Prefabricated Floor for Houses

Answers to questions related to prefabricated floors for houses are as follows:

Damp-proofing treatment: In rural self-built houses, damp-proofing for prefabricated floors can be achieved by creating a suspended floor. The specific method involves constructing prefabricated panels on the ground beams, creating a 30 - 50 cm cavity between the foundation and the first-floor floor. When underground moisture rises into this cavity, it naturally dissipates due to the open space and cannot directly contact the floor, thus preventing moisture from entering the interior. This method effectively reduces floor humidity through the principle of 'trading space for dryness' and is particularly suitable for self-built houses in areas with high groundwater levels or high humidity.

Underfloor heating installation: Installing underfloor heating in old prefabricated buildings requires a strict assessment of load-bearing capacity and floor height. Regarding load-bearing capacity, the design load of prefabricated panels is much lower than that of cast-in-place floors. If the total weight of the underfloor heating system (including the cement layer, pipes, floor tiles, and furniture) exceeds the maximum load-bearing capacity of the floor, it may lead to cracking, endangering the safety of occupants on the upper and lower floors. Before installation, professional calculations are needed to confirm the remaining load-bearing capacity, and if necessary, the floor should be reinforced (e.g., by adding steel beams or carbon fiber reinforcement). Regarding floor height, traditional wet underfloor heating requires a 3.5 - 5 cm cement layer, which significantly reduces the interior net height. If the original floor height is less than 2.8 meters, it is recommended to choose dry underfloor heating, which has an overall thickness of only 2 - 3 cm, is lighter in weight, and does not occupy floor height, although the installation cost is higher.

Risk of cracking: Prefabricated panels are prefabricated components with natural weak points at the joints, resulting in limited load-bearing capacity. For example, in a house in Zhong County, Chongqing, the second-floor panel temporarily stacked with heavy objects (such as sand and building materials) caused the local load to exceed the design value, leading to brittle cracking and collapse, resulting in serious casualties. Preventive measures include: avoiding the concentration of heavy objects on the floor; not drilling holes or removing prefabricated panels randomly during decoration; and regularly checking the joints for cracks or looseness.

Floor leveling: Leveling a prefabricated floor is relatively difficult, mainly because the prefabricated panels do not bond tightly with the mortar layer, making it prone to cracks. During construction, attention should be paid to: base treatment, thoroughly removing dust and oil from the surface of the prefabricated panels and applying an interface agent to enhance adhesion; layered construction, first applying a thin layer of cement mortar to fill the gaps and then leveling the entire surface to avoid cracking caused by a single thick application; curing, after leveling, covering with a moisture-retaining film and regularly watering to prevent rapid drying and shrinkage. If the cracks are severe, the floor should be reinforced first or repaired with self-leveling materials.