vct flooring 1 year old

[Dakota00]

So I'm still in the camp of no more maintenance than tile.

How's that?? You don't strip and seal the floor and then apply 4-5 coats of wax to protect it? This should be done yearly especially if you're parking your salt and sand covered vehicles in the garage.

 

[mygarageone]

How's that?? You don't strip and seal the floor and then apply 4-5 coats of wax to protect it? This should be done yearly especially if you're parking your salt and sand covered vehicles in the garage.

You know the bottom line for most of us who want a nice looking floor , we choose what we like and know it not going to be exactly maintenance free , it matters not whose floor it is.
I don't want the epoxy for my own reasons , i don't want the ceramic tile for my own reason .
I choose the vct for my own reasons , just like you choose a car that may or may not needs constant attention, So why the argument over what it takes to clean a floor , I know whats what going into it , you have the floor you want and just accept the rest of the world may not agree with you or me.
If you want a bare floor garage , a Epoxy floor , a ceramic tile floor a wood floor , Great . I don't care it's not my problem
The Op gave us who want vct all the info we think we need.

 

[Vaportrail]

OK. Going to try to insert a pic again. This time working in the Go Advanced Tab. I think maybe I found the problem. My pictures were too large. You can see the expansion joint running the length of the garage and then there is a troweled groove just in front of the car that is not really an expansion joint or maybe it is, but that is essentially where a crack exists between the slabs. Quite cluttered as you can see. Even worse now. This was from a couple of summers ago.

Thoughts??





Finished Car project for anyone interested. I like Pictures too. :thumb up:


Now to finish the Garage !!! Or at least get started.

 

[Dakota00]

You know the bottom line for most of us who want a nice looking floor , we choose what we like and know it not going to be exactly maintenance free , it matters not whose floor it is.
I don't want the epoxy for my own reasons , i don't want the ceramic tile for my own reason .
I choose the vct for my own reasons , just like you choose a car that may or may not needs constant attention, So why the argument over what it takes to clean a floor , I know whats what going into it , you have the floor you want and just accept the rest of the world may not agree with you or me.
If you want a bare floor garage , a Epoxy floor , a ceramic tile floor a wood floor , Great . I don't care it's not my problem
The Op gave us who want vct all the info we think we need.

You missed the point of my post....

I don't care what flooring choice you go with, that's up to the individual and their needs. But when you said that VCT requires no more maintenance than tiles, that is simply untrue!! Besides normal sweeping and washing of any flooring option, VCT still requires "maintenance" in the form of stripping and waxing as part of the ongoing effort to keep the flooring surface protected.

 

[CobraJake]

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.

your seriously arguing about a fine coating of dirt you can see taking up more than 5 min to clean?? So with concrete you can be lazy…I get it. Do you hand wash your vehicles or go through a touch less all the time?

 

[mygarageone]

You missed the point of my post....

I don't care what flooring choice you go with, that's up to the individual and their needs. But when you said that VCT requires no more maintenance than tiles, that is simply untrue!! Besides normal sweeping and washing of any flooring option, VCT still requires "maintenance" in the form of stripping and waxing as part of the ongoing effort to keep the flooring surface protected.

Sweeping and washing a floor will happen no matter what you have , as far as waxing a vct floor i see that as an option not a requirement. I hardly see the grocery stores waxing there floor anymore and if they do , it's once a yr.

So I do not see a vct floor requiring any more work than a concrete floor.

But keep the floor you want.

 

[mygarageone]

I really don't understand what the whole issue is about , why does someone care how much it takes for so and so to have a nice looking floor , it's not going to be you cleaning it .

I bet there isn't anyone who wants to walk into there home and find the carpet or kit floor dirty because it took a little work to clean it , if your attitude is it's only a garage , great leave us who don't care if it takes a little more work have what we want with an argument , for petes sake if it takes you 5 mins to clean your garage and me 15 whats the big deal ? have you ever considered that maybe the guys that wax there floors enjoy that part of the deal ? It may be a stress reliever for them ? who knows and who cares .

 

[Ch3No2]

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.

You go right ahead and enjoy your bare concrete floor...and btw the thin film is still there, it just doesn't have a nice backround to show it. I don't have to be in the military to understand how clean I want my floor. Like a previous post said...I enjoy working in my garage even if it's cleaning a floor on a weekend day after long hours during the week and I want a nice look and feel while I am enjoying it.
PS Just because I'm in So Cal doesnt mean I know nothing about snow...might not know as much as you about snow but it's your option to learn what you want.....could you pass me the sun block please?

