Does anyone have any links or websites on how to clean and maintain vct tiles. Thanks.

I have been servicing VCT for 26 years. Here is an abbreviated/simplified explanation of the processes...


Cleaning VCT:

(Option 1)
1, Dust mop the floor
2. Mix up a mild neutral cleaner.
3. Scrub the floor with a medium aggressive pad, such as the FiberPlus Max pad.
4. Scrape any gum, tar, stickers, etc.
5. Wet vacuum the solution (if you don't have wet vac you can use a mop to pick up the solution)
6. Rinse the floor with a bucket of fresh water and a mop.

(Option 2) - For larger floors
1. Dust mop the floor
2. Mix up a mild neutral cleaner
3. Scrub the floor with a medium aggressive pad, such as the FiberPlus Max pad.
~ As an option, you can use an auto-scrubber to scrub and recover the solution.
4. Scrape any gum, tar, stickers, etc.
5. Rinse the floor with a bucket of fresh water and a mop.

(Option 3) - For lightly soiled floors
1. Dust mop the floor
2. Mix up a mild neutral cleaner.
3. Mop the floor with a bucket of fresh water and a mop.
4. Scrape any gum, tar, stickers, etc.


High Speed Buffing (Burnishing):

1. Clean the floor as outlined above first.
2. Apply finish to heavily worn areas.
3. Buff the floor using an electric 1500 rpm buffer or a propane buffer
~ Using a buffing enhancer such as TurboShine, Spray Buff, or Finish Restorer can
help to pop a shine quicker and restore a scratched floor more easily.
4. Dust mop after you're done to remove any dust/debris caused by buffing.


Stripping VCT:

What you'll need to strip and recoat a floor:

~ Dust mop
~ Cimex Machine (or rotary machine, or auto-scrubber)
~ Lightning stripping pads
~ Wet vacuum
~ Mop-bucket and wringer
~ Mop-handle with mop-head for stripping solution
~ Mop-handle with rinse mop-head
~ Mop-handle with finish mop-head
~ Doodlebug (optional, but a good idea)
~ Floor stripper
~ Floor finish
How to strip and recoat a floor:

1. Dust mop the floor
2. Mix stripper according to label (usually 4:1). Mix with warm water, not hot.
3. Use the stripper mop and a pail or a mop-bucket to liberally apply stripper solution to the floor. Apply plenty of solution to get the floor good and wet. Make sure you don't bite off too much of an area at a time, because you don't want the floor to dry up before you can scrub it.
4. Put Lightning Strip pads onto your Cimex (seriously aggressive pads). And put plain water into your Cimex.
5. Scrub the floor slowly. As you scrub, release a little more water from the Cimex as you go.
6. You may also want to take a doodlebug, or even use your stripper mop, and go along and detail the edges and corners at this point.
7. Immediately, before the floor starts to dry, wet vacuum the slurry from the floor.
8. Immediately (following wet vacuuming) rinse the floor by mopping the floor with the rinse mop and fresh water in a mop-bucket.
9. After the floor is dry you can begin putting down your floor finish, making smooth even coats. Using the finish mop, apply approximately 3-5 medium coats of a good quality floor finish. The amount of coats depends on the solid content of the finish, the porosity of the floor, and the results you are trying to attain.

The best way to make floor stripping more profitable is to combine the floor stripping with other services, such as carpet cleaning. Go in and strip the floor first thing when you get to the job. Make it QUICK - don't waste time! Now start cleaning the carpet. Once the floor is dry, go back and lay your first coat of finish. Now go clean some more carpet. Then apply your second coat. Now clean some more carpet. This continues in the same manner with each subsequent coat. Apply your final coat and leave it to dry after you have left the building. Since you're providing other services as I've described here, you're not just sitting around waiting for the floor to dry. Instead you are making money doing carpet cleaning the entire time that the floor is drying.

This is an overly simplified, yet detailed, description of the process. I'm not trying to imply that floor stripping is a "piece of cake". There are many conditions that can present challenges when you're stripping floors. It can really make you crazy! Yet at the same time, once you get the mastery of doing VCT floors, you'll find that it's really not so bad (most of the time).


I hope this is helpful to you!








Rick Gelinas
rick@excellent-supply.com

Thanks Rick-
Saved in my PC for future reference

Why any one that still has some sanity would want to strip and finish VCT is beyond me.

If you are doing carpeting and making a good living off it stick to that, move into stone for a step up but VCT is not as easy as carpet its messy lower paying and if you do not know what you are doing and mess up a job it gets expensive.

Now the list Rick gave is good but if you do larger areas you will need better equipment in order to compete along with getting the job done in a timely manner.

auto scrubber $5000

stripper spreader $1000 at least

Rubbermaid system $200 best for small to medium jobs

Burnisher used one can be had for $400

If you are going to get the occasional request to do this fine a qualified company you can trust let them do it while you go and make more money