How to Tile the Floor of a Container House

Tiling the floor of a container house requires proper ground preparation followed by the conventional tiling process, as detailed below:

Ground Preparation

The bottom beams of container houses are typically I-beams or channel beams, with limited contact area with the ground. Direct placement on soft soil can lead to uneven settlement, so proper ground preparation is essential.

• Long-term fixed use: Pour a concrete strip foundation with a recommended width of 30 to 50 centimeters. The depth should be determined based on the local frost depth. The top surface of the foundation should be level, with a height difference not exceeding 5 millimeters.
• Short-term use scenarios: Use prefabricated concrete pads or steel plates. The spacing between pads should not exceed 2 meters, and a crushed stone leveling layer should be laid beneath each pad to ensure that the load-bearing points are on the same horizontal plane.
• Check fit: After positioning the container house, immediately check the fit between the bottom beams and the foundation pads. If there is any local suspension, use thin steel plates to fill the gaps and use a level to check along the longitudinal and transverse directions of the bottom beams. The levelness error should be controlled within 2 millimeters per meter.

Tiling Process

• Base treatment: Thoroughly clean the ground to ensure it is free of dust and debris, and that there are no hollow drums, cracks, or sanding phenomena. If any exist, they should be repaired first.
• Snap lines: Snap cross lines on the ground to control the tile spacing. Start snapping lines from the entrance door to ensure that whole tiles are laid at the beginning. Non-whole tiles can be used at interior corners or under furniture, but their approximate positions should be marked in advance.
• Pre-laying: Select appropriate tiles according to the design requirements and pre-lay them, adjusting for size, color, and texture errors as needed until a satisfactory effect is achieved. Then, stack the tiles neatly in the pre-laying order for later use.
• Laying: Evenly spread cement-yellow mortar on the back of the tiles and lay them in sequence from the outside in. After laying, gently tap them with a rubber mallet to secure them, then use a level to check if the tiles are flat. Wipe away any excess mortar from the tile surface with a cloth.
• Grouting: Wait 2-3 hours after laying the tiles, then use white cement or grout to fill the gaps. The gaps should be filled tightly and evenly, with a flat surface. Finally, wipe away any excess grout with cotton.