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/