Tile Expansion Joint

What is a Tile Expansion Joint?

Sub-surfaces move; tile doesn’t.  Under tile you’ve got wood, drywall, cement board, any number of things.  These things can expand and contract and move.

Tile is hard and brittle.  Not only that, but tile grout is brittle.  So you need to reconcile movement with inflexibility.

A tile expansion joint replaces grout with a more flexible substance, such as silicone caulk.

The caulk can be tinted to match the rest of your grout, so that it doesn’t stand out as much.

Where to Use Tile Expansion Joints?

The good thing is that you don’t need expansion joints everywhere; just in a few places, and in not every tile application.

In Huge Tile Floors

While you may not be laying a floor this big, if you’re installing a floor more than 24 feet in any direction, you’ll need a tile expansion joint.

Think that your substrate is kinda shaky?  Then, install the expansion joints more closely.

At Corners

When you have two tiles meeting at an inside corner, use the caulk instead of grout to form the joint.

Tile Meeting with Non-Tile

Grout doesn’t stick to Formica, wood, electrical conduit, PVC pipe, or just about anything non-tile.  So, use your caulk to form the joint between tile and anything that isn’t tile.