I get what you mean about the “overkill” thing—when I was sealing up my crawlspace, I ended up double-taping every seam and even ran the vapor barrier a foot up the wall, just in case. Passed inspection, but the inspector kind of gave me a look like, “You know you didn’t have to go that far, right?” I guess it’s tough to know where to draw the line between thorough and just... too much. Out of curiosity, did you run into any spots where you had to dial it back on your storm shelter, or did you stick with your original plan all the way through?
Funny you mention that—sometimes I wonder if inspectors secretly appreciate the extra effort or just think we’re a bit nuts. When you were working on your crawlspace, did you ever regret going that far, or did it feel worth it for peace of mind? I always end up second-guessing myself halfway through a project, especially when I’m knee-deep in caulk or tape. Ever have one of those “maybe I should’ve stopped an hour ago” moments?
Honestly, I tend to think there’s a point where “extra effort” turns into just making more work for yourself. I get the urge for peace of mind, but sometimes all that caulking and taping can go overboard. Like you said:
I always end up second-guessing myself halfway through a project, especially when I’m knee-deep in caulk or tape.
Been there. I’ve found that a clear plan at the start helps—figure out exactly what needs sealing or reinforcing, and stick to it. Otherwise, it’s easy to get lost in the weeds and start fixing things that weren’t even problems. Once, I spent hours sealing every tiny gap in a basement, only to realize most of it was unnecessary after the inspector breezed through. Sometimes “good enough” really is good enough, especially if you’re following code. The peace of mind is great, but not if it means you’re stressing over every little detail.
Funny how easy it is to get sucked into the “just one more thing” trap. I’ve definitely overdone it with the caulk before—ended up with more mess than benefit. Sometimes you just have to trust the process and the code, even if it feels a bit unfinished. The inspector’s approval is usually the best peace of mind you can get, anyway.
Funny how easy it is to get sucked into the “just one more thing” trap. I’ve definitely overdone it with the caulk before—ended up with more mess than benefit.
Oh, I hear you on the caulk chaos. Once tried to “seal it just a little better” around my basement windows and ended up with what looked like a melted marshmallow massacre. My partner walked in, took one look, and just handed me a roll of paper towels. Sometimes less really is more.
I get the urge to keep tweaking until everything’s “perfect,” but I’ve learned the hard way that the inspector’s nod is worth more than my endless fussing. It’s wild how you can feel like something’s not quite finished, but the pros are like, “Yep, you’re good.” Guess there’s a reason they write the code and we just try to follow it without turning the place into a caulk sculpture.
