Thermal Movement
Expansion and contraction of building materials as temperature changes. A Mumbai terrace can swing by 30°C or more between night and midday in summer.
On an actual building
It is the reason expansion joints exist and the reason rigid coatings crack on exposed elevations. Long unjointed elements and tall slender towers move measurably.
What we most often have to correct
That a building is static. Parapets, terraces and facades move daily, and systems applied to them have to accommodate it.
Terms that come up alongside this one
- Expansion Joint
A deliberate gap through a structure that allows adjacent parts to move independently under thermal and structural movement..
- Sealant Movement Capability
The percentage of a joint's width that a sealant can accommodate in extension and compression without failing, stated by the manufacturer..
- Elastomeric Coating
A high-build flexible coating with substantial elongation, able to stretch and bridge hairline cracks as a substrate moves..
Thermal Movement — questions we get asked
What does thermal movement mean in waterproofing?
Expansion and contraction of building materials as temperature changes. A Mumbai terrace can swing by 30°C or more between night and midday in summer.
Why does thermal movement matter on a real project?
It is the reason expansion joints exist and the reason rigid coatings crack on exposed elevations. Long unjointed elements and tall slender towers move measurably.
What do people commonly get wrong about thermal movement?
That a building is static. Parapets, terraces and facades move daily, and systems applied to them have to accommodate it.
Have a building showing this?
If a term on this page describes something you are looking at, a site inspection will tell you how far it has gone and what it needs. It costs nothing.
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