PSA: My building inspector just told me my studio's floor joists needed to be 12 inches on center, not 16, because of the tile I picked.

I found this out in the permit review for my 10x12 build in Tacoma, and now I'm looking at a full re-frame unless I switch to vinyl plank, so has anyone else run into a surprise like this with their floor finish?

2 comments

2 Comments

burns.brooke2d ago

Wait, 12 inches on center just for tile? That's wild. I've never heard of a framing change for tile before, only for the underlayment. Did they say why? That seems like overkill for a small studio, like they're treating it like a commercial kitchen floor.

josephs262d ago

That's just how it goes now, everything gets overbuilt. It's like the fear of any future problem means using way more material than needed. You see it in all kinds of stuff, not just building. Makes you wonder if the extra cost and work ever actually pays off, or if it's just for peace of mind.