Always honor expansion joints that may exist in the substrate and bring them through the stone finish. Movement joints should also be placed at the perimeter of the installation, as well as in the field. A good rule of thumb is to follow the “Handbook for Tile Installations (NATC)†guidelines outlined in Expansion Joint Detail EJ171. Although this is a publication for the tile industry, the Marble Institute of America also points to this detail in its installation manual. Use a suitable flexible sealant that is non-staining and will hold up to the traffic and maintenance that the area will see. Note that most acrylic-type colored caulks are not suitable for these installations.
Some of the advantages of these cross-linking technology grouts and epoxy grouts are as follows: