Start with the joint’s job
Choose an expansion joint seal by application
Orientation, traffic and required performance narrow the choice. The examples below identify useful starting points; confirm the exact product, size and system details against the project specification.
| Joint application | Products to explore | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior walls & high movement | Silicone-faced precompressed seals for façade and structural wall joints. | Opening and movement range, wall depth, one- or two-sided sealing, color and changes in plane. |
| Parking decks & pedestrian traffic | Traffic-grade systems for horizontal moving joints. Willseal 250-R adds reinforcement for higher point loads. | Vehicle and wheel type, pedestrian point loads, joint width, recess, joint edges and traffic-opening requirements. |
| Non-trafficked horizontal joints | Horizontal weather seals where the joint will not carry pedestrian or vehicle traffic. | Exposure, movement and whether a protective cover is required. Horizontal orientation alone does not establish a traffic rating. |
| Fire-rated walls & floors | Precompressed systems with fire-resistance ratings for the applicable joint assembly. | Wall versus floor listing, required duration, substrates, joint width, movement and installation depth. |
| Pick-resistant joints | Specialized facings for exposed joints in healthcare, public and secure facilities. | Floor or wall use, coating, movement and any separate fire-rating requirement. Pick resistance does not establish a fire rating. |
| Bridge & roadway joints | Joint systems designed for bridge and highway conditions, including precompressed foam and extruded silicone designs. | Specified profile, joint geometry, traffic, headers or metal angles, curb transitions and project approvals. |
| Closed-cell joint seals | Coreseal products use closed-cell EVA foam; choose the version suited to the orientation and finish. | Movement capacity of the exact version, traffic exposure, coating and bonding details. |
Many precompressed seals combine impregnated foam, a factory-applied facing and field-applied adhesives or sealant bands. Order and install the specified system components together; a similar-looking profile is not enough to establish equivalence.
Plan the joint, its transitions and its service conditions
New construction & joint replacement
Measure the actual opening along each run and record available depth, substrate condition and measurement temperature. Separate changes in joint size and identify spalled edges or old materials that affect preparation.
For façades, Emseal Colorseal-On-A-Reel addresses smaller wall joints, while Emseal Seismic Colorseal-DS provides a double-sided configuration. Match the detail rather than selecting by brand alone.
Continuous seals through transitions
Include corners, tees, crosses, curb upturns and wall-to-deck transitions in the takeoff. Show where the joint meets waterproofing, coatings or other joint systems so the connecting detail can be reviewed.
For parking and plaza work, identify the traffic and the waterproofing plane. A straight-run seal is only one part of the completed joint.
Acoustics, backing & breathable seals
Emseal QuietJoint SHH is an acoustic closure for interior, non-moving gaps. Emseal Backerseal provides a secondary seal behind field-applied liquid sealant.
Tremco Willseal 600 is a vapor-permeable primary seal for vertical applications. These products have different roles; identify which layer of the joint must control weather, air or sound.
Food facilities & industrial floors
Emseal DSF System uses a silicone coating compliant with NSF/ANSI 61 and FDA 21 CFR 177.2600. Confirm the complete application, cleaning exposure and facility requirements with the manufacturer.
Sika FloorJoint S is a floor-joint repair panel. Its surface joint does not provide waterproofing by itself; a waterproof design needs the specified underlying system.
Before you order
Technical documents & joint takeoff
Use current manufacturer data for the exact seal and configuration. Product data, installation instructions and joint details work together when preparing a submittal or project order.
Size for movement
Provide the measured opening and its expected minimum and maximum widths, movement direction and available depth. Use the manufacturer’s sizing method; shipping compression is not the installed joint size.
Break out each run
List linear feet by product, nominal size, color and location. Count transitions and terminations separately. Confirm supplied lengths, splices, cut allowances and complete ordering units before releasing the order.
Complete the submittal
Include current product data, installation instructions, safety data and relevant drawings. Add the applicable fire listing or project approval, plus required adhesives, sealant bands, nosing materials and accessories.
Manufacturer data & system references
See flagship products and specialized systems from Emseal and Tremco Willseal. Open the manufacturer references for technical data and installation details, or shop the brand to compare products in this category.
