Hey guys I'm in huge need of help and advice. Several days ago we got some water in our finished basement, we found the source window in backyard wasn't securely shut) and got that completely fixed, but left with a wet carpet. The carpet looks newer (within 20 years), maybe even less. It's very thin carpet that was glued down to the floor. Anyways we had a local carpet cleaning company come over suck up the rainwater and steam cleaned it, then put a big dehumidifier with fans to clear it out. Definitely did the job as my carpet was almost completely dry after 48 hours. However I looked underneath and noticed the glue was still wet when they left. I have kids in the home so I made the choice with my wife and father it would be best to rip the carpet up and let it dry out. Big mistake! The glue underneath started to dry and gave off a really bad odor. I'm now concerned for my family's health. The odor was really bad the first night but stayed in the basement... The next day I walked downstairs to see and the smell is slightly there but quite a bit better. I've read that glue can offgas and has VOCs. I know something is up cuz usually my sinuses are fine but whenever I walk into the house my sinuses start acting up. Kids and wife can barely smell the glue and don't seem to be having issues. Also, underneath the glue is a black mastic and I'm not wanting to stir that up because I know there is a chance it could contain asbestos. So here's my questions to you guys: 1. Did I do permanent damage to my family's health or my own? I asked a few local carpet and floor installers and they laughed and said there wouldn't be an issue from one time exposure. 2. Since I'm not able to scrap the glue, I need to cover over the glue. I've called and talked to many people and the recommendation that I got was to paint over it to seal in the odor with a shellac primer. They said no regular paint or primer because it was waterbased and water with water glue would just reactive it. 3. Is shellac primer dangerous for indoor use? I've heard it was great but many complaints about odor and whatnot. But was recommended to use it from paint experts and flooring experts. I'm not a chemist so idk what would be the difference. Just trying to do right by my family and my kiddos. Any help is welcome!