For mamaneen-carpet chemicals...

CPSC
And
The Environmental Health Clearinghouse

Not that you have this option, but I hate carpet so bad, we got rid of it entirely in our house and used the exsisting wood floors refinfished in water-based varnish. I really hate carpet. Nasty stuff. When we pulled ours up, we found about 1/4 inch of fine dust (think: human skin, dirt, germs, etc...) and mold all the way through the oak floor to the subflooring. so gross...
As for paint, you want to buy VOC-free paint. It doesn't cost any more than normal paint. Pittsburg Paints makes it (among others) and it works as good as any other paint. I have used it everytime since I found out about the chemicals...
eartheasy

The natural paints (Like milk paint)are so cool, but too freaking expensive...
Godo luck!

__________________

"certified kick ass by dreammama"

By 5ive at 09/01/2005 - 9:13pm
5ive's blog
Email this page

thank you!

i had no idea about this stuff. it's amazing the stuff you think you can take for granted that you absolutely can't.

"if i pass for other than what i am/do you feel safer?" ~lani ka'ahumanu

__________________

"if i pass for other than what i am, do you feel safer?" ~ lani ka'ahumanu

dragon knows dragon

By mamaneen at 09/01/2005 - 10:32pm

I SO wish we could replce the flooring in this house

but we rent and the landlady was all excited that she bough new carpeting for this house. Do you think there would be a way to convince her that wood would be so much better? I mean, carpeting has to be replaced every so often but wood doesn't. Why to people still use carpeting!?!?!?!

----When I Die, I Want To Sail Off On A Friendship----

By redmomma at 09/01/2005 - 10:03pm

renter, too

in our case, we live in a half-basement apartment in the bottom of a duplex, and the only thing under our carpet is poured concrete. i adore wood floors and am bummed not to have them here.

it's not likely that your landlady will be willing to rip up her investment so soon after making it unless you can persuade her that it's in her best interests to do so. since a lawsuit against her for negligence in exposing you to the risk would not be likely to succeed at this point given the common use of carpeting, that's probably not going to be a useful persuasion tool.

"if i pass for other than what i am/do you feel safer?" ~lani ka'ahumanu

__________________

"if i pass for other than what i am, do you feel safer?" ~ lani ka'ahumanu

dragon knows dragon

By mamaneen at 09/01/2005 - 10:36pm

We pulled up our carpets and

We pulled up our carpets and went to wood, also. Absolutely disgusting what you find hidden in them, in addition to all of the offgassing.

"Our problems stem from our acceptance of this filthy, rotten system." - Dorothy Day

__________________

"Step off my big ass."

- Anthromom

By mamasusie at 09/01/2005 - 9:44pm