My garage is now sitting over to right a bit in this pic

 

[mygarageone]

You go right ahead and enjoy your bare concrete floor...and btw the thin film is still there, it just doesn't have a nice backround to show it. I don't have to be in the military to understand how clean I want my floor. Like a previous post said...I enjoy working in my garage even if it's cleaning a floor on a weekend day after long hours during the week and I want a nice look and feel while I am enjoying it.
PS Just because I'm in So Cal doesnt mean I know nothing about snow...might not know as much as you about snow but it's your option to learn what you want.....could you pass me the sun block please?

My garage is now sitting over to right a bit in this pic

All I see is a Hugh house , at least that's what I think it is ? or is that your garage behind the house ? either way , nice place !

 

[Kevin54]

I really don't understand what the whole issue is about , why does someone care how much it takes for so and so to have a nice looking floor , it's not going to be you cleaning it .

I bet there isn't anyone who wants to walk into there home and find the carpet or kit floor dirty because it took a little work to clean it , if your attitude is it's only a garage , great leave us who don't care if it takes a little more work have what we want with an argument , for petes sake if it takes you 5 mins to clean your garage and me 15 whats the big deal ? have you ever considered that maybe the guys that wax there floors enjoy that part of the deal ? It may be a stress reliever for them ? who knows and who cares .

 

[Ch3No2]

All I see is a Hugh house , at least that's what I think it is ? or is that your garage behind the house ? either way , nice place !

Thanks!....Thats actually the neighbor and I am in my back yard.......here's a better view where the garage is painted out in my back yard

 

[ketas47]

Im the OP of this topic and my main objective was to give feed back about a VCT floor after a year of northern punishment! I like the floor and get many compliments and can say it does take a little more work to keep it looking good, but so does alot of things.
But It takes work to keep any floor looking good. The VCT is easier to squeege and clean than a pure concrete floor in my opinion because it is so smooth.( I had broom finish and was always seems dusty during summer)
I have a brother thats has construction equip. and concrete is the only way to go. I have a brother in law and he has epoxyy floor and he likes that, but he also has seen my floor and it really wishing he had done VCT.
So Salt SAND Snow Water Mud, every floor in these cond. are going to look pretty shabby, but all i know is I like how nice it looks when CLean!!!
To each his own, Im only posting this because alot off people wanted to know how well VCT stands up to extreme climates. No tile breakage, lifting or staining.

 

[turbosl2]

This is how mine looks throughout the winter. I could care less, I am not outside like I am in the summer

 

[turbosl2]

Another, won't let me post more than 1 at a time

 

[turbosl2]

Another

 

[Ch3No2]

Ketas47....Thanks for posting your 1 year pics...it looks great
I am also coming up on a year and am very happy with the VCT choice
I mop about once a month and will refresh the wax in Spring but I dont think I will see much change from when it was first installed
Thanks again for sharing!

 

[turbosl2]

In 2 months my floor will look like new, including that rust from under the snow blower skids

 

[stage20]

i have seen a few questions on glue. you want to use mapei 711 if it is available to you. i am not a fan of the henrys or roberts most stores carry.

if you scrap clean mop and get the 711 down and let it dry, you cant move a tile when you put it in the glue. make sure its where you want it.

vct is only durable as the wax you put on top of it. no wax and you will soak in stains youll never get out unless you sand the tile off.

very important to purchase a "thru pattern" tile for this very reason. if its not on the box, make sure both sides of the tile look exactly the same. different pattern from top to back, dont use it.

 

[stage20]

and for the expansion joints, they must be filled and leveled. you can use whatever product you like. hard set, flex, epoxy, but your tiles will crack over time. day a year, maybe 10 years.

if youve ever been in any store that has cracked tiles all the way across the building, there is your expansion joint.

 

[jethrodawg]

your seriously arguing about a fine coating of dirt you can see taking up more than 5 min to clean?? So with concrete you can be lazy…I get it. Do you hand wash your vehicles or go through a touch less all the time?

Sorry, this isn't about lazy. I have a 650 sq ft garage and there's no way you're going to mop it 100% clean in 15 min.

Like I said, from the first storm in either Nov or Dec all they way until the roads are swept in late April there is a lot of heavy sand that tracks into my garage. It's every day during the winter, not just a couple days after snow storms.

I view the VCT is impractical to keep up with it as I'd rather have the film obscured by the concrete than have a shiny tile backing of VCT that makes it stick out like a sore thumb.

And please, stop bringing in irrelevant topics. First it was hardwood, then you bring in car washing.

 

[jethrodawg]

In 2 months my floor will look like new, including that rust from under the snow blower skids

That's the point I'm making. The floor would irritate me for 5+ months as there is no practical way to keep it clean during the winter. I would literally have to sweep every day and mop it once a week. Impractical IMO

 

[turbosl2]

I guess. To each is own. It's -4 outside and I am not that interested in anything looking to pretty right now.

