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Hi all,
I posted this on the "green living" forum but thought it might be good to post this here as well.
I'm trying not to panic.
I've just rented a home and the landlord installed new carpeting.
This was unexpected and i didn't know that he was going to do this.
I'm highly sensitive to chemicals and do not want to expose myself or my dog to this toxic situation.
I'm about to write him a letter and inform him that i can't live with new carpeting and that had i known that he was going to install new carpet i would not have agreed to the rental and that if he wants me as a tenant he'll have to remove it.
I need to get some reassurance before i write to him that it is indeed the new carpet and not just the adhesive and/or certain latex backings that are toxic (as his wife insists).
I googled toxic carpet and have been reading up on this but can anyone just give me some extra assurance that it is the carpeting itself that is problematic?
I'm not trusting myself at the moment and need some more clarity.
Like i said, his wife insists that it's not the carpet itself (this is a cheap carpet by the way) but that it's the adhesive that is often used and she used staples and says that it's not a problem.
My instinct, nose and intuition (plus past experiences living with new carpet) disagree with her.
Thank you. Any feedback appreciated.
My nose is as sensitive as yours. I have been in places that burned my nose and eyes so bad that I couldn't get out of there fast enough.. I had a friend that bought a brand new mobile home and she never could live in it...
I think you know not to buy into the "all you need to do is open up the windows and air it out and it'll be ok" story. That stuff just DON'T go away!
When I was looking to buy a mobile home about 10 years ago, I went in one and it not only burned my nose, and eyes, it set my skin on fire too. The sales lady tired to feed me the "all you have to do it open the windows" bull and I flat out told her she did NOT know what she was talking about.
It is YOUR health that is on the line so don't budge on this. Either that carpet goes or you stay out of there!
Hi all,
I posted this on the "green living" forum but thought it might be good to post this here as well.
I'm trying not to panic.
I've just rented a home and the landlord installed new carpeting.
This was unexpected and i didn't know that he was going to do this.
I'm highly sensitive to chemicals and do not want to expose myself or my dog to this toxic situation.
I'm about to write him a letter and inform him that i can't live with new carpeting and that had i known that he was going to install new carpet i would not have agreed to the rental and that if he wants me as a tenant he'll have to remove it.
I need to get some reassurance before i write to him that it is indeed the new carpet and not just the adhesive and/or certain latex backings that are toxic (as his wife insists).
I googled toxic carpet and have been reading up on this but can anyone just give me some extra assurance that it is the carpeting itself that is problematic?
I'm not trusting myself at the moment and need some more clarity.
Like i said, his wife insists that it's not the carpet itself (this is a cheap carpet by the way) but that it's the adhesive that is often used and she used staples and says that it's not a problem.
My instinct, nose and intuition (plus past experiences living with new carpet) disagree with her.
Thank you. Any feedback appreciated.
It is the Formaldahyde (sp?) they use that off gasses into the air. What you can do is get an air ionizer that will deactivate the positive charges of particles in the air and they will fall to the ground (so you won't breathe it in), then sprinkle baking soda on the carpet and let it sit and then vacuum it up. Do this until you get rid of the smell but keep the air ionizer going because even though you can't smell it, I understand the off gassing of toxins continues for a while.
In OTHER scarey news about products on the market we THINK are safe but aren't; now all mattresses and box springs are treated with an extremely toxic fire retardant and Congress in their inimitable way, thought protecting the life of one or two people who might die from catching their bed on fire due to smoking in bed, they decided to jeaopardize ALL of our healths by FORCING ALL MFRS to use this chemical throughout the contruction of the mattress or box spring. Now the only way you can avoid being exposed to these chemicals is to by a latex mattress topper (or a few of them) and put them on a platform bed. Congress had not required they be treated with this horrible poison.
I also am very sensitive to the smell of new carpet. New carpet is toxic, no doubt about it. I also have researched the health effects of new carpet and there is a lot of info out there that talks about all the petroleum products, etc. in new carpet that leeches out into the air. However, I have read that the off-gassing occurs the most in the first two days and then less so after that, however, I know that the smell can linger for a long time. Lung irritation, asthma, sinus issues, sore throats, etc. could be a concern--for both you and your dog.
I guess if I were in your position I would break the lease and move to a new rental. The landlord probably thought you would be thrilled that there was new carpeting before you moved in. I would just work hard to find someone new to take the unit and find yourself a new unit. I always worried about new carpeting in my rentals, as I am a renter. However, my current unit had brand new carpeting installed 6 months before we moved in and there was no smell whatsoever.
As an alternative to moving, since it is summer now, you could leave the windows open to get things ventilated for a number of weeks and see how that does with the smell, and sleep over at a friend's house during that time until the smell dissipates.
I completely understand your concern. In my last rental, they painted our entire hallway (outside the unit) and I was really upset about that, because they used oil-based paint and the fumes were absolutely awful (and there was no ventilation in the hallway). I was extremely upset to have to be exposed to those toxic fumes every time I was in the hallway/coming under my door. No one else seemed to care, but I was extremely bothered by the harsh smell of the oil paint fumes--it lasted for about 3 months. Most people have no idea that they're polluting their own air when they do things like paint/install new carpeting--they focus on the aesthetics without thinking of the health ramifications.
Last edited by kibblesandbits; 05-02-2009 at 08:46 PM..
Most of teh smell will be from the dyes in teh carpet. You needed to look for a place with hardwood or vinyl floors. I really doubt you will get your deposit back tho unless its was in writing.Doesn't bother me at all either paint or new carpet after two to three days.There are alot more toxic things in the normal house.
Stick to your guns, because your health is more important than any amount of money. I don't know much about it, but maybe a steam cleaning or two would wear the carpet out a bit? It might be worth a shot.
Buy some mums...... if they die fast, you have a problem. A canary might work too.
Seriously, cheap carpeting off-gasses formaldahyde and other fumes for about a year after installation.
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