Carpet Update

Recall the issue with the carpeting in the sanctuary. It is buckling in numerous high traffic areas. It presents a safety risk for those who are not steady on their feet. Removing the carpet is not simple because it is glued down to a tile floor. The tiles contain asbestos. It would be impossible to remove the carpet without pulling up tiles, which would release asbestos into the air. That’s dangerous! 

In order to safely remove the carpet, it would have to be done by a certified asbestos abatement company, and the carpet and tile would have to be disposed of properly. All of this is very expensive. We also learned that laying new carpet is more expensive than we anticipated. All told, the job would cost in the range of $50,000 - $75,000. We cannot afford that.

So, a strategy we are pursuing involves leaving the carpet in place (aside from the buckling, it is not worn) and performing these steps:
1) cut the carpet where it is buckling
2) glue down the seams
3) place custom-sized, commercial mats over the area of the seams.

We have one mat in place in an area between the chapel and the baptismal font. It looks nice! Although, we haven’t yet found someone to cut and glue the carpet. If you know of someone to do this work, please contact Leif Kehrwald at [email protected] or 503-351-9889.

Based on the cost of the one experimental mat, we estimate that we can fix all the carpet buckles for approximately $5000. One parishioner has put up $500 as a matching grant. Can you help raise the money to match this grant? Make your donation in one of three ways:
1) Give online at by clicking here.
2) Drop a check in the Sunday Collection made out to St Charles and write “Carpet Repair” in the memo line
3) Tell Leif Kehrwald the amount you would like to pledge. Contact Leif at 503-351-9889 or [email protected].

Thanks for your help!