Carpet smells in living area

Boozecamp

Well-known member
Our 5'er is fairly new, we've been living in it in the Houston area for 6 months while we locate a home to buy. The carpet has picked up an oder and need to do something about it. We did the carpet cleaner routine with the machine, didn't help. I realize the humidity in Houston brings out the oders in anything. Was considering replacing the living room carpet with the linolium that aready exists in the entry/kitchen area. Has anyone done this? Any recommendations?
 

VKTalley

Well-known member
Our 5'er is fairly new, we've been living in it in the Houston area for 6 months while we locate a home to buy. The carpet has picked up an oder and need to do something about it. We did the carpet cleaner routine with the machine, didn't help. I realize the humidity in Houston brings out the oders in anything. Was considering replacing the living room carpet with the linolium that aready exists in the entry/kitchen area. Has anyone done this? Any recommendations?

We replaced ours, like Dan mentioned, and I love the new floors as they are much easier to keep clean. If you have any more question, contact my husband, MCTalley, either through the forum or via our blog.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
We replaced ours, like Dan mentioned, and I love the new floors as they are much easier to keep clean. If you have any more question, contact my husband, MCTalley, either through the forum or via our blog.

Very nice!
 

sjandbj

Well-known member
Valerie,
That floor looks awesome. Can you please tell me how long it has been in and how it is holding up to the slides moving back and forth on top of the floor.

Regards,
Steve
 

murry135

New York Chapter Leaders - retired
Very nice looking and a great install. I am wondering how you handled the install infront of each slide. Does the slide roll up on the new foolring or is the new flooring boards level with the slide base and little or no rise in slide as it comes in? I am also concerned how the slide comes in and rolls on the new flooring. Does the slide make any marks as it rolls on and off the new flooring?
 

Boozecamp

Well-known member
Looks great! We have vinyl on the floor at entry and around the kitchen Island. It transitions to carpet in the living area. I'm concerned about the color/pattern match to existing vinyl. Maybe the best bet would be to pull it all up and start over with the new product. Not sure how to match up to existing vinyl and make it look good unless I lay down the wood planks where carpet was, but still have a transition to deal with.
 

MCTalley

Well-known member
We found after we had our floor in for a few weeks and several cycles of the slides coming in and out that the slides were scuffing up the floor pretty good. We solved that by putting down a 2 foot by 4 foot piece of 1/4" chipboard with rubber shelf liner glued to one side on the floor in front of each slide and letting the slide sit on those boards while in transit.

Since it is a floating floor, I used Liquid Nails to glue down the first and last plank to keep the floor from shifting around and to keep the floor from potentially rolling up when the slides come in (though our floor protector chipboards solve that problem.

The only downside we've found so far is that we have about three places where the planks have popped apart at the joints - most likely from temperature swings. It's not end of the world, redo the floor type of stuff, just slightly annoying. We have been enjoying the ease of cleaning, though.

We have had the flooring in for about 6 months now.
 

Boozecamp

Well-known member
We found after we had our floor in for a few weeks and several cycles of the slides coming in and out that the slides were scuffing up the floor pretty good. We solved that by putting down a 2 foot by 4 foot piece of 1/4" chipboard with rubber shelf liner glued to one side on the floor in front of each slide and letting the slide sit on those boards while in transit.

Since it is a floating floor, I used Liquid Nails to glue down the first and last plank to keep the floor from shifting around and to keep the floor from potentially rolling up when the slides come in (though our floor protector chipboards solve that problem.

The only downside we've found so far is that we have about three places where the planks have popped apart at the joints - most likely from temperature swings. It's not end of the world, redo the floor type of stuff, just slightly annoying. We have been enjoying the ease of cleaning, though.

We have had the flooring in for about 6 months now.

with that in mind, i'm considering ripping up the carpet in the living area first (about 5'x5' section) (not including the slide) and go back down with either self-adhesive or glue down type carpet squares. If that goes well, i'll venture onto the slide. the slide poses a problem i haven't figured out yet because it carries the two recliners and dinette. I'm interested to see what can be done about the trasition piece. It needs a decorative, but functional hangover skirt to hide that joint. That carpet flap-piece that hangs over the joint is sewn on the ends and it would be deficult if not impossible to recreate.
 

MCTalley

Well-known member
One thing we did not do was to take the carpet out of the slides. Someone on the Internet somewhere did redo their slides and dressed up the transition with some type of trim work.
 

