Tile Expansion Joint

Expansion joint material for floor applications i e.

Tile expansion joint.

According to the tile council of north america a body that helps set standards for tile installations when installing outdoor tile there must be an expansion joint every 8 feet to 12 feet in each direction. Where should movement joints be placed. Urethane neoprene or polysulfide are often used in traffic areas and silicone where sometimes traffic is not a concern. Ceramic porcelain and stone tile expands and contracts with thermal and moisture changes in the environment.

The american national standard specifications for the installation of ceramic tile ansi 108 3. Where to place outdoor tile expansion joints placement of expansion joints is very important. It s quite common to see controlled breaks in concrete and those are usually expansion joints. Movement joints are an integral part of any tile assembly and must be incorporated within the tile field at doorsills and at transitions to walls and other restraining structures to allow movement of the assembly and prevent stresses that can damage the system.

The tcna handbook recommends allowing for expansion and contraction in every tile installation. In two places the tile was tented to the point where i could put my hands one on top of the other underneath the tented tiles. It allows for movement in the tile. Most of the traffic areas require a sealant with a shore hardness of 35 or.

If you tile over an expansion joint then you need to honor that joint in the tile as well. An expansion joint is in the substrate for instance in concrete. An unqualified installer who was a sub to a sub to a sub put the tile in and he did not install any expansion joints within the body of the tile or around the perimeter. Recognizing that tile is a facade movement joints are needed to eliminate stresses that can occur between the substrate and the tile due to differing amounts of expansion and contraction.

Learn all about expansion joints here.