Subfloor movement is a crucial consideration for tiled flooring installations. In almost all build projects, tiled flooring expands and contracts at different rates to that of the subfloor beneath it.

Wakefield, West Yorkshire -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/03/2016 -- To accommodate this, it is essential for flooring installations to have movement protection in place to absorb the movement and protect the surface tiles. This protection comes in the form of movement joints.

By installing movement joints into tiled flooring installations, these will effectively absorb any heavy stresses and vertical movement from passing to the surface tiles. However Installers face a common problem where expansion joints need to cross over each other. By cutting and shaping with tin snips they are able to produce crossing junctions, but this method is technically demanding and time consuming.

As a result, Dural UK has introduced pre-formed junctions as a new and faster way of creating these junctions, compared to traditional methods, in the form of their new Cross Joints.

Preparing cross joints – the old, slow way

UK Building Regulations BS5385 state that expanses of hard flooring as a finished surface material have to conform to various functional and aesthetic standards. Commercial and industrial buildings which have large expanses of hard flooring as a finished surface material have to ensure compliance.

Architects and Designers are often faced with the problem where the subfloor movement joints intersect with each other, even in early design concepts where it is considered there is generally a little more control over the structural design. As the surface expansion joints have to be placed directly above the subfloor movement joints, it means these joints have no other option but to cross each other.

Creating a four-way junction with movement joints is technically demanding for installers, as well as costly and time consuming. Not only that but the level of movement protection offered by the cross junction may be compromised by the quality of the installer, as they have to cut the joints in a way to successfully integrate together. The movement joints are liable to warping and deterioration where they are cut as the integrity of the joints are compromised.

Preparing cross joints – the new, faster way with Dural's Cross Joints

Dural's Cross Joints are a new, innovative solution for creating a four-way junction. They are pre-formed joints which are simply placed over the junction in the subfloor and in-line with the surface movement joints. Anchored in the adhesive bed, the Cross Joints are then installed using the same procedure that standard movement joints are fitted with.

The Cross Joints allow movement accommodation in all directions simultaneously. They absorb the stresses created by vertical movement from expansion and contraction across the four surface areas at the junction. This means the stresses and subfloor movement are not transferred into the surface tiles, preventing cracks, loose tiles and 'tenting' or 'popping' of the tiles.

The benefits to installers include a much faster and easier installation compared to traditional methods where they would have to cut away the fixing legs of the crossing joints, which was very labour intensive. They are now able to complete installations in minutes, meaning they save time and money.

Architects and Designers will benefit from incorporating Cross Joints into their build projects, as it means they will have confidence in designing seamless tiled flooring that has high aesthetic qualities, that is fit for the purpose intended, and importantly exceeds requirements BS5385 for hard flooring applications.

Cross Joints – at a glance

- Provide Independent movement in all directions
- Available in all materials, colours, effects and finishes
- Depths from 3mm to 30mm in stainless steel & 3mm to 50mm in Aluminium and Brass.
- Fixed the same way as standard movement joints
- Extremely cost effective

About Dural
For further information on Dural's Cross Joints, contact their flooring experts and they will be happy to provide further information. High quality products are backed up by excellent, competent advice and design solutions. Contact them today by telephone on 01924 360 110, email info@dural.co.uk or refer to their website www.colouredmovementjoints.co.uk

Media Contact:
Company: Dural UK
Contact person: Chris Ashton, Creative Director, on behalf of Dural UK
Address: Unit 6a, Wakefield Business Centre, Denby Dale Road, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF2 7AZ
Contact Number: 01924 360 110
Email: info@dural.co.uk
Url: http://www.colouredmovementjoints.co.uk/

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/dural-cross-joints-a-new-and-innovative-solution-for-connecting-crossing-movement-joints-686087.htm

More and more home owners are choosing to install underfloor heating systems in recent years. Their popularity has surged as they provide a cost-effective, comfortable, unobtrusive heating solution for millions of homes. However, if underfloor heating systems are installed and there is no adequate movement protection for the tiled surface, then the expansions and contractions caused by the heating systems will almost certainly result in cracked tiling surfaces.

Wakefield, West Yorkshire -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/03/2016 -- Dural UK's new and innovative Micro Joint Infill is the solution for this problem, and provides discreet stress protection for tiles and natural stone on heated floors.

Underfloor heating systems and the potential problems they bring

Over the past five years, there has been a sharp rise in popularity in underfloor heating systems. Industry experts estimate that the market has nearly doubled annually since 2014. It is easy to understand the reasons behind this increase in popularity.

