Urban Legend: Carpet From Temples Replaced After Open House

[Scott Lloyd]

So I attended the news media briefing and tour yesterday for the newly reconstructed Ogden Utah Temple.

 

While there, I reflected on the notion in some quarters that after an open house for a new temple, which generally lasts a few weeks, the carpets are so badly worn that they are routinely torn out and replaced in time for the temple dedication.

 

If memory serves, it was at the last temple open house I covered (which would have been Draper Utah) I took occasion to ask a person from the Temple Department of the Church if this indeed happens. Turns out it is not true.

 

I thought of the beautiful sculpted carpeting with the desert rose motif that I had seen in the Ogden edifice and reflected how absurd it would be to install that custom-made carpeting, knowing that it would only last a few weeks and would have to be replaced.

 

Later in the day, I heard of a relative who had said with certainty that they do tear out and replace the carpeting. So, out of curiosity, I did a Google search and found several places on the Internet where people were stating very matter-of-factly that this is what routinely happens. So I know the rumor, false as it is, persists and is rather widespread.

 

One rather annoying thing is that some people, disposed to find fault, used this as a weapon to attack the Church: i.e. the extravagance of throwing away all this expensive carpeting when the money could feed the poor, yada yada. One would-be opportunist wondered how he/she could get a piece of the carpet for personal use that had been in the temple during the open house and would just be thrown out anyway. Another individual maintained that not just the carpeting but the furnishings are also replaced because they won't hold up to all the traffic (even though, in a typical pre-dedication temple tour, there is not much opportunity to sit down); you wonder why folks don't use their heads.

 

Anyway, my question is whether anyone here has any information about how this notion might have arisen in the Church about the carpeting being discarded and replaced prior to the temple dedication.

Edited July 30, 2014 by Scott Lloyd

[bluebell]

I have no real information to offer...

 

But if i had to guess, i would say that at some time in the past, some part of the carpet in some temple somewhere had to be replaced for some reason before the dedication, and suddenly, it happens all the time, to all the carpet, in all the new temples!

[Scott Lloyd]

I have no real information to offer...

 

But if i had to guess, i would say that at some time in the past, some part of the carpet in some temple somewhere had to be replaced for some reason before the dedication, and suddenly, it happens all the time, to all the carpet, in all the new temples!

That's a reasonable guess, Bluebell. It's pretty consistent with the pattern on this sort of thing.

Edited July 30, 2014 by Scott Lloyd

[cinepro]

Considering the secrecy and esteem in which we hold the Temples, it should be expected that a fair amount of rumors and stories would develop around them.  I would be more surprised if it didn't happen.

 

A few years ago, they refurbished the Los Angeles Temple and the construction workers from Utah attended our ward during those months.  One of the workers gave a talk in Sacrament meeting and recounted a story about how he was working on the crew in the Salt Lake Temple that was running data lines, and they worked during the day while the Temple was open.  One run of lines went around an area where patrons where sitting, and the worker and his co-worker communicated in whispers as they worked above the ceiling.  That evening, the Temple President asked them if they had been working in that area, because several patrons reported hearing "angels conversing" that day.

 

So who knows how the carpet story got started?  Bluebell is probably right about it having a kernel of truth and getting amplified over time.

[Guest]

I have no real information to offer...

 

But if i had to guess, i would say that at some time in the past, some part of the carpet in some temple somewhere had to be replaced for some reason before the dedication, and suddenly, it happens all the time, to all the carpet, in all the new temples!

I am from Georgia, never heard of this before the OP. So, like you I could not comment.

[BookofMormonLuvr]

What would be the point of the footies if they were just going to tear it out later anyways?

[JAHS]

I have heard that as well. In fact I heard someone claim they got the trampled carpeting from such a temple after an open house and recarpeted their own house with it.

 

For the the Colonia Juárez Temple, carpet runners were placed along the route of the tours to protect the temple’s floor coverings. 

http://rsc.byu.edu/archived/colonia-ju-rez-temple-prophet-s-inspiration/temples-open-house

 

This was also done for the Draper Temple open house:  

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705276337/New-LDS-temple-unlike-others-in-the-area.html?pg=all

[Calm]

I think it was for the Nauvoo temple open  house that some antis were bragging about what they were going to do to damage the interior when they went through so as to get back some of the tithing they had given over the years.  Don't know if they went through with it, juvenile stuff about carrying stuff in their pockets and then sprinkling it over the carpet.

[Buzzard]

My imperfect, third person information comes from my late father, who was a missionary in CA when the Los Angeles temple was dedicated. All the missionaries were called in to help with the dedication tours. The response and attendance did surpass any previous temple tours ever conducted, and certainly exceeded expectations. After the tours, some of the carpet that had been the most heavily walked on-this was before footies and before you needed a reservation- was indeed soiled. The church called in professional cleaners, who were able to clean most of the soiled sections of the carpet.  There were a few areas that could not be successfully cleaned, and those sections were replaced, not initially with the custom carpet that was originally used, but with the best quality that could be obtained on short notice. Replacement carpet was ordered for these sections, and my father presumed, laid at some future date after the dedication.

As an aside, during the dedication, my father was seated next to LeGrande Richards. They discovered that they had several mutual acquaintances, as my father was from a small mining town on the Western Slope of Colorado, and Elder Richards had worked as a youth in another nearby mining town. Telluride, if I remember correctly.

[Thinking]

I gotta back the Church on this one. If carpet really was being replaced after every temple dedication, I think that some photographer would have taken some pictures. Urban legend says I, probably started after it happened once or twice, which led to the current footies being worn.

