Are your difficult floors looking dirty even after they are mopped? Is there no shine left in your floors? Possibly your floors were newly stripped and waxed, but at present a few months later, you cannot even tell it. Under are some basic steps to care for your VCT floors that will supply a consistent shine.
VCT is brief for vinyl composite tile. This is the kind of floor that you see in most hospital hallways and many other commercial buildings. Some people merely call it “tile” floors, but I discover this ambiguous since ceramic tile is becoming more frequent in commercial buildings.
VCT has been about for many years. The most usual size is twelve inches by twelve inches. You may also discover 8 by 8 inch tiles in elder buildings, but this will commonly be ACT (asbestos composite tile). ACT has been phased out, but if your building has it, the tips we grant under will function on either kind of floor.
The steps in care for your VCT floor are pretty directly ahead. You may have heard terms such as strip and wax, buffing, polishing, and scrubbing. We will also explain each of these.
Stripping and waxing is a term that refers to removing the existing wax on your floor and applying raw wax. Wax is also referred to as “finish” and these 2 terms are interchangeable. Stripping is a labor intense procedure where low speed buffers (floor machines that run 175 rpm) are brought in and get rid of the wax. 1st, a mop is used to apply stripper, which should be allowed to sit for 10 to fifteen minutes. Then, the low speed buffer is run over the floor with an abrasive pad for stripping. The result is a combination of aged wax and stripper that is then vacuumed or mopped up. This procedure is repeated until all of the wax is removed.
In areas where there is a great deal of wax, it will be essential to repeat the stripping procedure. Nevertheless, in areas where there is high foot traffic, the wax leftover is normally not dense and easy to get rid of. Also, little pads or razors are used against walls or in corners to get rid of the wax that the buffer cannot extend to.
During the strip, a 2nd answer of floor rinse and H2O is used to clean the floor and prevent the aged wax from drying back into the floor. If the older wax dries, then the stripping procedure must be redone to get rid of the wax once again. When the floor is stripped, the floors should be rinsed when more to get rid of any loose leftover wax or particulates, and guarantee a clean floor to wax.
The floor must then be allowed to dry completely before any wax can be applied. Wax is applied in coats. The 1st coating is applied by a mop and allowed to dry. Then each extra coating is applied. Depending on the specifications and desired shine, the number of coats of wax is determined.
If a high, lustrous shine is desired, it will typically want 6 to 8 coats. 4 coats of wax will deliver a medium shine.
After the above steps are completed, your floor is at present stripped and waxed. After the last coating of wax is dry, the floor is safe to walk on. It is advisable to permit the floor 2 to 3 days to completely “cure” before performing any high speed buffing.
Buffing or polishing refers to using a high speed buffer on the VCT floor to bring back a shine and create the wax harder. High speed buffing is done 1 of 3 ways: propane, battery operated, and electrical. High speed buffers run between 1500 rpms and 2000 rpms depending on the producer. We like the propane buffer out of the 3 we mentioned.
Scrub and recoat is a term that refers to using a light rinse on the waxed VCT floor with a low speed machine. The floor is not stripped, but simply the 1st coating or 2 of wax is removed. Then, wax is applied to renew the shine of the VCT floor. A scrub and recoat is a quality interim method to be used between stripping and waxing.
How frequently should a floor be stripped and waxed? There is no proper answer to this query, because each floor is different. A quality direction of thumb is to strip and wax at the least when a year. Some floors may need to be stripped and waxed twice a year or more. High speed buffing should be done at the least when a month. If a VCT floor has high foot traffic, it can be buffed when a week to keep a quality appearance. Scrub and recoats can be done at the half means mark between strip and waxes.
Even a brand fresh VCT floor should be stripped and waxed. Raw VCT comes from the maker with a factory sealer, but normally cannot stand up to high traffic.
The most significant move of any VCT floor is sweeping and mopping. VCT floors should be swept and mopped daily to prevent dirt from scratching and marring the appearance of the floor. Mopping should be done with cold H2O and a neutral cleaner. If hot H2O is used on a waxed VCT floor, it can cause the wax to come up with the mop and also gives the wax a cloudy appearance. Also, do not utilize harsh cleaners to mop a VCT floor. Bleach or ammonia based products will strip wax off of the VCT floor. If you cannot discover or run out of neutral cleaner, simply utilize obviously cold H2O. Then, discover an appropriate neutral cleaner when you resume the maintenance the following day.
To recap the above steps:
1. Sweep and mop your VCT floors daily.
2. High speed buff your VCT floors at the least when a month.
3. Strip and wax your VCT floors at the least when a year.
4. Scrub and recoats may be done interim of stripping and waxing. (every 6 months)
By next the above steps, or making certain your janitorial provider does, will supply a VCT floor with a desirable shine and appearance. It will also increase the lifetime of your VCT floors. If properly cared for, VCT floors can last for forty years or more.
http://www.janilink.com/propane-floor-buffer/category-html