Buffing the floor after the wax has fully dried will help to harden the wax and bring out the shine. Problem is no one has a buffer, if you have a large space and can score a buffer off craigslist or a resale store you could add shine and life to your waxed floors. Renting a buffer is an alternative as well, probably about $30-$40 by the time you get the machine and the correct pads. Also, you would need probably 4-8 coats of wax to achieve maximum hardness and gloss
vct flooring 1 year old
- Thread starter ketas47
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jethrodawg
Well-known member
I have to laugh reading this. Kinda obviates some of the purposes of the floor to begin with if you have to buy yet another piece of equipment taking up space, plus time of maintanance, just for a basic garage floor.
Complete overkill.
is it silly to clean hardwood floors also? if you just want to sweep a bare concrete floor then thats your preference but some of us like a unique looking space to be proud of. waxing once or twice a year is nothing for an awesome looking floor imo.
I also find it a little ironic when porcelain tile seems so better suited and requires none of that maintenance. Your analogy is flawed. I don't do anything other than vac and mop my wood floors. In any event, I hate deep cleaning any floors. If I could redo my house, I would not have any natural stone floors or hardwoods.
Im all set with cracking a porcelain tile every week. If you don't want to take care of stuff then thats your deal. My hardwood is waxed about once a month. Nothing wrong with taking pride in what you own and making it last.
What's that mean? You saying someone here cracked their tiles? I'd like to hear about this since it hasn't happened to me or anyone else I've seen on here...
Oh and you're talking to the guy who is waiting for delivery of a $1000 vapor cleaner to help keep his damn Jerusalem Stone floors clean. So I get the pride point.
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no but as someone thats in the garage 4-5 days a week and drops things I couldn't bear with chipped and cracked tiles.
Funny thing is me either. And they don't, btw. Not a scratch, burn, chip, stain, anything. Unsurprising given that they are harder than the concrete they sit on, lol. All kinds of thread on the abuse they take.
jethrodawg
Well-known member
Apples and oranges. My interior hardwoods don't have snow, salt, and sand on them every week from cars on them. It would be a full-time job doing what you put forward.
This isn't about pride. It's about practicality.
Vaportrail
New member
For those that have used VCT, is there anything special I would need to do with the expansion joints, I assume, but looking for someone to verify that I would just tile over them and plan it such that there is no seam at the joint. Even then I am concerned that there would be little support under the tile for the width of the expansion joint.
Also, can anyone comment if you ouse something special under a floor jack when raising a car.
Thanks in advance
Also, can anyone comment if you ouse something special under a floor jack when raising a car.
Thanks in advance
Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
Vaportrail....Welcome to Garage Journal. Post up some pics of what you are working with. And if you don't mind, could you post your state that you live in, into your profile. It helps immensely with answering questions from time to time.
If I go with VCT on my floor, I am going to buy a gallon of cheaper Bondo from Advance Auto or AutoZone and fill the cracks in my garage. One could also mix up some Thinset mortar and fill them. But with Bondo, you can go back and sand it down flush with the surrounding concrete.
Oh, and BTW......We like pictures. The more the better.
If I go with VCT on my floor, I am going to buy a gallon of cheaper Bondo from Advance Auto or AutoZone and fill the cracks in my garage. One could also mix up some Thinset mortar and fill them. But with Bondo, you can go back and sand it down flush with the surrounding concrete.
Oh, and BTW......We like pictures. The more the better.
Jethro.. it may be complete overkill for you, but alot of folks take pride in their garage and possessions, and it is obvious the original poster is one of them. A little extra work properly curing the wax will go a long way in sustaining the finish, actually creating less work in the long run by minimizing future stripping and waxing needs. If properly maintained, you could just scrub and recoat once a year and probably never have to strip and wax again.
I'd use a backer rod and sealant if I were going to vct over the joint. Depending on where the joint is you could vct up to the edge of it and then use a rubber joint filler...any unsupported joint area under the vct will crack as heavy items roll over it. The beauty of vct is that you can easily pull it up and replace. Whatever you do, don't put anything in the joint that is hard enough to stop the joint from doing it's job expanding and contracting or you will have more unplanned joints!..Also, would help to know if this is in a controlled temperature environment.
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yo uknow i wasn't comparing hardwood to a vat floor right?
I think the OP's pics tell the tale of practicality with no polishing for a year and sand / salt / snow / water etc. Again, i would take that all day….looks great
jethrodawg
Well-known member
Actually, you did compare hardwood to vct.
For a climate like mine where from December until April, even with no snow due to sand on the roads the tires track in sand every single day during winter.
Completely impractical trying to keep it looking clean. Once a week I sweep a big pile of sand from both garage bays. Way, way, too much work to keep it clean and shiny vs swept bare concrete. You live in NC and have no idea what I'm talking about. It's not one or two storms a year.....
