Background

You luckily do not have to look at the images that prompted me to remove our carpet Labor Day weekend 2011. When we bought the house, the carpet was cheap, ugly beige. It had been there since the dawn of time (1986), and had actually been well maintained. It was everywhere except the kitchen, the toilet area of the master bathroom, and the laundry closet. It rapidly came out of the front bathroom, and we lived on the concrete slab in there for a long time. Much better than carpet that had been there since 1986. Ick. Ick. Ick. So, we got home from summer vacation in August, and I had not realized until the moment walking in the door just how disgusting the carpet had gotten. It had to go.

P.S. In addition to gross carpet, the people before us had an invasive organism problem in the kitchen which prompted them to wisely spray pesticide in the pantry and one of the kitchen cabinets. All absorbent food (rice, pasta, grains) stored in those places soaks it right up. Hello, what on earth were they thinking?!? So the drywall is coming out. I figured while I was at it, I would move the entry to the kitchen over a little so a wheelchair can get by the fridge without a problem. Right now, the fridge sticks out into the entry.