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VCT install going well - half complete

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BrandonB

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Apr 7, 2009
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Location
Denton, TX
About an hour ago I finished installing the first half of my VCT flooring in my garage. I'll post more in-depth comments, pictures, etc later after I get pictures from my camera edited and uploaded.

I did only 1/2 today so I could let everything settle in and get finished out while the other junk in the garage is **** on the other 1/2. I tentatively plan to go back and do the last half next weekend. I think it is working out well so far, waiting on the adhesive to dry was a bit of a pain, but not too bad.

I went with VCT instead of epoxy (like I wanted to do) because my garage had at one time been an office (model home in a subdivision) that had tack strip in various places. The slab had a few goof spots, pin holes, etc that I didn't care to fill. Most were the size of a pea, but some were larger than that and I filled the largest with concrete patch. Doing all of them for epoxy would have taken forever. On top of that, I was a bit worried about scratching and peeling epoxy, along with storing all of my junk during the installation of epoxy. Furthermore, I like the design I made with VCT in two colors too.

I'm rambling, here is a rather rudimentary cellphone pic.
b6u6wx.jpg
 
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Cougar67

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That looks nice! How long does it take the adhesive to set up? What are the official color names? How long did it take to get to this point? I imagine it takes some time to plot out that black border.
 
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BrandonB

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Denton, TX
sledmods said:
looks great. What did you do to prep the floor?
Click to expand...
The floor was pretty clean, sans the spots mentioned above. I used SimplePrep Premixed Floor Patch for the holes and imperfections. It dries almost exactly like the original concrete. I was very impressed. It is a bit coarse when dry, but not as bad as a brush finished slab.

I got on my hands and knees (which are incredibly sore right now so get knee pads) and used a small stiff bristled brush to get the last bit of dirt, off the floor. I also kept a small chisel on hand to kick out any small imperfections from the patch and other areas.
 
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BrandonB

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Denton, TX
Cougar67 said:
That looks nice! How long does it take the adhesive to set up? What are the official color names? How long did it take to get to this point? I imagine it takes some time to plot out that black border.
Click to expand...

Setup is a few hours, though it was high 60s. I think I might wait a bit longer on the remaining half however.

The official color names -
Standard Excelon Imperial Texture
51910 Classic Black
Standard Excelon Imperial Texture
51915 Charcoal

It really didn't take me long to figure out the design. I made about 20 different versions with white, black and gray (charcoal). Of those I had borderless, borders, 2x2s, etc, etc. Once I had the exact dimensions of the garage I built a template in Corel Draw and colored it up. From that I knew exactly how many tiles I would need to order as well.

I used a stairstep method to laying the tiles, so it was very easy to see when to stop for the boarder. HomeDepot/Lowes/etc usually will have a tear pad with simple instructions and directions on how to apply the VCT. I also used information from numerous searches in this forum. This link has some good advice in it.

I did not do the quadrants as recommended though. I started with full tiles on the edge of the garage next to my strip (pics later on that) so that I would be square at the entrance.
 
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BrandonB

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Denton, TX
If you look close you'll see a slight misalignment....
10s83ty.jpg

Another view before I placed the cut pieces around the edge. As you can tell I still have plenty to do for edging, etc.
28vsuo9.jpg
 
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BrandonB

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Denton, TX
Keep said:
Looking good.

What are you going to use to seal it?
Click to expand...

I'm not entirely sure really. The local stores don't have Armstrong products for what was recommended, so I'm going to do a bit more searching. I'm sure there is a post somewhere on here with exactly what I need.
I have heard of people putting a clear epoxy on top of it. I don't think I'd go that far though.
 
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dipper

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Rochester, NY
ruby76 said:
I for one - really like the VCT look. Great Job!!
Click to expand...

I like the look as well. And the ease of sweeping it up, much better than the bare concrete. Mine has been done for a few months now and is holding up very well.

Good job installing the tile. Follow up with more pics as you finish the project.
 
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Kevin54

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Urbana, Ohio
Floor is looking real good!!!

I'd like to go with VCT but I would like to hear from some that has it down that lives in the snow area like I do. 3 or 4 months of snow, grit on the roads, salt, slush dropping off of the car etc.

What do you do to maintain it? How bad are scratches in it? How often do you coat it? Does water running on it affect it any? As in anything I know that there is work in taking care of it, but I don't want something that either the car will have to sit outside until Spring, or I will have to mop and wax every week, or that is going to look like **** after one winter season.
 
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JimVonBaden

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Looks great!

As for sealant, all of the box stores carry one variation or another. I doubt one is signifigantly better than the other.

Kev,

I've had mine for a year now, and temps from 16° to 130° on the floor. It has not had any issues due to temps. I have rinsed it with a hose, and mopped it wet, no issues.

Scratches show, but are easily removable with a bit of scotch brite, or sand paper for gouges. Since the color is all the way through it is easy to hide marks.

Jim :cool:
 
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02chuck

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Sep 11, 2007
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69
Location
Collegeville, Ca
To find sealer/polish locate your local commercial cleaning supply store. They will have every thing you need to clean/strip/apply and polish your floor. When I get to the stage of doing my floors it will be VCT, I will staying with what I know. The only way to have a perfect floor is don't use the space, most of use don't have our garages/shops to just look at them.
 
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duneslider

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Jan 20, 2013
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Location
Riverton, Utah
VCT's biggest weakness is water/moisture. It will hold up to repeated washings, mopping, etc. but water sitting on it is not good. If your finish is thick and not damaged you should be okay. I spent years working in the commercial industry installing vct and repairing it. The majority of the repairs I made were a result of water damage. Most damage was on the edges. You need to make sure the perimeter is sealed well, I recommend a clear silicone caulk. Check the caulk several times a year and make sure it is still adhering to the concrete wall. I would also recommend sealing the floor in the fall each year to make sure the top coat is good before you bring the snowy mess in all winter.

All VCT glue now days is water soluble.

By the way, floor is looking great! I like the bigger checker pattern a lot more than doing the single tile checker.
 
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