The Ultimate Guide: How to Strip and Refinish VCT Floors for a Professional Finish

August 8, 2024

Many commercial buildings feature VCT (vinyl composite tile) floors in high-traffic areas like hallways, lobbies, and offices. Over time, these floors become scuffed, dirtied, and dulled by constant foot traffic, rubber wheels, and accidental spills.

While a consistent cleaning routine can keep them looking fresh and prevent excessive wear, there comes a point when routine cleaning isn’t enough—this is where stripping and refinishing come in.

Stripping and refinishing your VCT floors is a vital part of restorative maintenance. It helps rejuvenate their appearance, maintain a polished look, and extend the floor’s lifespan. By removing old layers of wax and applying new coatings, you ensure that your floors remain protected from damage and retain their shine, ensuring your guests’ happiness.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process, from preparation to final finishing, so you can achieve next-level results and keep your floors looking their best.

What is a Strip and Refinish?

A strip and refinish is when you remove old layers of finish, dirt, and grime so that the floor has completely bare tile and then add new finish.This restores the floor’s appearance and helps protect it from future damage.

There are three basic steps to the strip and refinish process:

Clean: Remove the floor stain, then dirt, litter, grit, sand, allergens, and obstructions with supplies like a mop, broom, vacuum, and cleaning solution.
Strip: Remove the floor finish with a floor machine before a new finish is applied.
Refinish: Apply a protective layer of finish to a floor to improve its appearance, protect it from damage, and make it easier to clean.

We’ll go over these steps in more detail later in the article.

When to Strip VCT Flooring

It’s time to strip your VCT floors when built-up grime or other substances cover them. This can be weeks or months after a previous stripping job, it depends on the amount of damage caused by foot traffic.

For facilities with heavy foot traffic, the floor will likely require more frequent stripping.

Periodically stripping your VCT floors and reapplying the finish will help your floors look better and extend their overall life.

How Often Should You Strip and Wax Your VCT Flooring?

The general rule of thumb is that VCT floors that aren’t burnished on a regular basis should be stripped and refinished every six to nine months. Those actively maintained can usually be stripped and refinished once a year.

The best way to avoid having to strip and refinish your VCT floors often is to keep them clean and burnished regularly. A consistent routine is key to making your floors sparkle and shine.

It’s important to maintain regular cleaning practices, on a daily and periodic basis.

Daily cleaning includes sweeping and mopping/scrubbing.

Periodic cleaning, when you deep scrub and add one coat of finish, is performed when flooring has noticeable wear and tear.

And restorative cleaning, like a strip and refinish, takes place when your VCT flooring needs extra care that daily and periodic cleaning can’t cover.

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Stripping and Refinishing a VCT Floor

Before you start the strip and refinish process, you need to gather the appropriate supplies:

Materials:

Cotton Mop
Blended Mop
Finish Mop/Flat Mop
Floor Stripper
Floor Finish
Combo Bucket/Wringer on Wheels (x 2)
Floor Pads for Stripping
Wet Floor Signs
Scraper
Doodlescrub
PPE (goggles, gloves, booties)

Equipment:

Auto-Scrubber
Floor Machine With Tank
Wet/Dry Vacuum

How to Strip a VCT Floor

The first thing you want to do in the strip and refinish process is strip the floor to prepare for refinishing. This requires several different steps.

Step 1: Put on PPE

Stay protected by putting on eye goggles, gloves, and non-skid booties.

Step 2: Clean the Floor

The floor must be completely clean before you can begin the stripping process.

Dry dust and mop all the areas you plan to refinish to remove loose trash and debris.

Be sure to remove anything you see stuck on the tile such as stickers, gum or tape with a floor scraper.

Step 3: Clear the Area

Remove any objects or furniture on the floor so the area is completely free of obstruction.

Step 4: Put Caution and/or Wet Floor Signs Up

Put your “Wet Floor” sign up in the general area where you will be working. This helps prevent people from walking on or near the floor during the stripping process.

Step 5: Dilute the Floor Stripper

Fill one mop bucket with floor stripper and cool to lukewarm water. If the water is too hot, chemicals can go into the atmosphere and the stripper won’t work as well.

Dilute the product according to manufacturer instructions.

Step 6: Apply the Stripper

Liberally mop the selected area with the floor stripper using the cotton mop, being careful not to splash stripper onto any nearby carpet, as the stripper could dry and remove the color from the carpet.

Pro Tip: If an accidental spill occurs, extract the carpet where the stripper splashed before it has a chance to dry.

Step 7: Allow Floor Stripper to Dwell

Once you have mopped the selected area, allow the stripper to dwell for five to 10 minutes. Follow manufacturer instructions on dwell time.

If you leave the stripper on the floor too long, it will start to dry. If this happens, it will leave a lumpy stain of slurry. You would have to re-apply new stripper solution to remove the stain.

Pro Tip: Never use the same mop bucket for the floor stripper and the rinse, to avoid cross contamination.

