I have a room that has no door to the hallway. I want to build and L-shaped wall and install a door in the new wall. Because the carpet has to be cut in two directions perpendicular to each other, I would rather not cut it. If I cut I would also need someone to come fix it and get it re-stretched.

Can I build the wall over the carpet and essentially "hang" it from the ceiling? Of course nails would go into the sub-floor to kepe the bottom from swinging. Trim the baseboard molding to make it look right etc. When the carpet is replaced some time in the future, it could be cut around the wall with new tax strips etc.

I wouldn't do it that way. I recently had a guy I found on craigslist come out and lay and restretch a room for $70.

I had a large upstairs living area I split with a wall and closet to make a bedroom and living area. he cut the carpet to fit the closet and desk alcove and seamed it at the door and restretched in the living area.

figure out where you want your wall and cut where the middle of the sole plate will be with a utility knife. use a 2*4 as a straight edge

Bad idea!

Not a good idea for a number of reasons.

One, you are "pinning" the carpet to the slab. Which means it will be ugly when (not if) the carpet is replaced.

Two, you are introducing an absorbent material under a wood framed wall (even if it is only a non-structural partition). You never want to offer ways to keep any wood structure damp. Not so much for structural collapse as it is a partition, but that you do not want a potential host site for "carpenter" insects of any kind, nor a breeding ground for the spores that cause "dry rot."

Three, it's not just the wall, but all the finishes on that wall. Ever try to get drywall compound out of carpet? It's not fun.

Four, no matter what you do, the carpet and pad will "squish" which will have unpredictable effects--like bowing, cracking, or whatever. Repairing those will require gutting out the wall to get to the carpet and pad.

Given that tack strip runs a whopping 80¢/ft, there's no reason to not "do it right."

I have done a fairly significant amount of carpet work in our living room and can tell you that while difficult, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to do. I would start by checking out some carpet installation videos on YouTube. They will talk about how to install tack strip, and how to install carpet. Home Depot actually rents carpet install kits that work great and are very cheap per day.

How long is this wall your wanting to install?

wall is 4 ft x 4 ft (L-shaped).

thanks for the input. I was leaning to doing it "right", but if I could save a step and still do it right I would.

I've seen this method work if it isn't on slab.

Put a drywall screw into carpet to subfloor every 12-18" about 6" from your wall to be. Layout base plate and mark what to cut out. Pull carpet back over tacking screws and use drywall screws every 2-3 ft to hold it back out of way. Build wall and lay tack strip, put carpet on strip and press in, may need more carpet cut than what the base plate outlining removed, then remove the screws that were holding the stretch.



[This message has been edited by yakman (edited 5/20/2013 10:55a).]

mike holmes would be really irritated at you if you did this

What is Mike Holmes not really irritated about?

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wall is 4 ft x 4 ft.

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That would be really easy to do if I'm understanding exactly what your doing. You would just need a knee kicker to stretch the carpet. Nothing major.