 

[JimVonBaden]

That's the point I'm making. The floor would irritate me for 5+ months as there is no practical way to keep it clean during the winter. I would literally have to sweep every day and mop it once a week. Impractical IMO

Your point makes little sense. Why would you clean it more than you concrete floor during the winter months?

 

[CobraJake]

Sorry, this isn't about lazy. I have a 650 sq ft garage and there's no way you're going to mop it 100% clean in 15 min.

Like I said, from the first storm in either Nov or Dec all they way until the roads are swept in late April there is a lot of heavy sand that tracks into my garage. It's every day during the winter, not just a couple days after snow storms.

I view the VCT is impractical to keep up with it as I'd rather have the film obscured by the concrete than have a shiny tile backing of VCT that makes it stick out like a sore thumb.

And please, stop bringing in irrelevant topics. First it was hardwood, then you bring in car washing.

and mine is 850 so what? Im done here…you make little sense…

 

[Kevin54]

Sorry, this isn't about lazy. I have a 650 sq ft garage and there's no way you're going to mop it 100% clean in 15 min.

Like I said, from the first storm in either Nov or Dec all they way until the roads are swept in late April there is a lot of heavy sand that tracks into my garage. It's every day during the winter, not just a couple days after snow storms.

I view the VCT is impractical to keep up with it as I'd rather have the film obscured by the concrete than have a shiny tile backing of VCT that makes it stick out like a sore thumb.

And please, stop bringing in irrelevant topics. First it was hardwood, then you bring in car washing.

That's the point I'm making. The floor would irritate me for 5+ months as there is no practical way to keep it clean during the winter. I would literally have to sweep every day and mop it once a week. Impractical IMO

If you are so dead set against having VCT, then why are you trying to convince others that they should side with you? If you don't have it, don't like it, and don't want anything other than bare concrete, you're just beating a dead horse.

I live in a climate too that put's down salt, sand, and grit. I currently have bare concrete, but it doesn't keep me from cleaning the floors on a regular basis. A leaf blower for a couple of minutes will take out the dust and grit. If it's cold enough out, I'll open the doors up and throw a few shovels full of clean snow in on the floors and sweep it all out. I don't like a dirty bare concrete floor anymore than a person doesn't like dirty VCT flooring.

And it's not impractical. It looks good, the ones that have put it down, I have yet to read a complaint or regret on Garage Journal about the person making a mistake in doing it. They make vinyl parking pads that you can put down to keep the tiles clean in the winter months. You can get long carpet runners to walk on to help out in the winter months to keep the tiles clean. And it's no problem to most to have to strip the wax, scrub and re-wax and polish once or twice a year.

Hopefully Spring will get here and we'll have some early decent weather because this long and cold winter is getting everyone's ******* in a wad and putting them into an argumentative mood.

 

[stage20]

Your point makes little sense. Why would you clean it more than you concrete floor during the winter months?

if youve got an old mustang with a new paint job, wouldnt you wash it more than if it was just the old peeling factory stuff?

 

[JimVonBaden]

if youve got an old mustang with a new paint job, wouldnt you wash it more than if it was just the old peeling factory stuff?

That is the rub isn't it? If you have a crappy looking old car you obviously do not care about it, so of course you wouldn't wash it. Same goes with the floor. But that isn't really the point, now is it?

This is the Flooring forum. If you want bare concrete, just move along, otherwise you are contributing nothing to the forum.

 

[stage20]

That is the rub isn't it? If you have a crappy looking old car you obviously do not care about it, so of course you wouldn't wash it. Same goes with the floor. But that isn't really the point, now is it?

This is the Flooring forum. If you want bare concrete, just move along, otherwise you are contributing nothing to the forum.

hey i like to lurk, i do flooring for a living, but im a bare concrete kinda guy. i fine sweep the edges and push broom the rest regularly. i enjoy this section.

 

[Ch3No2]

hey i like to lurk, i do flooring for a living, but im a bare concrete kinda guy. i fine sweep the edges and push broom the rest regularly. i enjoy this section.

So if you painted cars for a living you would have the rusty peeling painted old car?
All good you and Jethro like bare concrete but why come on a thread about 1 yeard old VCT results and have nothing positive to say to the individual that is trying to help others make a decision?

 

[stage20]

So if you painted cars for a living you would have the rusty peeling painted old car?
All good you and Jethro like bare concrete but why come on a thread about 1 yeard old VCT results and have nothing positive to say to the individual that is trying to help others make a decision?

actually i posted some information about glue someone in the thread was asking about on an earlier page. i dont have anything negative to say about putting floor covering in your garage. i think its great. most members here look like they are doing a great job with their flooring jprojects.

 

[Ch3No2]

actually i posted some information about glue someone in the thread was asking about on an earlier page. i dont have anything negative to say about putting floor covering in your garage. i think its great. most members here look like they are doing a great job with their flooring jprojects.

