Prefabricated Panels in House Decoration

When using prefabricated panels in house decoration, it is essential to focus on crack treatment, construction specifications, and structural safety, while also considering their limitations in earthquake resistance, sound insulation, and other performance aspects.

I. Basic Characteristics of Prefabricated Panels

Prefabricated panels are widely used floor materials from the early 20th century, consisting of factory-prefabricated cement components and divided into solid and hollow types. The hollow structure achieves lightweighting by reducing non-load-bearing concrete, with standard lengths ranging from 3 meters to 4.2 meters (increasing by 30 cm per increment, custom lengths available for extra-long panels), common widths of 50 cm and 60 cm, and typical thicknesses of 12 cm (for ordinary rooms) or 15 cm (for load-bearing scenarios). Their manufacturing process involves nailing wooden models, laying out steel bars, and pouring cement. However, due to early technological limitations, existing prefabricated panel houses generally suffer from weak earthquake resistance, poor sound and thermal insulation, and other issues.

II. Key Considerations in Decoration

1. Crack Issues
   Prefabricated panel houses built in the 1980s and 1990s commonly experience floor cracking due to material aging. During decoration, professional anti-crack techniques should be employed, such as a triple composite system of 'elastic base layer + anti-crack mesh + high-toughness surface layer,' which can reduce wall repair rates by 79%. If cracking is severe, the base layer should be repaired before construction to avoid hidden dangers from direct covering.

2. Construction Specifications

   • Waterproofing: Special attention should be paid to sealing gaps in prefabricated panels in wet areas like bathrooms to prevent water seepage and structural corrosion.
   • Pipeline Layout: Avoid drilling holes directly in prefabricated panels for water pipes or electrical wires. Instead, recommend laying them through ceiling or floor concealed installations to minimize damage to the floor panels.
   • Ceiling Materials: Heavy materials (such as stone or thick metal panels) should not be used to avoid increasing the floor load. Lightweight gypsum boards or aluminum扣板 (aluminum ceiling panels) are recommended.

3. Structural Safety Assessment
   If renovating a prefabricated panel house (such as removing walls or adding partitions), a professional institution must be commissioned to assess structural safety. For areas with insufficient load-bearing capacity, light steel structure reinforcement techniques can be adopted to avoid collapse risks caused by excessive loads.

III. Policies and Performance Limitations

According to China's 2022 renovation policies, prefabricated panel houses are primarily subject to repair and renovation, with only buildings meeting hazardous house standards being demolished. Existing houses generally suffer from weak earthquake resistance, poor sound and thermal insulation, and other issues due to their early design era. During renovation, auxiliary measures such as adding sound insulation cotton or thermal insulation layers can improve conditions but cannot completely resolve structural defects. If the house is severely aged, it is advisable to prioritize policy-supported repair plans over large-scale renovations.