The tcna handbook recommends allowing for expansion and contraction in every tile installation.
Tile movement joints.
More often than not when there is a tile e g.
Where should movement joints be placed.
Perimeter and field movement joints.
Ceramic porcelain stone or glass failure a contributing factor is the lack of properly installed movement 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.
Simply put a movement joint is a gap or space next to a tile that lets a tile floor move a bit.
Apply painter s tape along the tile edges of the joint fill the joint with 100 silicone smooth it with a sealant tool popsicle stick or plastic spoon remove the tape by pulling it on an angle toward the joint as soon as the sealant is in place.
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.
Movement joints are also designed to isolate different materials from each other so they do not affect adjacent materials.