Again, I think for most people a VCT floor is impractical in the snow belt states if they use the space for daily driver parking. At least an epoxy floor with chip coverage hides dirt.
The more I read about flooring options the more I'm convinced staying concrete is the way to go for the garage.
JimVonBaden
Well-known member
I think you need to pay attention to others who do exactly what you describe. The VCT or Porcelain floors are every bit as durable as Epoxy, and far less likely to peal later from a bad application. They are also more easily repaired.
If you are not concerned about appearance, by all means keep a bare concrete floor. It will hold up fine, except for chipping and spalling from salt and dropped tools.
For may here, we like the convenience of a smoother surface that can be easily cleaned and restored to look great. Just different takes on what a great floor is, purely functional, or functional and attractive.
Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
Another Garage Journal ******* contest.The way I look at it, he showed it loaded down with mud and dirt. Ine can always get a mat to park on if it's real ****** out. Bare concrete is fine for some, and for others they want a nice looking garage whether it be epoxy, VCT, wood, or whatever else. If the OP can have it muddied up like that and yet it cleans up just fine, then that is a selling point for some. I know it is for me.
But to argue with everyone why you think it is not appropriate is
And if he has the room to buy a piece of equipment to keep the floor clean, what's the difference between a floor polisher and a vacuum sweeper for the house?I'd say, just let the arguments drop before the thread gets closed down. There are good points and bad points with any garage floor, no matter what coating is on it, but there is no use arguing those points.
Vaportrail
New member
Vaportrail....Welcome to Garage Journal. Post up some pics of what you are working with. And if you don't mind, could you post your state that you live in, into your profile. It helps immensely with answering questions from time to time.
If I go with VCT on my floor, I am going to buy a gallon of cheaper Bondo from Advance Auto or AutoZone and fill the cracks in my garage. One could also mix up some Thinset mortar and fill them. But with Bondo, you can go back and sand it down flush with the surrounding concrete.
Oh, and BTW......We like pictures. The more the better.
Thanks for the welcome. Live in Michigan. Garage is not climate controlled. Insulated, but that really doesn't do too much. Standard 2 Car. It is quite crowded and now that I have finished a restoration project, looking to clear some of the clutter and tidy things up a bit. Have been contemplating flooring for quite some time but my funds have been going towards the restoration. Now that it is complete (well probably never complete) its time to start on the garage.
Not clear to me how to insert a pic.
Is it only possible from a website or can I insert from my computer? I'll wander over to the FAQ's.Vaportrail
New member
OK. Here goes a trial at getting a pic inserted. Well that didn't work. Thought I had it, but received an error message that I am missing a security token ???
gregtwojeeps
Well-known member
I for one, vote this opinion ^^^
I am not pot stirring but I believe any topic posted on a forum is open to fair debate, be it positive or negative....
I maintain 2000 sq. ft. of VCT at work that only gets foot traffic and I have to strip and wax it annually. During the year to keep the VCT wax shiny, I use a "mist and buff" liquid in conjunction with a high speed 20 in. polisher machine. Each time the VCT is buffed out though and made shiny again, the "burnishing " process does remove some mil thickness of wax....
Finally within a year, between the wax being scratched and burnished to the point of the wax coatings becoming too thin, it has to be stripped and waxed. With me using a 600 RPM stripping machine with a black pad, stripper liquid and two young guys mopping up the melted wax, rinsing and rinsing, when its all dried I get to go back and put on 4-5 coats of high solids wax. ...
I cannot imagine how much wear and tear the wax on VCT would take in a garage. My garage bare concrete floor stays loaded with road grit and salt in the winter. With this stuff being ground in to the VCT wax by the car tires, add dragging tools, parts and other stuff across it making scatches. ....
I agree, VCT new is beautiful and less costly, easy to replace (although a new piece of it put in a two year old floor will stick out like a sore thumb) it is a high maintenance floor. Yes I worked at two hospitals and everyone knows how good their VCT floors look. What the folks don't see, is how many times a crew is on those VCT floors doing what I have to do to keep them looking that good. JMO
turbosl2
Well-known member
Looks like you used the same colors as me. How do you keep yours shinny each year. Mine has been in for 3 years and is holding up well but it never got super shinny like you see in the grocery store.
My floor gets piles of snow on it from my truck, and will be soaked with water for 3-5 days. Sometimes at the door when its -20 deg below zero outside it will even freeze, i heat the garage to 50 also and i never had a tile lift yet.
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Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
Vapor....click on the tab that say "Go Advanced".
Once you get there, scroll down to where it says "Manage Attachments" and click on that button. Another window will pop up, and when it does, click on "Browse". Then find where your pictures are on the computer. Once you find the picture, double click on the picture, then click on the "Upload" button. You may have to wait for a little while for it to upload. Once it does upload, then you can click on the "Close Window" button, and you should see the small pic icon on the thread. Hit "Submit" and you should be good to go.
