Old carpet

[mammabooh]

The farm house we are moving into has green carpet that was purchased and installed in 1973 (per a little note that my great aunt, Relda, wrote and taped up beside her bedroom door). What I'm wondering is this...how likely is it that the carpet is wool and not some nasty polyester or some other man-made stuff? I want to burn it, but I'll have to find another way to dispose of it if it's not something natural. Did they even make polyester carpet in the early 1970's?

[seedspreader]

Almost definitely polyester. Sorry.

[cathleenc]

take out a few fibers, light them w/a match, and smell. wool has a normal burnt hair smell.

[hunter63]

I use old carpet (if it's not rubber backed), for mulch in the garden, spread it out and cut hole for the plants.
When it starts to rot,(gets stringy), just toss it in the garbage, will take a couple of years.
If it is polyester, will stink and smoke bad when burned.

[MaggieJ]

Old carpet is great as mulch, as Hunter63 said, and also great for suppressing weeds on the paths between rows. Big sections are also super for killing off weeds and grass prior to digging up a new area as a garden bed. Odd pieces can be thrown down in the chicken yard or whereever needed when the mud is bad in the spring or fall. Hideous in the house (or anywhere else) but very useful around the homestead.

[mammabooh]

I suppose I could use it in the gardens as I simply hate to throw anything away that still has some life in it. At least it's green and not purple or orange.

[MN Gardener]

I have carpeting between my raspberry rows, it works great! Especially with raspberries, they tend to grow everywhere you don't want them to.

[hunter63]

I actually have stopped at curb-side, checked out/picked up cut and rolled carpeting, for this purpose.

I was looking at some once and this lady walked up as I was leaving and asked me what was wrong with her carpeting, I told her it was rubber-backed and she seemed insulted when I left it behind.

I could almost hear her thinking, (can you hear someone thinking?, anyway, I digress)
"The nerve of some people, isn't my garbage good enough for you?"

[Candace]

Carpet makes great pathway mulch. I also used a patch on the ground by our fence gate where the dogs tore up the sod and made nothing but mud. Also I seem to recall that one reason they don't make wool carpeting as much these days is not only the expense but I believe wook produces a toxic gases when it burns so now many of the wool has a bunch of fire retardants in it so you might not be able to burn it if you wanted to. I'd try using it as much as you're able for alternative things.

[Charleen]

Originally Posted by mammabooh

The farm house we are moving into has green carpet that was purchased and installed in 1973 (per a little note that my great aunt, Relda, wrote and taped up beside her bedroom door).

Isn't that a hoot!

Friends of ours use pieces or carpeting on the ground in front of their barn doors. Keeps the mud down.

[RedTartan]

As carpet degrades those chemicals wind up in the soil, so I would NOT use it as mulch.

This may help you determine what your carpet is made out of: Often crocheters/knitters will pick up yarn at a thrift store that doesn't have a label. We don't like mixing natural with synthetic fibers so we do a burn test. Take a small piece of your carpet fiber and burn it. If it's a natural fiber, all that will remain is ash. If it's synthetic, it will melt and leave a little, plastic blob.

Hope this helps you out,

RedTartan

[THETOOLMAN]

we have washing troubles every time it rains a new gully is formed. I throw old carpet in to slow the water down so it will deposit its silt & stop the wash . its erosion carpet

[mistletoad]

My parents had wool carpet installed in the 70's but it was very expensive and synthetics were far more common.

We wouldn't use old carpet in the garden either, but we do use it under our vinyl swimming pool - makes for a nice smooth, cushioned bottom.

[edcopp]

Clean the carpet and use it for 10 or 15 more years. A penny saved is a penny earned. It is almost certain that you have synthetic carpet, in the 60's and 70's everybody had that stuff.

[mammabooh]

Originally Posted by edcopp

Clean the carpet and use it for 10 or 15 more years. A penny saved is a penny earned. It is almost certain that you have synthetic carpet, in the 60's and 70's everybody had that stuff.

I personally think carpet is nothing more than a nasty dust magnet and trap. I'm hoping to pull back the carpet and find really cool hardwood floors. The rest of the house has hardwood, so I'm assuming it's in the living room (which was the parlor) and dining room too.

But, if I liked carpet I'd do just what you suggested!

[doohap]

Guess you're too young to remember, Mammabooh, but polyester RULED the 70s! Visions of pant-suits come to mind. EEEEKKK!

Smiles,
doohap

[heritagefarmer]

Originally Posted by mammabooh

I suppose I could use it in the gardens as I simply hate to throw anything away that still has some life in it. At least it's green and not purple or orange.

Wasn't there a story recently about someone losing their organic status because of carpet?

That stuff is NASTY, wouldn't want it near my veggies!

[mammabooh]

Originally Posted by heritagefarmer

Wasn't there a story recently about someone losing their organic status because of carpet?

That stuff is NASTY, wouldn't want it near my veggies!

Excellent point. Yet something else to consider. Maybe I can just find someone who actually likes the stuff and I can give it to them.

[Mrs_stuart]

I would bet it is wool...We have cleaned a ton of it...
I agree with the getting a few of the fibers and burning them, you can tell from that smell.

Belinda

[emulkahi1]

You could always take it to a Habitat for Humanity Re-store, if there is one anywhere near you. I often see large rolls of carpet there and that way someone else might be able to get some use out of it yet! Anyway, just thought I'd chime in w/ that idea .

We pulled back layers of carpet and tile in the old building we're renovating and found beautiful fir flooring. Hope you find some under yours too!!

Erin