Important Questions You’ll Want to Ask:
1. What Type of Finish?
2. Is the Joint on the Exterior?
3. Located On the Floor, the Wall or the Ceiling?
4. What is the Joint Attachment Substrate?
5. What Type of Foot Traffic and Loads?
6. What Is the Size of the Opening?
7. What is the Fire Rating for this Expansion Joint?
8. Are Moisture Barriers Required?
What type of finish? 
Some joints are designed for specific finishes: Gypsum beads have varying depths, carpet or tile. Other times we try to conceal the joint by color matching the materials. Finishes are important, you want to hide the expansion joints as much as possible.
- Gypsum board joints require drywall bead
- Floor joint covers should be nearly flush with and match the walking surface
- Ceiling joints require system grid (or framing) integration and should match ceiling finish
- Joints can be color matched to masonry and stone
Is the joint on the exterior?
Exterior joints have special considerations—if needed use a compressible thermal insulation in the joint behind the joint cover.
- Is a moisture barrier is required?
- Is the joint fire-rated?
- Materials must withstand freeze and thaw.
- Materials must coordinate with the design.
Located on the floor, the wall or the ceiling?
Joint locations, types, finishes and details quickly become complicated and can be simplified with a table 
scheduled with the finishes and marked on the floor plans.
For floor, wall and ceiling joints, a critical first question is the type of surface to which the system will be attached—for example: gypsum wallboard, block, brick, or stone.
Joints are designed to be fastened or adhered to substrates, but you must specify the stainless steel fasteners that are most appropriate for your substrate.
- Metal or wood studs behind Gypsum Board
- Concrete
- Masonry
When you cut through an entire building with an expansion joint the result is a complicated set of joint requirements. The only way to keep them in order is to have a list with locations. Then you can just drop that list into the spec.
What type of foot traffic and loads?
The primary issue here is load factor. The environment can range from high-volume to relatively lightweight foot traffic, to a warehouse setting supporting forklifts and fully loaded semi-trailer trucks. Casino and hospital settings involve aspects of both—high pedestrian traffic, combined with money carts or gurneys riding on small wheels. Systems rated for this type of traffic need to be specified with the proper rated system. Many parking ramps combine high load factors with wide and frequent swings in surface temperature. For this application, a heavy-duty joint for vehicular traffic would be the specified system.
Avoid liability by selecting a floor joint that is going to hold up to the traffic—if you anticipate wet mop maintenance for the floor then drape a moisture barrier gutter TO A DRAIN PROVIDED IN YOUR DESIGN.
- High pedestrian traffic? (e.g., casinos, hospitals, airports)
- High load factors? Exposure to temperature swings? (e.g., parking ramps)
- Consider traffic volume and load factors to ensure proper rated system is specified
What is the size of the opening? 
Expansion joint systems are specified based on the nominal, or installed, width of the opening, most commonly in the range of 25 to 102 mm (1 to 4 in.). Standard systems range up to 610 mm (24 in.), with custom-designed systems available in widths of 762 mm (30 in.) or more.
Get the size right so the joint performs properly.
- Most common width range: 1-4 in. (25-102 mm)
- Standard: up to 24 in. (610 mm)
- Custom: up to 30 in. (762 mm)
What is the fire rating for this expansion joint?
The ability of a wall, floor or ceiling to contain heat and flames and prevent the spread of fire is dependent on the integrity of the entire surface. A fire-rated expansion joint system comprises the expansion joint and attached fire protection materials and is given a combined system rating for fire containment, based on the system’s ability to withstand heat, movement, and material degradation. Fire-rated expansion joint systems extend the fire rating of a wall, floor or ceiling across the building joint. Joint must be contiguous with the fire-rated assembly and connect properly where a floor or ceiling meets a wall.
- Fire-rated expansion joint systems extend the fire rating of a wall, floor or ceiling across the building joint
- Joint must be contiguous with the fire-rated assembly and connect properly where a floor or ceiling meets a wall
Are moisture barriers required?
The environment, as reflected in local building codes, determines the type of moisture barrier required. Some 
expansion joint systems contain an integral moisture barrier, while others call for an ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) drape-in material. The integral system has formed lugs that fit into a receiving framework. This makes for an easier installation and stronger assembly. The drape-in moisture barrier is a flat material which comes in rolls and draped across the joint and sandwiched into each side of the joint to collect and drain away moisture. Similar to a gutter. Consider drainage requirement, sloped or tubed every 100 feet and directed to a building drain.
Again, anywhere there is moisture entering a building make sure you are managing the drainage.
- Climate determines the type of moisture barrier
- Integral systems make for easier installation and stronger assembly
- Will the floor get wet or be wet mopped?
- Drape-in system requires a separate way to assemble the joint
- Consider drainage requirement
Nystrom expansion joints are manufactured to solve a variety of expansion joint scenarios. Custom sizing, materials, and color finishes ensure that whatever you need for your project, we've got you covered. Our commercial building products are shipped direct from our central manufacturing facility or from one of our strategically located stocking locations. For more information on product options, specifications, documentation or more, please reach out to our Customer Sales & Support team or visit the website.
