Below is a rough diagram of the interior wall I'd like to build. The wall is in green, and the rooms are in white. The grey offset around the edges of the walls represents 3/8" drywall.
My question is simple – do I need to remove the drywall where the interior wall will meet the existing framing, or can I just drive framing nails straight through it to pick up the stud on the other side?
What about the top plate?
Best Answer
Why?
You are going to have to seal and finish the edges where the new wall meets the existing walls and ceiling. To do that, you are going to compromise the area of the existing drywall. Why not trim out a channel in the existing drywall the width of your new studs so that you can get good, tight firm attachment points.
The problem with butting framing up against drywall is that drywall is not very solid. Flexing of the framing can tend to crush and crumble the drywall between the new framing and the old. While this is not a load bearing wall, you do want it solid and stable, especially if you are going to hang any shelving or other moderate loads. Also, if you remove a strip of the old drywall, you can make sure you are attaching the new framing solidly into the old and not driving to close to the edge of a stud.
While you might get away with it, there is little reason to do it. If you insist on going that way, I suggest you use construction grade screws rather than nails. If you use nails, the very process of nailing may increase the likelihood of crushing the drywall underneath and creating a looser joint.