Little bit of an observation

It is getting very hard for tile pros to even bother commenting on these forums, everyone is now a tile expert repeating things they learned on the web and getting it wrong more ofthen than not. Im not on the legal forum giving legal advice nor am i much commenting on designers threads.

That is a general observation and the reason less and less actual tile pros are commenting here. And thats not directly intended to slam Patricia, nor any one person I know she usualy has good advice. I suppose the only undebateable way to answer here is to copy actual industry standards.

@ OP.

No caulking either you need a 1/4" expansion joint at the entire permiter of the assembly COVERED over by base board PER TCNA specs.

In regards to the "Whole house comment" here is the answer directly from the TCNA updates to the 2017 handbook.

Why are movement joints needed?

Recognizing that tile is a facade, movement joints are needed to eliminate stresses that can occur between the substrate and the tile due to differing amounts of expansion and contraction.

Where should movement joints be placed?

The TCNA Handbook recommends allowing for expansion and contraction in every tile installation. In small rooms, a gap at the perimeter of the room (often hidden by baseboard or shoe molding) is sufficient. For larger areas, the movement joints will be visible.

We cannot specify the exact location nor frequency of movement joints as there are many site related conditions that must be addressed; however, we do offer guidelines in Detail EJ171 in the TCNA Handbook. It is especially important to note for interior installations, movement joints are placed more frequently when moisture or direct sunlight is expected. For exterior installations, the range of temperature from summer highs to winter lows must be considered.

Updates and more:

Even though the TCNA Handbook is
published every year, the majority of the changes are
made in odd numbered years. There are many
changes to the 2017 Handbook; here is a summary of
the expanded and clarified sections.
EJ171
Some of the most important changes are found in
EJ171, concerning the location and installation of
movement joints in the tiled assembly. These changes
were made to help clarify the guidelines to architects,
engineers and installers. First, the location of a
movement joint is no longer confined to a range;
rather, proper placement is defined with a maximum
spacing and no minimum spacing. Interior movement
joints shall be placed no more than 25'apart in both
directions. Movement joints in exterior installations,
interiors exposed to direct sunlight and above-ground
tile installations shall be spaced NO more than 12'
apart in both directions.