Why Placing Expansion Joints Is Important While Installing Floor Tiles?

by Sarah B. Marketing Writer | Thinker | Environmentalist

When you are working on tile floor project, it is advisable that you should place expansion joints. But most DIYers and those installing tiles for the first time often wonder what expansion joints are and why they need to install them.

This article talks about expansion joints in details under the following subsections –

What Are Expansion Joints?

Expansion Joints are technically known as Movement Joints or Movement Accommodation Joints. These joints help your tile floor avoid cracks and damages, and ultimately blessing it with longevity. According to experts, they are crucial to the success of your tile project.

Advantages of Expansion Joints

These are like stress reliever for your heavy traffic floor (and ever moving flooring material because of weather-borne heat and cold). Apparently, every matter or element shrinks or expands with change in weather throughout the year.

When tiles expand in summer, they need some space to adjust. Expansion joints provide tiles with that space. And that’s how it protects tiles from cracks and damages.

Where to Place Expansion Joints?

Ideally, you should place expansion joints every 20 to 25 feet distance. And if it is an outdoor project, these soft joints should be planned at every 8 to 10 feet to prevent tile damage.

Expansion joints should also be there around the perimeter of the tiled layout.

In bathrooms, you should leave a ¼ inch gap around the perimeter of tiles to ensure durability of your floor and wall tiles.

How to Install Expansion Joints?

Placing expansion joints is not a rocket science. It is a simple process of leaving gaps while installing tiles – the strategically placed gaps that disappear. Bu they do not look like a different section on your flooring.

Expansion Joints are also called as unfilled grout joint. Though, you can fill them with matching color filler (such as silicone/urethane caulk), so they don’t look odd.

This article has been brought to you by WallAndTile.com, one of the largest tile shops in US!