Manufacturers and contractors are welcome to contribute to the Expert Advice section. Schlüter-Systems have prepared a series of advisory technical articles relating to the ongoing problems associated with movement in floor tile installations. Contract Flooring Magazine leads the way for publishing such expert advice online for reference by the flooring, building and construction industry.
Contract Flooring Magazine articles are read by industries top professionals and decision makers including Architects, Specifiers, flooring and building industry manufacturers.
If you would like to contribute to this section, please contact us.
In our last couple of advisory columns, Contract Flooring Magazine Online has looked at Why and Where we need to incorporate movement joints to protect tiled installations from damage caused by movement stresses.
The next step is to install the correct type for the application - because what is right for one application may not be suitable for another.
Ian Knifton, Technical Manager at Schlüter-Systems, looks at the capabilities of the two main types of movement joint.
The normal installation methods are either field-applied sealant, or a pre-fabricated movement joint profile.
And which is better depends very much on the application. While sealant-type methods are suitable for most applications – and indeed, is the only method in some – a straight analysis of the two methods does identify a weakness in the sealant-type joints.
| Silicone Expansion Joint | Pre-fabricated Expansion Joint Profiles |
|---|---|
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Figure 1 shows where the differential movement between the floor and wall has resulted in a torn silicone sealant joint. This also shows what is meant by “retains memory,” where the sealant used has stuck to the surface with which it has the better bond – either the wall or the floor.
This type of damage is particularly common where a floating floor has been used, such as a heated screed, or timber. The damage seen here needs expensive remedial action, with the removal and cleaning of the damaged areas followed by the re-application of the sealant, which may fail again.
The problem is more acute in areas with high hygiene requirements, such as hospitals, food preparation areas, and leisure facilities. And, of course, if waterproofing was reliant on the sealant joint, that, too would have failed.
But the performance of a pre-fabricated joint profile in the same situation, would be very different.
Figure 2 shows a two-part corner profile which provides a permanent flexible connection at the floor-to-wall transition. This type of profile features a tongue-and-groove connection of approximately 8mm, which absorbs large degrees of movement – whereas, if a sealant-type joint were used in the same application, the width of the joint would need to be between 20-25mm to absorb the same movement.
In addition, the tile pocket integrated on the floor anchoring leg allows cut edges of tile to be tucked into the pocket to give a better aesthetic appearance to the finished installation.
Next time - how the correct movement joint prevents the all-too-common problem of fungus growth and soiling of the floor-to-wall connection.
For more information contact:
Stewart Bint
Telephone: 01530 813396
Fax: 01530 813376
e-mail:
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