Excellent reply...Thanks for posting the glue info....I have a flooring sub that I consulted before I did mine and he recommended Tarkett spray glue...worked bitchin...he said Wal Mart mandates it

 

[stage20]

Excellent reply...Thanks for posting the glue info....I have a flooring sub that I consulted before I did mine and he recommended Tarkett spray glue...worked bitchin...he said Wal Mart mandates it

i dont think its needed for home use, even in a busy shop. the mapei is a very good troweled glue. it run 33-38 a bucket depending on supplier and quantity. the tarkett and shaw glues can cost a fortune, but they have their place in the market.

 

[stanleyoutdoors]

VCT is not really plastic. It is Vinyl Composition Tile that is 1/8" thick and a very solid composition it is at that.

Yes, I know. i went with Modutile (racedeck clone) and regret it.

 

[Ch3No2]

i dont think its needed for home use, even in a busy shop. the mapei is a very good troweled glue. it run 33-38 a bucket depending on supplier and quantity. the tarkett and shaw glues can cost a fortune, but they have their place in the market.

The box of 6 cans he slipped me according to him cost a little over 200 but with a little masking I was able to do the 1280 sq ft in a weekend including perimeter cutting. That first tile in the center is very important to get perfectly straight as it sets the tone for the perimeter especially in a multi color layout.....I used a chalk line and 6' level....any better way that you know of?

 

[stage20]

I. Always triangulae. You can start with 3 4 and 5ft and go to larger multiples of this procedure. Start in the middle and take 2 rows in eacch direction making a cross. From there you will have 4 seperate sections to finish. The smaller the area the better chance your corners wont walk. On you. If they start to get off you can atand a tile up and gently tap a corner of it. Will help get the next tile back into shape. The more level the floor the more your corners will keep true.

 

[mygarageone]

I. Always triangulae. You can start with 3 4 and 5ft and go to larger multiples of this procedure. Start in the middle and take 2 rows in eacch direction making a cross. From there you will have 4 seperate sections to finish. The smaller the area the better chance your corners wont walk. On you. If they start to get off you can atand a tile up and gently tap a corner of it. Will help get the next tile back into shape. The more level the floor the more your corners will keep true.

My dad layed lots of tile when I was young , geez he was **** amount
cleanly ness !
I don't know how many times he made me sweep a floor and the it took him forever because he was a perfectionist! That was back in the day of the old asbestos tile and black goo that had to set before setting tile.

 

[stage20]

My dad layed lots of tile when I was young , geez he was **** amount
cleanly ness !
I don't know how many times he made me sweep a floor and the it took him forever because he was a perfectionist! That was back in the day of the old asbestos tile and black goo that had to set before setting tile.

Ohyea. Old cutback glue. The tiles let loose but the glue stays sticky. Gets all over your hands shoes everything it touches. You really can't get the floor clean enough. One grain of sand looks like a mountain. A couple grains of sand and it looks like you didn't even clean the floor. Lol. If you put a penny under one with heavy glue you could just about read it over time as the tile forms to the contours

 

[CobraJake]

The box of 6 cans he slipped me according to him cost a little over 200 but with a little masking I was able to do the 1280 sq ft in a weekend including perimeter cutting. That first tile in the center is very important to get perfectly straight as it sets the tone for the perimeter especially in a multi color layout.....I used a chalk line and 6' level....any better way that you know of?

I. Always triangulae. You can start with 3 4 and 5ft and go to larger multiples of this procedure. Start in the middle and take 2 rows in eacch direction making a cross. From there you will have 4 seperate sections to finish. The smaller the area the better chance your corners wont walk. On you. If they start to get off you can atand a tile up and gently tap a corner of it. Will help get the next tile back into shape. The more level the floor the more your corners will keep true.

Ive seen this mentioned a few times….starting in the middle….and I've seen guys post pics of starting in the corner. Does it really matter?

 

[Shea]

Yes, floors are rarely square. If you start in a corner and work your way out it can create an unbalanced line along one or more walls. When you find the center of the floor, you can adjust the first line of tiles that you will lay in order to determine how large your end cuts will be along the walls. Do you want one wall to have close to a full tile width and another to have only an inch for example? Finding the center and using your tape measure, you can figure out your layout and how large you want your cut edge pieces to be. It looks much better when done this way.

 

[JimVonBaden]

Ive seen this mentioned a few times….starting in the middle….and I've seen guys post pics of starting in the corner. Does it really matter?

Start in the middle, and I started in front. That allowed me to make sure my first rows were straight. You often cover the sides with cabinets and benches, so small errors that manifest themselves along the walls won't show as much.

Just after finishing:

2 years later: