rugs are woven open so water drains through, but the floor beneath still needs somewhere for it to go. On a solid patio, lift the rug after heavy rain — a permanently wet slab stains, and a wet deck rots.
Measure the door swing. Balcony and patio doors usually open outward over the exact spot the rug wants to be. Check the clearance before you buy, not after.
Wind. On a balcony above the ground floor, anything smaller than about 4 × 6 will lift. Furniture standing on the rug is what holds it down, which is another reason to size to the furniture rather than the floor.
An 8 × 10 for a normal seating group, so the front legs of the sofa and chairs stand on it. For outdoor dining, size to the table plus 24 to 30 inches on every side — usually a 9 × 12.
A 4 × 6 on a small balcony and a 5 × 8 if two chairs go on it. Keep it back from the rail so water drains, and check the door swing before buying.
No. They are the same stock sizes. What differs is that you leave more floor at the edges outside so water can run off and the rug can dry.
It can if water is trapped under it for long periods — a permanently damp deck rots and a patio slab stains. Lift the rug after heavy rain and keep it clear of drainage channels.
Anything smaller than about 4 × 6 will lift on an exposed balcony. Furniture standing on the rug is what holds it down, which is a good reason to size to the furniture rather than to the floor.
No. Heat and grease are a fire and staining risk that no ordinary rug is made for. Use a purpose-made grill mat instead.