Sea grass is as grass grown in China in paddies which are flooded with sea water. The grass is harvested, dried and spun into a strong yarn for weaving. The nature of the grass yarn makes it impermeable, so dying it is difficult. Consequently, sea grass products are a neutral colored product -- ranging from a greenish-tan to green-brown, and a light brown. As with most natural products, there are color inconsistencies, but that adds an interest you don't find in "perfect" products.

The color variations and heavy texture make a wonderful covering for areas exposed to lot of dirt and spills. The water resistant nature of the grass fibers makes this kind of carpeting a good choice for people who want stain-resistant carpets.

There are several interesting patterns available in seagrass flooring. 12"x12" squares, or seagrass tiles, are made to be sewn together. They are created by what looks like crocheting the yarns into squares. You can also get rolls of seagrass carpet in a basket weave, herringbone and plain woven style for your flooring needs.

Seagrass carpeting can be glued directly to the floor or laid on top of an underlayment or padding. If you opt for an underlayment it must be glued to the floor and the carpeting then glued to the underlayment. If you don't want to attach the carpet directly to the floor, get one that has a latex backing to give the seagrass rug dimensional stability.

One caution about seagrass carpets is using it on stairs. Be careful when using seagrass on stairs because the surface is naturally smooth. The original smoothness with the polishing effect that comes from use, the surface can become slick and prove to be dangerous on stairs.

Since seagrass has minimal nap, it doesn't show tracking like traditional pile and loop rugs do. It's less prone to crushing and showing wear, and it doesn't have a tendency, like most rugs to creep.

Even though seagrass carpeting is essentially nap-free, it's still important that all widths are running same direction. Seams in natural grass carpets, like seagrass, tend to be more obvious than in normal pile carpets.

Finding a source for your seagrass rug or carpeting is challenging since they aren't mainstream yet, but with some research you'll find great resources.