Description
Tile Movement, Expansion and Perimeter Joints
Tiled floors move. Thermal expansion, building settlement, underfloor heating cycles and substrate deflection all put stress into a rigid tiled surface, and if there is nowhere for that stress to go the result is cracked grout, tented tiles and debonding.
Movement joints give the floor somewhere to go. A flexible core, usually PVC or rubber, sits between two rigid metal wings bedded into the adhesive either side, absorbing expansion while keeping the surface level and walkable. Perimeter joints do the same job where the field of tiling meets a wall or column.
British Standard guidance recommends movement joints at bay perimeters, over structural joints, at changes of substrate, and at intervals across large floor areas, with tighter spacing where underfloor heating is installed or where the floor is exposed to direct sunlight.
Profiles are available in a range of heights to match tile thickness, with aluminium and stainless finishes and coloured flexible inserts. Supplied in standard lengths, cut with a hacksaw. UK stock with fast dispatch, and our team can advise on joint spacing for your layout.
