After about 20 minutes in the room where we've had our new carpet
installed about one month ago, my eyes burn and my throat gets a
"little acidy". I start feeling cruddy. I've move my office down there
in the basement and my subliminal reaction is to get the heck out of
the room.

We recently finished our basement about six weeks ago. Very dry with a
dehumidifier running and humidity levels very low and not pets or food
present. We put in a new synthetic Burbur carpet from Home Depot,
about four weeks ago and I've been working there everyday as my office.
My problem is the smell. It's definately a synthetic smell below the
surface. You could desribe it as "thick" or "gamey", like if you wore
the same wool sweater for a month. It's not BO and it's hard to
describe as a chemical smell, but it's not a "natural" smell. We've
kept our windows open for many days and the smell doesn't go away.

Does anybody have any ideas? What would help with the smell?
Shampooing the rug, ripping it out ,trying a new type of carpet. I've
read the controversy about new carpets, but I am not hyper sensitive to
chemicals, I just don't like the smell.

Home Depot seems to have a department that is very familiar with this
type of complaint. They are sending someone over here. How do I deal
with Home Depot? Will they come and clean the carpet? Give me a
different carpet?
What type of tests will they do? How should I pursue this?

Good luck with the smelly carpet. This is a common situation with new
carpet, that it smells like... well, new carpet. Googling turns up a
variety of material about it with different ideas about the origin, such as
germs, machining oils in conjunction with environmental ozone (yet another
party says that ozonation can get rid of the problem... take your pick, make
it worse or better with ozone) or the odor of installation glue. If you can
stick it out for a few more weeks and ventilate the area as well as possible
in the meantime (keep your furnace fan running constantly while you are in
the room) it may subside to tolerable levels. Things that absorb or
neutralize odors, such as sprinkled baking soda or a dish of ammonia left in
the room overnight, might also help. If ozonation is suggested, remove all
electronic equipment from the area while it is being done to avoid damage.

wrote in message
oups.com...
After about 20 minutes in the room where we've had our new carpet
installed about one month ago, my eyes burn and my throat gets a
"little acidy". I start feeling cruddy. I've move my office down there
in the basement and my subliminal reaction is to get the heck out of
the room.

We recently finished our basement about six weeks ago. Very dry with a
dehumidifier running and humidity levels very low and not pets or food
present. We put in a new synthetic Burbur carpet from Home Depot,
about four weeks ago and I've been working there everyday as my office.
My problem is the smell. It's definately a synthetic smell below the
surface. You could desribe it as "thick" or "gamey", like if you wore
the same wool sweater for a month. It's not BO and it's hard to
describe as a chemical smell, but it's not a "natural" smell. We've
kept our windows open for many days and the smell doesn't go away.

Does anybody have any ideas? What would help with the smell?
Shampooing the rug, ripping it out ,trying a new type of carpet. I've
read the controversy about new carpets, but I am not hyper sensitive to
chemicals, I just don't like the smell.

Home Depot seems to have a department that is very familiar with this
type of complaint. They are sending someone over here. How do I deal
with Home Depot? Will they come and clean the carpet? Give me a
different carpet?
What type of tests will they do? How should I pursue this?

Lucky you didn't install new cabinets in there at the same time, or you'd be
in the ER by now. It's called outgassing. New carpet, new furniture, new
paint, et al, all do it to some degree. Only thing that cures it is time and
ventilation. I used to work construction, and ran across it many times,
especially in newly-finished houses and apartments that were shut tight in
summer weather and got hot. Get some air exchange going in there- a box fan
in the window or something.

aem sends...

wrote in message
oups.com...
After about 20 minutes in the room where we've had our new carpet
installed about one month ago, my eyes burn and my throat gets a
"little acidy". I start feeling cruddy. I've move my office down there
in the basement and my subliminal reaction is to get the heck out of
the room.

We recently finished our basement about six weeks ago. Very dry with a
dehumidifier running and humidity levels very low and not pets or food
present. We put in a new synthetic Burbur carpet from Home Depot,
about four weeks ago and I've been working there everyday as my office.
My problem is the smell. It's definately a synthetic smell below the
surface. You could desribe it as "thick" or "gamey", like if you wore
the same wool sweater for a month. It's not BO and it's hard to
describe as a chemical smell, but it's not a "natural" smell. We've
kept our windows open for many days and the smell doesn't go away.

Does anybody have any ideas? What would help with the smell?
Shampooing the rug, ripping it out ,trying a new type of carpet. I've
read the controversy about new carpets, but I am not hyper sensitive to
chemicals, I just don't like the smell.

Home Depot seems to have a department that is very familiar with this
type of complaint. They are sending someone over here. How do I deal
with Home Depot? Will they come and clean the carpet? Give me a
different carpet?
What type of tests will they do? How should I pursue this?

a small dish of vinegar (not ammonia) will absorb some of the odor, i did it
when we got new carpet 2 yrs ago, and it worked.
bear in mind it is still emitting the fumes and to keep it ventilated as
much as possible.
lucy