Putting A Tarp On Carpet

[smidsy]

I've just moved from a place with a garage to a place without a garage so one bedroom will become a store room for tools and the like.
I was going to put a tarp down to protect the carpet but someone said it could do more harm than good cos moisture could get under it.
What's the deal should I put the tarp down or just be bloody careful with the carpet.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I'd be reluctant to put a tarp down straight away. After all, you say you've just moved in so you wouldn't really have a 'feel' for whether damp (wherever it may come from) is gonna be problem.

Instead I'd just use a couple of old double bed sheets, probably with a few sheets of newspaper on top under any messy tools.

Oh... AND be bloody careful of the carpet.

[twosheds]

How about some dodgy second hand carpet or large mats (scavenge either from local kerbside garbage pickup or local recycling facility) to lay over the original carpet to protect it. Fix it in place with some gal clouts at the edges which can be removed later with no visible damage to the underlying carpet (assuming you have timber or particleboard underneath). If you are willing to part with some hard earned an alternative is builders temporary floor protection which is usually held down by double sided tape - not sure how well it will hold down over carpet but it is a stiff, non-slip surface.

A plastic tarp over the carpet will bunch up as you walk on it and eventually you will either slip or trip and cause damage to yourself, or even worse, to your tools. Same deal with light canvas such as a painters drop sheet. No need to ask me how I know this.

Hope this helps

Twosheds

[rwbuild]

Painters drop sheets, tough as and they are not very expensive
Just a moment...

[cava]

[rambunctious]

Depends on the carpet.
No matter what you put down other than ply sheet, the carpet will dent/squash from heavy items and most likely not return to it's original shape
just like when a lounge leg/table/tv are on carpet, usually the carpet is marked forever..
I use 8mm ply in the back of my wagon and after 16 years the carpet still looks new without damage from tools/bicycle/jackhammer/welder etc
And even ply sheet, unless you cover the whole room, will probably leave an imprint of the sheet.
I would suggest the old carpet idea from above will maybe be best but turn the old carpet upside down so carpet pile sits carpet pile.
And check it after a couple of weeks.