Crack isolation and sound control Peel and Stick (PNS) membranes are designed to solve well-known issues in flooring installation. Crack isolation products keep subfloor cracks from transferring into tile and stone floors. Sound control products are designed to minimize air born and impact noise from footsteps and other types of traffic, as measured by their Impact Insulation Class (IIC) rating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Any existing expansion joint or soft joint (saw cut) must be honored throughout the entire assembly per TCNA EJ-171. Expansion joints and saw cuts are part of the construction of the building and need to be kept in place.
Perimeter joints still need to be honored per TCNA EJ-171. Just because a crack-isolation membrane is used does not mean that the tile will stop expanding and contracting.
A crack-isolation membrane is a form of insurance. No matter how new or old your concrete substrate may be, it always moves through expansion, contraction and stress. When a crack appears or already exists and a hard product like tile or stone is applied over that substrate without protection, those cracks can transmit through the entire installation, creating unsightly fractures in the tile or grout.