I'm installing tile in my basement, and I need to remove carpeting that was previously walled over:NO NO NO:, and I don't want to leave it under the wall, as it's in a basement and will soak up any water. Any advice on how to get old carpeting out from under the wall (without removing the wall) in this case?

 

If the wall was installed correctly then the carpet is just tucked under the Sheetrock. Then all u have to do is pull it up

 

Right. Problem is the wall wasn't installed correctly. It was installed over the carpet. Any suggestions?

 

So your saying the base plate is on top of the carpet. If that's the case then don't think u can unless u remove the wall

 

One wild shot would be to use a reciprocating saw with a bent 6" blade and run it under the plate, skipping when you came to a fastener. You may be able to drag it out that way.

 

I don't see any option but to take down the wall, since even if you get the carpet out from under the baseplate, you'll now have a 1/2" gap between the floor and the plate.

Question: how old is the wall and is there any sign of moisture already? If not you might be better off just leaving it there since the wall is clearly not load bearing.

If you want to do it right and if you're careful you can probably save all of the lumber and then measure the difference in height, use a double-header and trim the studs down an inch or so to make up the difference in height, then you'd just need a couple of 2x4s for the second header row, and the materials to drywall and refinish.

 

So there are actually two sections of wall that have been carpeted over. Neither section of wall is load bearing. I was able to get the carpet out of the first section by using needle nose pliers to get as much padding out as I could, then using a pry bar and hammer to force the carpet to the other side and pull it out. Whenever I encountered a screw, I kept hitting on that spot until either the screw broke or the carpet sliced past it. I have yet to do this on the second section. There is about a 1/2" gap between the base plate and the cement, so after all the carpet is removed, I'll probably hammer shims from both sides to give it tension and prevent it from wobbling too much. I'll also be tiling this floor, so I'll try to get as close to it as possible so there's no room for wiggle. Assuming the shims give plenty of upward force, are there any issues with leaving it like this? If so, then I'll just need to remove the wall anyway, right?

PS: I'd really like not to have to remove the wall, as there is duct work and electrical inside it.

Thanks.

 

Another option is to leave the carpet then just caulk it up from floor to bottom plate so it's incapsulated between the floor and base plate