If you have the pics on another site, click on the button in the Message Box that looks like a mountain on an envelope. Paste the address of the picture in the window that pops up. Then once you hit Submit, the picture should show up.
Once you get there, scroll down to where it says "Manage Attachments" and click on that button. Another window will pop up, and when it does, click on "Browse". Then find where your pictures are on the computer. Once you find the picture, double click on the picture, then click on the "Upload" button. You may have to wait for a little while for it to upload. Once it does upload, then you can click on the "Close Window" button, and you should see the small pic icon on the thread. Hit "Submit" and you should be good to go.
If you have the pics on another site, click on the button in the Message Box that looks like a mountain on an envelope. Paste the address of the picture in the window that pops up. Then once you hit Submit, the picture should show up.
in what kind of building and amount of foot traffic? hospital? office?
remember most of us this is our home garage….sometimes I don't go out there for a week. its just me walking on it…not 100s of people a day.
another fine example…I would take that look after 3 years / winters!!
did you use Armstrong tiles and glue? what was the floor surface like and any prep work?
turbosl2
Well-known member
I used all armstrong, from lowes. With Armstrong glue. My floor was about 1 yr old with a power trowel finish prior to applying the VCT. I filled all cut control joints with SILKA (i think thats what its called) crack filler for flat surfaces.
You should see my floor at this moment, you cant even see the color in the tiles in some areas, it may have 1/8" of sand, salt, snow...etc.
Every year (this spring being the 4th) it cleans up like new...i just posted here because i am not familar with how to get the high gloss look like commercial, and i dont want to hire someone to shine my floors up. I get them to have some sheen but not to the level i want...i dont know the process
turbosl2
Well-known member
For reference to durabilty, i have a 600' driveway that i drive my truck down in the winters when there is 12-15" of snow. The snow completly fills my running boards and every void it can underneath. I pull it in the garage, it melts off, especially those large snow, salt mounds behind each wheel. Floor gets FILTHY this time of year...in 6 weeks i will clean it up and it will look like new again.
jethrodawg
Well-known member
This is precisely why I would rather stick with my bare concrete. Having a dirty tile floor vs bare concrete would drive me crazy. It would just stick out that much more.
From Dec to April my floor would look trashed.
mygarageone
Well-known member
I have a bare concrete floor and live in snow country USA , I have all kinds of **** to clean up most times wkly . So why would maintenance for tile be any different ?
Yes if you want it waxed go ahead but a little water and that's all it takes , no different than my concrete floor.
And the tile sure makes it looks clean and tidy.
And besides all of the above , you can get a car Mat which will take care of most of the **** from the car.
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rburke65
Well-known member
gregge jeeps I think you just helped me make a decision....I'm keeping my concrete floors! Thanks. Just what I don't need is more maintenance.
turbosl2
Well-known member
I don't understand how it's more maintenance either, dirty concrete or dirty VCT...it's still dirty.
jethrodawg
Well-known member
Take the dark color of the concrete vs the tiles which will have clean areas on the edge and dirt where the cars park.
Would stick out like a sore thumb. No different than a black car.
I can do a 1 minute sweep of each bay now each week to keep the chunks/salt/sand in check. With a VCT floor it would require a mop and way more effort. The VCT you'd see any little streak left behind that does not happen on bare concrete.
Pretty obvious actually the difference between bare concrete and tile and how dirt looks on each.
Another example is an epoxy floor. One with and one without chips. Which one do you think will require more effort to keep looking clean?
turbosl2
Well-known member
Wait until the concrete deteriorates due to salt and starts to get porus and look bad
jethrodawg
Well-known member
My house is 27 years old and has smooth floors. Maybe it will happen in the next 27 years?
turbosl2
Well-known member
You must not have the salt we have in NY
jethrodawg
Well-known member
Yeah, that's it.....
X2!!!!
jethrodawg
Well-known member
Take a ligth colored floor. Smear a mixture of snow/salt/sand on it and then do a a quick pass with the push broom to clean up the bulk. You're left with a streaky floor that's obviously messy. Only way you're getting it clean is mopping with multile passes (ie, more than a 5 min job)
Do the same with bare concrete. You don't have the issue as it's clean enough but the thin film is not present that you see on VCT. Pretty simple and if you don't understand, you obviously were never in the military and had to shine a tile floor.
Plus, you're from SoCal and have no idea what we're talking about anyways.
mygarageone
Well-known member
My garage gets all the **** from the car and gets ground down , packed down . It's not a simple task to clean it up. I have to first use a flat end shovel to get all the hard pack off , sweep what I can and still using a hose to wash down the stuff I can't sweep up.
So I'm still in the camp of no more maintenance than tile.
So I'm still in the camp of no more maintenance than tile.