Tiling the Floor of a Prefabricated Slab House

The floor of a prefabricated slab house can be tiled, but it is essential to strictly follow the following steps and precautions to ensure safety and construction quality:

1. Load-Bearing Inspection and Reinforcement

• Focus on checking for cracks, deformation, or unusual noises in the prefabricated slabs, especially in old houses that have been in use for over 30 years. If the floor emits noticeable unusual noises when stepped on, or if there is sagging (sinking in the middle) or shaking, reinforcement must be carried out first.
• The reinforcement standard should meet a load-bearing capacity of at least 150 kilograms per square meter, with high-quality reinforcement reaching up to 500 kilograms. Reinforcement methods include:
  • Adding Steel Beams: Install cross-shaped steel beams or concrete beams beneath the prefabricated slabs to distribute the load.
  • Applying Carbon Fiber Sheets: Use high-strength carbon fiber materials to enhance the tensile strength of the floor.
  • Professional Assessment: For old houses, it is advisable to commission a structural engineer to confirm the reinforcement plan on-site. For rural houses with severely aged prefabricated slabs, prioritize addressing sagging and shaking issues to avoid accelerating structural damage by directly laying tiles.

2. Substrate Preparation

• Cleaning: Thoroughly remove dust, oil stains, and loose particles from the floor to avoid affecting adhesion.
• Leveling: Use cement mortar to repair pits and ensure that the floor flatness error does not exceed 3 millimeters.
• Roughening: If the floor is too smooth (e.g., if a waterproof layer has been applied), roughen it by chiseling or sandblasting to create a rough surface, enhancing the adhesion between the tiles and the substrate.

3. Tiling Method Selection

• Wet Laying Method: Soak the tiles until no bubbles appear, then air-dry them. Use cement mortar for laying, and allow them to rest for at least 48 hours after laying. This method is suitable for ordinary residential buildings.
• Dry Laying Method: First, lay a layer of thick dry mortar (about 3-5 centimeters), then apply cement paste and lay the tiles. This method is suitable for houses with underfloor heating, reducing hollowing caused by thermal expansion and contraction.

4. Joint and Detail Handling

• Flexible Filling: Fill the joints between prefabricated slabs with flexible materials such as glass glue or foam filler to provide expansion space for the tiles and prevent cracking due to minor structural deformation.
• Limitations on Water and Electricity Trenching: The depth of trenching should not exceed one-third of the slab thickness to avoid damaging the internal steel bars of the prefabricated slabs.
• Caution with Stone Dry Hanging: The dry hanging process has high load requirements for the floor. For old houses, assess the load-bearing capacity before deciding whether to adopt this method.

5. Other Key Precautions

• Air-Drying Period: Newly built prefabricated slab houses should be ventilated and air-dried for at least 6 months to allow the structure to fully stabilize before tiling. Otherwise, moisture return can easily cause tile bulging.
• Long-Term Maintenance: After tiling, regularly inspect the joints and hollowing. Promptly repair any aging or damage found.

Through scientific assessment, reinforcement treatment, and standardized construction, prefabricated slab houses can safely have tiles laid, but it is crucial to strictly avoid structural risks to ensure居住 safety (living safety).