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?
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.
Joint locations, types, finishes and details quickly become complicated and can be simplified with a table
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The environment, as reflected in local building codes, determines the type of moisture barrier required. Some
Again, anywhere there is moisture entering a building make sure you are managing the drainage.
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.