For homeowners, by installing underfloor heating systems they will get high comfort levels in their homes and low running costs (upto 30% greater energy efficiency compared to traditional heating methods). For Architects and Designers, incorporating underfloor heating systems into residential build projects enables them to achieve modern energy effiency regulations, reduce the carbon footprint of buildings, and facilitates more contemporary design concepts i.e. no obtrusive radiators or air vents.

Underfloor heating systems can often prove to be problematic for tiled flooring installations. The main problem with underfloor heating systems is the resultant movement, or thermal expansion, it causes in the subfloor. This movement is then transferred into the surface layer, or the tiled flooring. These tensions and stresses are too great for the tiled flooring to cope with. There are two consequences to this – one is the tiles could 'tent' or 'pop' off the floor resulting in loose tiles; and the other is hairline cracks could appear in the tiled surface.

This is very common in large format tiles, which are experiencing huge growth levels and are expected to be a big flooring trend throughout 2016. Large format tiles have a higher coefficient of thermal expansion, so for a given temperature rise they will grow proportionally more than smaller tiles. If this rate of expansion isn't accommodated for with some form of movement protection, the tile material will crack or 'tent' under the pressure.

Benefits of Micro Joint Infill for tiles on underfloor heating systems

UK Building Regulations BS5385 require that expanses of hard flooring as a finished surface material have to conform to various functional and aesthetic standards. To achieve compliance, it is essential for 40sqm or above flooring installations to have some sort of movement protection in place.

Dural's Micro Joint Infill has been specifically developed for tiled flooring installations which are laid over underfloor heating systems, particularly for residential developments. The infill provides effective movement protection for tiles and natural stone on heated floors. It means a tiled flooring installation with Micro Joint Infill used is able to effectively absorb the movement energy transferred from the subfloor, protecting the tiles from cracking and loosening.

An important benefit of the Micro Joint Infill is that it can be colour matched to the tile colour, the existing grout, or any colour in the RAL chart. This favours tiled flooring installations where the homeowners wants a seamless finish and deems traditional movement joints too obtrusive in the flooring design. Because surface movement joints have to be positioned over existing joints in the subfloor, this means sometimes if the subfloor joints hadn't been considered at an early stage the surface movement joints could potentially run through the middle of a tiled floor ruining the intricate flooring design.

The Micro Joint Infill is easy to apply to tiled flooring. It is simply applied to the grout line spaces and can be used on Brick Bond or Opus tile formations. Due to the colour matched nature of the Micro Joint Infill it helps to create a beautiful, seamless design to the tiled flooring.

Supplied in a kit format, the Micro Joint Infill comprises of Part One Base, Part Two Hardener, Cartridge assembly and protective gloves. Part One is simply mixed with Part Two thoroughly until a consistent colour is achieved. The mixture is then transferred into the cartridge and is then applied into the grout lines. After application, the Micro Joint Infill will cure over a period of approximately four hours and has a 45 Shore A hardness rating.

Architects and Designers will benefit from incorporating Micro Joint Infill into their build projects, as it means they will have confidence in designing seamless tiled flooring over underfloor heating systems. Importantly, the Micro Joint Infill will ensure tiled flooring installations are fit for purpose and exceed requirements BS5385 for hard flooring applications.The Micro Joint Infill can be colour matched to the grout or tile colour therefore causing minimum disruption to the visible surface.

Micro Joint Infill will benefit Installers and Tile Fitters as it is a cost-effective solution to achieving a beautiful tiled flooring with minimal chances of cracking or loosening (if good tiling practices and procedures are followed, refer to The Tile Association for more information). It is easily applied with minimum wastage (depending on care of application) and offers excellent protection from thermal expansion caused by underfloor heating systems.

Matched accurately to the grout, tile or any colour in the RAL range, Micro Joint Infill effectively blends into the floor surface whilst providing the required stress relief modern heated floors require for a long lasting beautiful performance.

About Dural
For further information on Dural's Micro Joint Infill, contact their flooring experts and they will be happy to provide further information. High quality products are backed up by excellent, competent advice and design solutions. Contact them today by telephone on 01924 360 110, email info@dural.co.uk or refer to their website http://www.colouredmovementjoints.co.uk/

Media Contact:
Company: Dural UK
Address: Unit 6a, Wakefield Business Centre, Denby Dale Road, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF2 7AZ
Contact no.: 01924 360110
Contact person: Chris Ashton, Creative Director, on behalf of Dural UK
Email: chris@clark-taylorconsulting.co.uk
Url: http://www.colouredmovementjoints.co.uk/movement-joints/movement-joint-types/micro-joints/

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/micro-joints-the-discreet-new-way-to-protect-tiles-installed-over-underfloor-heating-systems-686089.htm