Access to base sewer clean out through carpet?

[roadking99]

I just found out that my basement sewer clean out is located underneath the carpet in our finished basement. To access it I had to remove the baseboards and pull back the carpet. I will now need to access the the clean out every year. Does anyone have any creative ways on how to access the clean out without removing the baseboard every year? I thought of cutting a hole in the carpet and covering the hole in the carpet with a sewer clean out cover but for reasons that will not work. I've asked at several carpet stores for ideas but so far no one has encountered the problem. Any ideas are appreciated.

 

[C.J.]

If you don’t want a visible drain cap in your floor I would just pull the carpet back once a year for business and call it good. I would make it so you don’t have to mess with the base, just pull the carpet back and do your business then flop the carpet back in place when you’re done.

Or you could cut an access hole and put a throw rug over it.

 

[DarisMulkin]

I don't know how. you get the line cleaned out but here the guy running the machine make on hell of a mess and I have vct on my floor. Calls for a good scrubbing when done with a little bleach water.

 

[Floorist]

The carpet should NOT be installed under the baseboard anyway. Trim it back.

 

[highup]

Why does the baseboard need to be removed?

95% of the homes I've worked in, in the last 25 or more years have raised baseboards. The carpet is tucked under the baseboards so you'd just need to pull the carpet up at a corner and pull it back.
Do you have any photos?

 

[roadking99]

Thanks for the responses. It appears that when our basement was finished by previous owners the carpet was laid first and then they nailed the baseboard tight to the carpet which is why I to remove the baseboard in order to pull up the carpet. I will try to trim the carpet back and reinstalled the baseboard and a height which will allow me to pull it back.
Cutting a hole in the carpet is probably my dead last option because the clean out is slightly raised so I would have to cut a big chunk of carpet to keep the raised clean out area not so visible, if that makes sense. Also the clean out is located off center of the room so throwing a rug over it would look really strange, but still an option, if my wife would got for it.

 

[Incognito]

Thanks for the responses. It appears that when our basement was finished by previous owners the carpet was laid first and then they nailed the baseboard tight to the carpet which is why I to remove the baseboard in order to pull up the carpet. I will try to trim the carpet back and reinstalled the baseboard and a height which will allow me to pull it back.
Cutting a hole in the carpet is probably my dead last option because the clean out is slightly raised so I would have to cut a big chunk of carpet to keep the raised clean out area not so visible, if that makes sense. Also the clean out is located off center of the room so throwing a rug over it would look really strange, but still an option, if my wife would got for it.

In addition to removing the base next time I'd remove and replace the tackless strip after lowering the base to the floor so you don't have to move the base every time. I agree that the base should be installed first then the tack strip is set to create a perfect "gully" to trim the carpet to and then wedge the backing into that gully will secure the tension on the carpet with the proper stretch. The way I learnt you need the backing tucked down into that gully to really secure the carpet and not just the face yarns.

 

[highup]

Do what incognito said. I would not want the carpet fit perfectly to the tackstrip tho.
I would remove the tackstrip, then reinstall the base, and DO space it off the floor almost the thickness of the carpet.
Now, install new tackstrip, but place 3/8" or so from the baseboards.
My reasoning is that it will be a lot easier putting the carpet back, especially so, if YOU are the one that will be putting it back.
You would lay the carpet back into position, then tuck it across the tackstrip and under the baseboards.
You can't put the base directly on the floor anyway because it won't match the places where you didn't remove it. Leave the gap between the base and the concrete.

 

[highup]

Tucking and pounding/forcing the carpet into a tiny gully was "a thing" .....back in the day.
I think for certain woven carpets. Today that is an art form looking for a reason to exist.
I mean, guys don't stretch hard enough to pull carpet off the strip anyway.
A relatively small gully/gap gives a better visual appearance only on short looped or even short, cut pile carpeting.
How many guys have removed old worn out carpeting with a 1/2" gully? ....and didn't know it or even see an issue, but only discovered the humongous gully after the fact?
Gap is sometimes a state of mind...... Not so if it's below your Tee shirt and between your two back pockets.
Reserve that for plumbers.