Dutch & Di

Active Member
Since you haven't discovered the source of the smell, you could liberally sprinkle baking soda over all of the carpet. Close up & turn on the a/c if possible. When you get home from work, vacuum several times. You could also do it again just before going to bed so it can absorb overnight and vacuum again before going to work. Baking soda is great absorber and you have nothing to loose. Keep us posted. Hugs, Di
 

Boozecamp

Well-known member
Update:
I decided to remove the carpet in the living area and leave carpet on slide. We pulled up the living area carpet and pad. We have a small pet, and it's housebroke, so we knew she was not peing on the carpet, when i removed the carpet i looked at the underside and there were no signs of spells, or stains. but the entire pad and carpet had a funky smell. We purchased a remnant roll of sheet vinyl, same mill thickness as what's on the kitchen floor. It's a beautiful looking golden oak wood floor patten. So we not only pulled up the carpet but also pulled up the exising linoleum to have one uniform look throughout the main floor. Due to the fact we have a kitchen island, we decided to lay it in two sections to minimize seam joints. We finished the living area this past weeked. I under-estimated how much work it is, trimming and fitting up under slides, etc. Looks absolutely fabulous. Now comes the kitchen end it has twice as many obsticles, corners, door entry, etc. Once I get this done, I'm going to remove the carpet on the stairs, hallway and bedroom and put the same pattern down. I cannot understand why manufactures put carpet in these rigs. Big mistake in my opinion.
BTW: I talked to an experienced carpet & tile retailer/installer about self adhisive squares. Said, no matter what you do, eventually the adhesive would weaken, and the ends would start to curl up. So glad I found this out before I starting laying them. The tile squares are 3 times heavier than sheet vinul. Plus we could not find any linoleum squares that had the same non-slip texture that was on the original linoleum. We laid out some tile squares on the living room floor and it was very slippery in socks, One could easily bust their A... if not carefull. The sheet vinyl we found was perfect, no-slip surface. The sheet vinyl is very flexible and can cut with cissors. the tile would be a PITA to trim, and there's a LOT of trimming to do. When we're through with it all, we'll have linoleum on all the walking surfaces so we're not tracking in, and making water and soil deposits everywhere.....YEAH!!!!........Here in Houston, seems like it rains every other day.......
 

HornedToad

Well-known member
Once I get this done, I'm going to remove the carpet on the stairs, hallway and bedroom and put the same pattern down.

Please post pictures when you get to the stairs.

The one step the Talley's added looks great.

I would like to replace the carpet on my stairs and into the bedroom with the wood plank style vinyl,
but I'm afraid of how to lay the vinyl up/down/around three steps going up a hallway with a rounded corner???
 

VKTalley

Well-known member
Please post pictures when you get to the stairs.

The one step the Talley's added looks great.

I would like to replace the carpet on my stairs and into the bedroom with the wood plank style vinyl,
but I'm afraid of how to lay the vinyl up/down/around three steps going up a hallway with a rounded corner???


Mike, contact Malcolm and he can give you all the details. I know he will be glad to share with you.
 

HornedToad

Well-known member
Mike, contact Malcolm and he can give you all the details. I know he will be glad to share with you.

Thanks for the offer Valerie, I might just take you up on it...

I gouged the carpeting and tore a chuck out of it on the leading edge of the stair tread and I want to either repair or replace the carpet before next season.
 

Mizmary

Well-known member
I know you have fixed the problem - but for anyone else:
I had some water intrusion (rain, plus slide seals not seated correctly) which led to a funky carpet smell. After carpet dried, I sprinkled with TONS of baking soda, left for 24 hours, vacuumed completely. Then, I cleaned carpet using a homemade solution of HOT Water (approx. 1 gallon of water), 1 Tablespoon Dawn (or other dish soap), 1 1/2 Tablespoons White Vinegar, 1/4 Cup 3% Peroxide. I used a small carpet cleaner (bissell spot pro or something like that - small portable unit with the power of an upright), and cleaned the area with the offensive smell.

It completely neutralized the smell - I was pretty impressed. Be careful with the vinegar and peroxide not to add more than specified - it could cause bleaching and damage eventually. I was really impressed with how well it cleaned the carpet - and I ended up cleaning ALL of the carpet.
 

Boozecamp

Well-known member
here's some pictures.
 

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HornedToad

Well-known member
X2 on the LOOKS GREAT!!! I'm interested in what type of bullnose you used, plastic??? It installed very cleanly on the leading edge of the curved tread.
 
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