Three years drafting and I just caught a subfloor layer ignoring the expansion gap

I was checking a set of prints for a commercial build in Austin last Tuesday and noticed the subfloor crew left zero gap around the perimeter of a 40-foot room. The GC told me it's fine, but I know that's going to buckle when the humidity shifts in July. Has anyone else had to fight a crew on this, or am I being too picky?

2 comments

2 Comments

jesse9885d agoMost Upvoted

I mean, I once spent a whole afternoon measuring gaps with a feeler gauge just to prove a point to a crew who thought I was being dramatic. Turns out I was right when the floor buckled three months later and the GC had to eat the cost of replacing half the room. Maybe it's just me but I'd rather be the annoying drafter than the guy who has to explain why the floor is trying to escape through the wall.

grant9015d agoMost Upvoted

That's exactly the kind of thing that finally got through to me. I used to roll my eyes at guys who got real particular about clearances and tolerances, figured it was overkill and that things would settle out on their own. Then I saw a job go sideways where a two-millimeter mistake in the subfloor prep turned into a six-thousand dollar fix because the tile started cracking. Ever since then, I take the time to double check everything, even if the crew gives me a hard time about it. It's always cheaper to be the one with the feeler gauge than the one with the crowbar.