Ceramic Tile Soft Joints

Water damage restoration clean up checklist.

Ceramic tile soft joints.

The use to which the floor is to be put needs considering. 100 clemson research blvd anderson sc 29625 phone. Also known as soft joints. Those that move horizontally but not vertically such as saw cut or cold control joints.

Simply put a movement joint is a gap or space next to a tile that lets a tile floor move a bit. Okay maybe later a soft joint or control joint is simply one grout line all the way down the length of your installation that is filled with colored silicone or caulk rather than grout. Cement backer board for example is an excellent base for ceramic tile when the board is properly installed but movement joints must still be provided. The best and proper way to run a soft joint is to cut the tile so you have a straight line for the joint.

Some manufacturers of products meeting american national standards institute ansi a118 12 specification for crack isolation membranes for thin set ceramic tile and dimension stone installations allow their membrane to cover non structural movement joints i e. There are two kinds of movement joints. For wall and floor tiles the joints are usually filled with a flexible rubber. These expansion joints prevent dirt and grit filling the space as well as providing a more aesthetically suitable solution.

If using soft joints or the plastic edged preformed strips then there is no little edge protection for the tiles which could result in damage to the tile edges in heavy trafficked areas especially if wheeled over. How to deal with flooded tile installations. 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. Various tiling membranes both sheet and semi liquid can improve longevity of tiled floors over any substrate but every manufacturer of such membranes will specify that movement joints be employed.

Different kinds of environments demand different types of joints. Expansions or soft joints are period joints composed of latex caulking that expands and contracts when exposed to moisture or temperature extremes. The purpose of a soft joint is to allow movement in your installation without cracking tiles or grout. But you can follow the pattern through from one side to the other as long as it s a continuous bead.

However tcna does not recommend this. Ceramic tile education foundation.