Step 6: Clean the Floor

Run the floor machine with a stripping pad, over the areas where you have applied the stripper. After the first pass, check to see if the floor is cleaned to your satisfaction. Some tough areas may require additional attention.

Going along the edges, use the doodlescrub and then a scraper, to remove all the old finish.

Step 7: Pick Up Remaining Stripper

Use a wet vac to pick up all the stripper and slurry.

Pro tip: The stripper is extremely slippery. Always start the floor machine with your feet on dry tile and work into the stripper to avoid a slip and fall.

Step 8: Inspect the Floor

Inspect the floor to be sure all wax has been removed. If needed, repeat steps 5 and 6.

Step 9: Rinse the Floor

After the stripping process is complete, rinse the floor with water, using the rinse mop, two times. This ensures the complete removal of remaining residue or stripper. It is important to remove all residue to ensure the finish adheres to the floor and cures properly.

If the manufacturer recommends using a neutralizer, follow the instructions to do so.

Pro tip: Be sure the floor is completely dry before applying the finish. If the floor is wet and you apply finish, it will not adhere to the floor properly and will not cure as well.

How to Refinish a VCT Floor

After stripping the finish, you need to restore the floor by applyinig several coats of finish to the VCT. This makes the floor shiny and fresh-looking.

Step 1: Select the Right Floor Finish
Step 2: Apply the Floor Finish
Step 3: Allow the Floor To fully Dry
Step 4: Perform a Key Test
Step 5: Apply Additional Layers of Finish, as Needed
Step 6: Repeat Steps 2-4
Step 7: Replace Furniture & Open Floors

Step 1: Select the Right Floor Finish

The first step in the floor refinishing process is to choose the right floor finish for your facility. The choice comes down to how often your team can maintain the floor and the desired look you are going for.

Some types of floor finishes require less frequent burnishing but they will not be as shiny as a finish designed to be burnished several times a week.

Step 2: Apply the Floor Finish

After ensuring the floor is completely dry from stripping, you can begin to apply the floor finish using a finish mop/flat mop.

Apply a very thin and even layer of finish across the floor. Be careful not to apply the finish too liberally because if the first layer is too thick, it can ruin the subsequent coats.

Using the finish mop, picture frame the area, getting corners and edges, avoiding the baseboards. Then, work in a back and forth pattern, covering the entire area.

Step 3: Allow the Floor To fully Dry

Give the floor time to dry. Not allowing the floor to dry fully between coats can ruin the finish job and make it cure improperly.

Dry time can vary, but is generally about 45 minutes between coats.

Refer to the manufacturer instructions for specific information.

Step 4: Perform a Key Test

Before applying the next coat, you’ll want to do a touch test to see if the finish feels tacky. Once it’s dry to the touch, you can apply the next layer of finish.

Apply another coat. Four to six fresh coats of finish are typically applied.

Pro tip: Never apply more than four coats in one day or the finish will not properly cure.

Step 5: Apply Additional Layers of Finish, as Needed

After the initial layer of finish has dried, assess the floor’s appearance and durability. For optimal protection and shine, apply additional coats of finish, typically 2-4 layers, allowing each to dry completely before applying the next.

Multiple coats will provide a stronger, more durable surface that resists scratches, scuffs, and wear, ensuring the floor maintains its polished look in high-traffic areas. Be sure to apply each layer evenly, using a clean applicator to avoid streaks or bubbles.

Step 6: Repeat Steps 2-4

Apply up to four coats, but no more than that, in a 24-hour period.

Step 7: Replace Furniture & Open Floors

After a successful strip and refinish, you can open the floors to foot traffic in six to 12 hours. You’ll want to replace any objects or furniture that was removed prior to the process. Furniture should not be placed on the refinished floor for several days, so the finish is fully cured and the furniture does not scratch the floor. If you cannot wait several days, you can cautiously place the furniture on the floor in six to 12 hours to reduce the change of damaging the floor.

Final Thoughts

Stripping and refinishing VCT floors may seem like a daunting task, but with the right tools, techniques, and preparation, it’s entirely manageable and can greatly extend the life and appearance of your floors.

By following a step-by-step process, you ensure that your floors maintain their shine and durability, providing a clean and professional look for any space.

Whether you’re a facility manager, janitorial professional, or business owner, taking the time to properly care for your VCT floors will not only enhance the aesthetics but also save money in the long run by reducing the need for costly repairs or replacements.

Keep your floors looking their best by making floor maintenance a regular part of your cleaning routine.

When the time comes, Imperial Dade can help. We have the tools, products, and equipment, in addition to a knowledgeable team, that can guide you through the strip and refinish process from start to finish.

If you’re in the United States, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, or Canada, Imperial Dade has a team of experts that can help you find the best products for stripping and refinishing your VCT floors.

Contact us if you need assistance learning how to perform a successfull strip and refinish. Our trained specialsts can review your space, reccomend speciifc cleaning equipment, and advise you on best practices.