A homeowner in Boise asked me to skip the expansion gap on her new engineered wood floor.

She said her old installer never left one and it was fine for ten years. I explained why the gap is needed, but she was really firm about it. How do you handle clients who want to cut corners on something you know is a must?

3 comments

3 Comments

thea7042mo ago

Ugh, I've had that exact same argument before.

the_wyatt17d agoMost Upvoted

@ben486 nailed it with the pictures idea. Nothing gets through to people like seeing a warped floor after they swore it was fine without the gap. Honestly sometimes you just gotta let them find out the hard way if they won't listen, but at least you covered yourself.

ben4862mo ago

It's a tough spot to be in, @thea704 knows it well. You want the job done right, but the client is convinced their old way was fine. I usually show them pictures of what happens without that gap, floors buckling after a humid summer. Sometimes seeing the real damage is the only thing that gets through. If they still won't listen, I have to walk away, because my name is on that work.