Emseal
Seismic Colorseal
Silicone-faced precompressed primary seal for high-movement wall joints.
Seismic Colorseal-DS
Double-sided wall seal for curtainwall and other details requiring a sealing face on both sides.
Colorseal-On-A-Reel
Reel-supplied primary seal for smaller wall joints; confirm the specified coating and color.
DSM System
Traffic-durable primary seal for deck joints, including parking structures and stadiums.
Emshield WFR2
Two-hour fire-rated wall joint system. Review the applicable listing and joint configuration.
Emshield SecuritySeal SSF2
Pick-resistant, two-hour fire-rated floor joint system for applicable listed assemblies.
BEJS
Precompressed silicone-and-foam joint system for bridge and roadway applications.
EMV-Seal
Extruded silicone seal for bridge and highway joints. Match the profile and adhesive system to the detail.
DSF System
Specialized seal with a compliant silicone coating for food-production and related specified environments.
QuietJoint SHH
Two-sided acoustic closure for interior, non-moving partition gaps; select by the acoustic detail.
Backerseal
Precompressed secondary wall seal used behind field-applied liquid sealants.
Tremco Willseal
Willseal Seismic
Silicone-faced precompressed primary seal for vertical joints with high movement.
Willseal 250
Horizontal primary seal with a traffic-grade silicone face.
Willseal 250-R
Reinforced version of 250 for higher point loads; confirm the traffic and joint detail.
Willseal Seismic HS
Horizontal primary seal for non-trafficked applications.
Willseal FR-V
Fire-rated vertical expansion seal with an integral smoke barrier; use the applicable listed assembly.
Willseal FR-H
Fire-rated horizontal expansion seal with a traffic-rated facing and integral smoke barrier.
Willseal Seismic SAF-V
Pick-resistant vertical seal for institutional and public-building joints.
Willseal FR/SAF-V
Pick-resistant, fire-rated vertical seal; confirm its specific movement capacity and listing.
Willseal Coreseal
Closed-cell EVA foam primary seal for vertical and horizontal applications.
Willseal Color Coreseal H
Closed-cell foam with a traffic-rated coating for horizontal joints.
Willseal Color Coreseal V
Coated closed-cell foam primary seal for vertical joints.
Willseal 600
Breathable, self-expanding primary seal for vertical exterior joints.
Sika
Sika FloorJoint S
Polymer floor-joint repair panel. Review the underlying waterproofing detail when watertightness is required.
Project orders
Get pricing for your joint project
Send the specified Emseal or Willseal system and your takeoff for new construction, restoration or facility work. If selection is still open, include the joint details and performance requirements.
Include with your request
- Manufacturer, product or profile, and color
- Joint widths, depth, movement and orientation
- Linear feet by size, plus transitions and terminations
- Traffic, fire rating, exposure and required accessories
- Delivery ZIP and required-on-site date
Mechanical joint seal buying questions
How are precompressed joint seals different from caulk and backer rod?
Precompressed seals arrive compressed for insertion and expand against the joint faces. Many combine foam with a factory-applied sealing face and specified field-applied materials. Primary seals can replace a conventional sealant detail where approved; secondary products such as Backerseal work behind liquid sealant.
Are Emseal and Willseal products interchangeable?
Compare the exact systems against the specification. Orientation, movement range, traffic capacity, fire listings, coatings and transitions can differ even when products look similar. Submit the proposed product and complete joint detail for approval when a substitution is required.
Can every horizontal joint seal carry traffic?
No. Willseal Seismic HS is intended for non-trafficked horizontal applications. Traffic-grade options such as DSM, Willseal 250 and reinforced 250-R have their own limits. Confirm vehicle wheels, pedestrian point loads, opening size and the installation detail.
Does a pick-resistant or fire-resistant seal have a fire rating?
Those terms describe different properties. A required fire-resistance rating must be supported by the applicable listed joint system and installation conditions. Check the exact wall or floor assembly, movement range, joint width and rating duration.
What measurements are needed to order the correct size?
Supply the field-measured opening along the joint, available depth and measurement temperature, together with the design movement and expected minimum and maximum openings. List lengths by size and identify every transition. The selected manufacturer’s sizing instructions determine the ordered size.
Please complete your information below to login.