VCT - Polish, sealer, or both?

[Nostalgic Dave]

Hello, I am new to garagejournal and I must say, there are a lot of great ideas and nice shops being shown off here! I have a new shop building that is nearing completion, and I'm considering the use of Armstrong VCT tile for part of it. I see that the manufacturer suggests it be waxed, but it seems to me that wax would not hold up well at all in a shop environment. What is the best way to maintain the floor for use in a shop? Can it be coated with clear epoxy for a permanent durable finish? Those of you who are using VCT in your shops, what has been your experience with keeping it looking clean/nice?

Thanks

 

[camarojoe]

I bought the Armstrong polish/wax for mine, and applied about 4 or 5 coats with a 2.00 sponge mop... it looks nice, and very shiny, and has been pretty durable, although it never looks as good as the day you do it... if you know what i mean. When it gets scuffed up and loses its sparkle, you can always take some ammonia to it with another mop, and redo the wax without alot of trouble. I've done several touch ups on mine since waxing it, but have yet to re-do the whole garage... keep in mind haven't done any heavy work in my garage since putting it on either, although i think foot traffic is as harsh on the longevity of the wax as anything. I don't think I'd consider putting any type of clear epoxy/etc. on it, but I can't say that it couldn't be done. I'd just be afraid of it yellowing and looking bad, and it would be impossible to remove from the tile. This is the same stuff used in Wal Mart, and supermarkets, and other places that see a heck of alot more traffic and abuse than even a well used garage will see, and it lasts and looks good for years in those applications with nothing more than a coat of wax and occassional mopping, so the same should work for your garage...unless you're really planning on abusing it.

 

[trainer]

I've been told that this is shipped from the factory with a sealer on it to protect it during installation.
It sounds odd, but your first step should be to strip this off. If you dont, your sealer and wax may not last.


Also, never mop a vct floor with hot water!. It will cause the tiles to shrink over time leaving noticable gaps between them. Use lukewarm water and a detergent thats designed for the job.

 

[Rowdy Rat]

While not exactly a sealer/wax type of question, it does have to do with protecting VCT tiles so I guess it is reasonable to ask it in this thread.

Has anyone tried or given thought to using clear epoxy over a VCT floor? I would think that it could be a solution to protecting the relatively soft vinyl tiles.

Regards,

Stan Falenski