Framing over carpet
 

We have a bonus room with a laundry space adjacent to it. Because we're expecting a baby in August, we need to wall off the laundry area and convert the bonus room to the master bedroom, and make the old master bedroom into a nursery.

We have low-pile carpet, with padding, that spans both bonus and laundry. We only need to frame about a four-foot wall running across the room and a four-foot wall perpendicular to that in order to separate the rooms.

I would prefer not to cut the carpet, because I don't know a darn thing about adding tack strip in mid-floor like that and I'm afraid it will look crappy. However, I don't know if framing on top of carpet would work. Could the wall get squeaky? Could it crack the mud joint at the ceiling?

Thanks for your input.

If you ever have a water problem' you would have to remove the wall to dry it out. Cut out a strip 4" wide cut out another inch of underlay and if you don't want to work with tack strip, slip in a strip of plywood 1" by 1/4" and tack the carpet down thru the plywood.

I never thought about water. With the laundry right there that would be a real possibility. I wouldn't mind to add some tack strip, I just worry that the carpet might not cooperate as I try to put it back down. But given the water issue, I think I better soldier on. Thanks!

I would attempt to do it without pulling the carpet, just cut it out and add your strips from the cut out before you build the wall.

Right. I didn't plan to pull the whole room of carpet, but I just wondered if it might stretch or do something stupid to me as I cut and hacked around.

There is no garrentee but I would try doing in place and see how it goes.

Cut the carpet 5" wide, the pad another 1-1/2" on either side, build the wall, install the drywall, set the tack strip against the pad, set the base holding it 1/2" above the floor, rent a "knee kicker" and strech the carpet tucking it under the base.