[Rain]

Plastic covered much of the carpet where people would be walking in the Gilbert temple. I was a tour guide on one of the last few days and didn't notice any wear. In fact several people mentioned how beautiful the carpets were.

There were few places people could sit and most of them were in the basement where we had long lines for the wheelchair people and their companions waiting to get on the elevator.

By the way, for those who don't know, those carved carpets were done using a sharpie to draw the design first after the carpet was put down. Then they (father/son team?) used sharp blades to do the carving. My impression is that they have done other temples as well.

Edited July 31, 2014 by Rain

[thesometimesaint]

Never heard of them being replaced after a Open House, but have heard of their being cleaned after it.

[Ahab]

We just replaced the carpeting in our home with wood flooring, a laminate, and expect that it will last much longer than carpet. We've had to replace our carpeting with carpet before, several times, and it usually held up for only about 5 years before the ruts got so bad that they showed even after deep cleaning and raking... talking about ruts from our son's wheelchair. In temples with all of that traffic I'd be surprised if tbey held up for even that long even if nobody went through in a wheelchair, so if I was in charge of choosing the flooring I'd go with some kind of hard surface in there, everywhere, either wood or marble or some other kind of nice stone.

[Calm]

In temples with all of that traffic I'd be surprised if tbey held up for even that long even if nobody went through in a wheelchair, so if I was in charge of choosing the flooring I'd go with some kind of hard surface in there, everywhere, either wood or marble or some other kind of nice stone. 

 

First off, they want to cut down on noise….carpet works much better for that.  Second, if everyone wears light soled colour shoes for inside the temple only, they won't be tracking in dirt or scuffing anything which will wear it out much faster than just foot traffic.  And given that a lot of the people are wearing slippers or soft sole rather than hard soles, the wear and tear will be much lower imo.  Even bare feet is worse than slippers because of the oils in one's skin.  If people stop wearing street shoes in homes and only house slippers or socks, no bare feet with consistent vacuuming (but not a lot of cleaning unless necessary) to keep dust that blows in from being ground in, carpets last longer.

 

Wheelchairs, canes and crutches would probably be the only thing that would cause significant wear over a short period of time.  If one gets a good quality pad under the carpet, it can really help with that kind of stuff.

 

And last off, hard floors would be much harder to stand and walk on all day for older people or anyone with foot or leg issues.  I can make it through Costo for about an hour and then the cement sets off bad foot pain.  I've got a bone that pinches nerves which can get quite painful and is quite common so I hear.

 

Walking in the temple is very comfortable in comparison. 

Edited July 31, 2014 by calmoriah

[Ahab]

First off, they want to cut down on noise….carpet works much better for that. Second, if everyone wears light soled colour shoes for inside the temple only, they won't be tracking in dirt or scuffing anything which will wear it out much faster than just foot traffic. And given that a lot of the people are wearing slippers or soft sole rather than hard soles, the wear and tear will be much lower imo. Even bare feet is worse than slippers because of the oils in one's skin. If people stop wearing street shoes in homes and only house slippers or socks, no bare feet with consistent vacuuming (but not a lot of cleaning unless necessary) to keep dust that blows in from being ground in, carpets last longer.

Wheelchairs, canes and crutches would probably be the only thing that would cause significant wear over a short period of time. If one gets a good quality pad under the carpet, it can really help with that kind of stuff.

And last off, hard floors would be much harder to stand and walk on all day for older people or anyone with foot or leg issues. I can make it through Costo for about an hour and then the cement sets off bad foot pain. I've got a bone that pinches nerves which can get quite painful and is quite common so I hear.

Walking in the temple is very comfortable in comparison.

I believe comfort is the #1 concern when choosing flooring for the temple, at least in the heavy traffic areas, and I see a lot of symbolism in that. It just doesn't last as long as other types of flooring, and the good quality stuff can be as much or more than wood and stone, and I see a lot of symbolism in and about those things too. Maybe when or if I get to be really old I'll go back to carpet instead of wood and tile but for now I'm pretty satisfied having wood and tile with some area rugs. And what I have now is also better for my pets too.

[Calm]

I would be surprised if it wasn't quiet.  They work so hard at ensuring the outside is outside (save for light) and the inside is holy and peaceful.

Edited July 31, 2014 by calmoriah

[Kenngo1969]

Never heard of them being replaced after a Open House, but have heard of their being cleaned after it.

Cleaned, replaced, what's the diff?!

[Kenngo1969]

My imperfect, third person information comes from my late father, who was a missionary in CA when the Los Angeles temple was dedicated. All the missionaries were called in to help with the dedication tours. ...

Thanks for sharing.

[Tiki]

I'm not sure about carpet. But I hear the Church will occasionally change a Temple, the Ogden Temple for example.

[thesometimesaint]

Cleaned, replaced, what's the diff?!

 

Big difference. I can go to my local grocery store and rent a carpet cleaning machne, buying a new carpet not so much.

[Kenngo1969]

Cleaned, replaced, what's the diff?!

 

Big difference. I can go to my local grocery store and rent a carpet cleaning machne, buying a new carpet not so much.

Oh, I know ... my comment was thoroughly tongue-in-cheek.

[thesometimesaint]

 

Oh, I know ... my comment was thoroughly tongue-in-cheek.

 

OK. I'm a little slow on the uptake this morning.

[omni]

I'm curious if the Church still uses carpet in countries that don't generally have carpet?

[omni]

Dupe

Edited August 2, 2014 by omni

[Scott Lloyd]

I'm curious if the Church still uses carpet in countries that don't generally have carpet?

Don't know.

But I Googled "countries where they don't use carpet" and didn't come up with anything to speak of.