What causes tiles to buckle?
Wood, concrete, metal and all structures expand and contract due to changes in temperature. This is also true for ceramic tile, grouts and mortars. Expansion joints must pass through the tilework on the substrates and additional expansion joint layout will be required at proper intervals for the tile or natural stonework. Expansion joints relieve expansive and contraction movement in interior and exterior applications. Please reference TCA detail EJ-171 in the TCA Handbook. If the architect, designer, tile layout specifier or tile layer omits these joints, the result is massive tile bond failure and/or unsightly upheaval, buckling and cracked tile surfaces.
