🇹🇼 Looking for the Chinese version of this article?切換至繁體中文版 →

[Prevention of hollow tile arch expansion] Earthquake temperature difference attack! The cause of the bursting of the "Penggong" floor tiles in Shuangbei Apartment: the shear strength of the cement and the construction method of reserved earthquake-proof expansion joints

✍️ SOSfix Technical Engineering Team⏱️ 5 min read📅 Published: 2026-09-09T09:29:46+08:00

Taipei winter temperature difference and frequent aftershocks: reasons for the explosion of marble and polished brick "Peng Gong"

In Taiwan, which has a humid climate, residents in northern and northern Taiwan often hear a series of harsh "cracking" cracking sounds coming from the floor of their living rooms every time the winter cold snap hits. Then the entire polished quartz tile or 2-inch wall will arch or even burst into pieces. This is commonly known as "Heaving/Buckling" in Taiwan's engineering circles. The bulging floor tiles are not simply due to poor quality tiles, but the result of the double physical stress of "sudden temperature drop (temperature difference shrinkage)" and "frequent earthquake shear force". When the temperature drops sharply, the concrete floor slabs shrink over a large area, and the polished bricks, which are extremely hard and have almost no shrinkage, are severely squeezed. At this time, if the base layer of the tiles is not solid enough (the hollow rate is high) when the tiles are pasted, or there is no elastic enough joint between the tiles, the huge compressive stress will cause the tiles to arch outward at the most vulnerable stress point. When the aftershocks shake, the stress will be released instantly, causing the floor tiles to burst into pieces.

Construction standards for shear strength and backfill rate of polymer clay (tile adhesive)

To prevent the tiles from arching during alternating earthquakes and temperatures, the plaster master must abandon the traditional "pure cement mortar pasting method" during construction and switch to the polymer "Polymer-modified Tile Adhesive" that meets national standards, and follow strict backfill construction standards:
* Polymer resin powder is added to Yiguang, which makes the cured cement-based interface have excellent "flexibility (Deformability)" and shear resistance. It can absorb the slight relative displacement caused by thermal expansion and contraction between the concrete floor slab and the tiles, preventing stress from being directly transmitted to the tile body.
*Traditional construction often uses spot pasting or only primer on the wall. The standard construction method requires the use of a "Notched Trowel" to scrape out uniform strip grooves (tooth marks) on the cement wall (or floor) and the back of the tiles at the same time. The tiles are then laid flat and evenly hammered and compacted with a rubber hammer. This can ensure that the adhesive coverage rate (backfill rate) on the back of the tiles reaches more than 90%, eliminating internal hollows (no hollow air layer), so that the floor tiles will not crack due to uneven local stress.

The core functions of tile expansion joints and elastic caulking agents in earthquake prevention

In addition to adhesives, the "gap width" and "caulking material" of tile paving are key pressure relief valves to release structural pressure:
1. For polished quartz tiles or large floor tiles (such as 80x80cm or 60x120cm), fixed-width crosses (Tile Spacers) must be used during construction, and a gap of at least 1.5mm to 2.0mm must be reserved. "Seamless paving" is strictly prohibited, because seamless means zero pressure relief space, and the temperature difference will cause arching and bursting.
2. Do not use ordinary pure white cement mortar to fill the gaps between tiles, because ordinary cement is rigid after hardening and cannot absorb displacement. You should use high-grade "anti-mildew and anti-cracking caulking" with added rubber elastomers or "Silicon elastic joints" at the corners and door thresholds, so that the entire tile floor can shrink slightly towards the gaps when under pressure to resolve the arching force.

How to avoid the second re-laying of tiles due to drumming (hollowing) CapEx

when investing in the renovation of an old house

For investors and property purchasers who renovate historic houses, bursting of indoor floor tiles is a costly and completely preventable "secondary reset of CapEx (capital expenditure)."
Once a floor tile bursts in a rental suite or office, not only does the entire house need to be emptied of furniture, and the property must be unrented for 3 to 5 days to be demolished and resurfaced, but the noise and dust it generates often trigger complaints from neighbors and requests from tenants to withdraw from the lease. Therefore, when inspecting and accepting clay work, the "five-point tapping method" must be used to test each tile one by one using a telescopic drum stick: tap the center and four corners of the tiles. If there is a hollow sound (the hollow rate is greater than 10%), the clay work team should be asked to immediately lift and reattach the tiles. The work team is required to use imported high-grade clay, strictly implement double-sided painting and reserve earthquake-proof expansion joints. Although the construction cost per square meter increases by about 1,000 yuan, it can ensure that the tiles will not bulge or peel off for 20 years. It is a smart move to maintain the value of commercial assets and avoid the financial risks of sudden overhauls.

🇹🇼 Expat Living Note: Home Repairs in Taiwan

If you are an international resident renting an apartment in Taipei, New Taipei, or anywhere in Taiwan:

Voltage & Electrical Safety: Taiwan standard household voltage is 110V (60Hz). Do not plug 220V imported European/UK appliances directly without a certified step-up transformer.
Plumbing Terminology: Local plumbers are called 水電 (Shuǐdiàn) and handle both water and electrical repairs.
Landlord Obligations: Under Article 429 of Taiwan Civil Code, landlords are legally responsible for repairing natural wear and tear (such as hidden wall pipe leaks, water heater faults, or booster pump failures) unless explicitly waived in your lease.

Recommended English Guides

[Second pouring seams in window frames are waterproof] Does water seep from the window when it rains? "Second pouring joint" seismic and anti-cracking grouting and non-shrinkage cement mortar construction method at the joints of exterior wall window frames

[Hidden dangers in high-rise construction projects] Is it illegal to build a mezzanine with a height of 3.6 meters or 4.2 meters? Popular science on the definition of illegal construction of "mezzanine houses", leaking landmines and earthquake-proof safety of steel frame structures

[Inspection of high-altitude waterways after the earthquake] What should I do if the water tower on the top floor shakes and the water inlet valve breaks? Guide to strengthening the water tower structure on the top floor of Shuangbei Apartment and repairing unstable water pressure and leakage