VCT's with asbestos are generally the old 9 in. square tiles layed pre-80's. I may be wrong but don't think the VCT floors in the OP pics will just "buff out". The pics are not real clear but to me, it appears the wax has been abraded completely off of the tiles over the years and now the tile composition itself has actually been abraded. ....
Yes, it survived well in a harsh working environment which proves the tenacity of VCT. But the OP's tiles will have to be stripped/sealer applied and 4-5 coats of high solids wax applied. Even with this work being done on them, the tiles will never look as good as new tile because.....
Any scratch or abrasion that is cut IN TO A VCT once the wax is gone from its surface, will just show through the wax. This is why it is very important if one wants their VCT to always look great, is to try to keep the wax layers thick enough to not allow scratches to cut in to the tile itself and allow cuts in the VCT with a machine edge etc. ...
Yes, I know damaged pieces of VCT can be heated with a heat gun and removed, but the new VCT repair will always be noticable as it will not be an exact match as the existing floor, because of the way the wax has affected the old VCT vs.the new VCT.... ....
I would say trying to maintain a commercial garage VCT floor in top shiny shape with the amount of mechanical work abrasions, spills, etc. that occurs on those floors, would be a major task. ....
Most shops I know work 6 days a week, which would only allow Sat night and Sunday for a equipment evacuation, stripping, waxing and then early Monday all the tools and equipment would have to be moved back in on it before opening at 8:00 am. That is a TIGHT work schedule and hard on not fully cured wax....
Knowing this, and if I owned a commercial garage that had a GOOD concrete floor already, VCT woul not be my floor covering choice. Just plain old concrete floor with a densifier/sealer most likely would be the only thing put on the floor. No tiles, no epoxy, no paints, nothing to create a high maintenance floor. ....
The grounds maintenance staff at work thought they would "beautify" their 60' x 80' shop's concrete floor where they maintain their commercial mowing/grounds/snow removal equipment. The staff put down a two part epoxy flake. Yep. it looked great for 6 months, now it looks like hades with cuts,flakes,oil stains embedded and it shows dirt worse now and looked better to me before, as just a sealed concrete semi smooth floor...
If a commercial garage floor is badly pitted or spaulded (sp?) then the vendors/contractors on here has the solutions I would say. I for one being a facilities manager, do not create high maintenance projects for the buildings owners. It doesn't bode well with their spending budgets/profit margins and makes them unhappy with me.
ALL JMO though
