We stacked books on the edges to lay it flat, which only took about 48 hours. The pile is perfect, it’s nice and thick, and our dog has claimed it as her domain (which is why it’s not gleaming like when we first purchased it). It’s a good size for our space (we bought the 5’x7.7’) and it was a great price. We did need to purchase a rug grip for underneath, which we found cheap at a local hardware store.