• New carpeting is lovely but can cause problems for allergy or asthma sufferers.Living Room image by Dawn from Fotolia.com
  
  New carpet is not something you invest in every day, and the experience of purchasing new carpet is enjoyable except for the overwhelming fumes that can present themselves after installation. With some careful planning and research, you can reduce the amount of fumes you are likely to experience before you even purchase or install the carpeting. Before laying the new carpet, clean up any stains or spills underneath the old carpeting and padding that might cause problems or odors for your new carpeting.
  
  

Before Installation

• When choosing your new carpet, look for padding and carpet that is labeled "low emitting," which means that the carpet and padding meet certain criteria for indoor air quality set forth by the Carpet and Rug Institute. Qualifying carpet and padding contains labeling to signify that it is low emitting.
  
  If at all possible, air out your new carpeting for at least a week before the installation date to get a head start on allowing any gases from chemicals to dissipate before installing the carpet.
  
  

During Installation

• Schedule your carpet installation for a time frame when you are not at home. If at all feasible, the best time to schedule the carpet installation is a time when the house is unoccupied for several days to give the fumes a chance to disperse.
  
  Ask if your carpet installer can tack or nail the new carpet down instead of gluing it to the floor. Glue and adhesive fumes contribute to the chemicals emitted by the carpet and padding, so limiting their use helps to limit the overall fumes from your new carpet.
  
  

Care and Cleaning

• After your new carpet is installed, avoid the few remaining fumes with proactive steps. Open as many doors or windows as possible, and use your air conditioner and fans to circulate air across the carpet. Ventilating and circulating fresh air for at least 48 hours after installation should take care of the majority of the fumes, but if you find the fumes are still lingering, hot water extraction on the new carpet can help. You can either hire a professional carpet cleaner to perform the hot water extraction, or you can rent a machine that does the job almost as well.