Date:         Tue, 8 Dec 1998 17:05:55 -0800
Reply-To:     harald_nancy <harald_nancy@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         harald_nancy <harald_nancy@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Recarpeting a westy
Comments: To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Recarpeting a westy:
(Or how to make "throw rugs" for a westy)
Some tricks to get a nice look and finish with
inexpensive home or office type carpet in a vanagon.
The main irritant with carpet that one has cut oneself
are the unfinished edges. They keep unraveling,
and the loose fibers can make quite a mess.
So the trick is to seal them off.
After you cut the piece of carpet to fit, take a propane
torch and with the flame on a low setting, seal all the
edges. Don't hold the torch too close. You don't want to
start a fire. Move the flame rapidly along the cut edge
of the carpet, to melt the loose fibers together.
If the carpet has to fit around a corner,
one can heat the back of it, then bend it and
the piece will retain that shape. Doesn't work on compound
curves, but is useful for the piece between the front seats.

When you do this, take some precautions, since the
melting of carpet fibers might create some fumes.
Do this outdoors and wear an approved respirator.

I found that pieces that are finished this way hardly
slide at all, if the fit is tight enough, and the
original carpet is left in place underneath.
The best and most durable carpets are the
closed-loop office type. To clean them, I just pull
them out and hose them off. Sometimes I give the
pieces a scrubbing with some soap and water.
Then let them dry in the sun, and the carpet is
like new again.
Harald
90 westy