I want to install built-in bookcases along a wall with a carpeted floor. Can I put them atop the carpeting, or should the carpeting be removed and then replaced after installation of the bookcases? – Tom Hennek
Chris Marshall: Built-in bookcases should have a solid base to stand on, even though they’re fastened to the wall. Carpeting, which probably has a foam pad underneath it, isn’t a solid base. I’d definitely trim the carpeting back in the bookcase area before installing your project. Then, once the bookcases are in place and fastened, I’d nail tack strips to the floor around them in order to stretch and secure the carpet again. Or, stick the carpeting to the floor with double-sided carpet tape.
