VCT floor stripping and waxing is the right call when the finish itself has failed: it is yellowing, powdering, flaking or ridged at the doorways. If the tile is only dull or scuffed, a scrub and recoat is usually enough and takes less time. Everest strips and waxes commercial VCT in Vancouver and across the Lower Mainland.
This guide shows how to tell the two apart, how often commercial floors need each, which floor types can be stripped and what a night of work involves. If you want a crew to look at your floor, start with our strip and wax services.
Strip or recoat? Check the finish first
| Scrub and recoat | Strip and wax | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The floor is machine-scrubbed, then one or two thin coats of finish go over the layers already there. | Old finish is removed back to bare tile, the floor is rinsed and neutralized, and new finish is built up in thin coats. |
| Use it when | The finish is intact but dull, scuffed or grey in the traffic lane. | The finish is yellowed, powdery, flaking, peeling or ridged. |
| Time on site | Shorter. The floor is back in use sooner. | Longer. More steps, and more time for coats to cure. |
| Edges and corners | Cleaned during the scrub. | Done by hand, because the machine misses the last couple of inches at the wall. |
Signs a scrub and recoat is enough
- Black marks and heel scuffs
- A grey film in the traffic lane
- Dullness with the finish still intact
- Salt and slush film near the entrance in winter
Signs you need a full strip
- Yellowing in the corners
- Powder that comes off on a dry mop
- A ridge where extra coats were poured in a doorway
- Tile edges showing through where the old finish has cracked
- Flakes when you scrape a fingernail across the surface
Try the fingernail test in a low-traffic corner. If the finish flakes, more coats will not fix it.
How often should VCT floors be stripped and waxed?
There is no calendar interval that fits every building. Strip when the finish fails, and keep it from failing early with regular scrubbing and periodic recoats.
Four things set the schedule: foot traffic, grit and salt at the entrances, how often the floor is scrubbed, and how many coats are already on it. Entrances and traffic lanes wear first, so they often get a recoat while side rooms stay as they are.
We would rather see the floor than guess from a description. A free site assessment tells us where your floor sits and what to schedule next.
What does a strip-and-wax night involve?
- Move furniture out of the work area and protect the baseboards.
- Apply stripper in sections small enough to finish before it dries.
- Scrub with a machine and a stripping pad, then pick up the slurry with a wet vacuum.
- Detail the edges and corners by hand.
- Rinse and neutralize until a paper towel no longer picks up grey.
- Apply thin coats of finish, letting each one dry before the next.
Flood coats take longer to cure and can dry with an orange-peel texture, so thin coats are worth the wait. Ask whether a quote covers edges and corners or only the open floor. An unstripped band along the wall shows in daylight.
Which floors can be stripped and waxed?
| Floor type | Strip and wax? | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial VCT in sound condition | Yes | We can strip around a bad tile, but we cannot make a cupped tile lie flat under new finish. |
| Commercial sheet vinyl | Usually | It needs a finish that accepts wax. We confirm on site. |
| Peel-and-stick vinyl | Generally no | The adhesive is not made for stripper, and tiles can lift. Send a photo of a damaged corner. |
| LVP and LVT with a wear layer | No | These are quoted as their own product, not as a VCT reset. |
| Wood and stone | No | We do not refinish or polish either. If the lobby is terrazzo and the corridor is VCT, we do the corridor. |
If your suite also has carpet, read carpet cleaning vs floor waxing to see how to book both.
How long until people can walk on a waxed floor?
Foot traffic can return once the last coat is dry to the touch, but the finish keeps hardening after that. Carts, rolling stools and furniture on wheels can print or scuff soft finish, so cone off the area until it has firmed up.
A thin coat in a dry, ventilated building dries sooner than a heavy coat in a closed one. We give you a window after we see the HVAC and the coat count, and plan the night around your opening time.
Can retail and clinics be done after hours?
Yes, for most floors. A light strip or a recoat fits a closing-to-opening window. A full reset of an entrance with years of finish can need more than one night, and we say so on the walkthrough.
Patch repairs show. If one bay is bad, strip it to a natural break such as a doorway, a change of tile or a threshold. Blending a new patch into the middle of a run leaves a visible rectangle under the exit light.
What about salt season?
Salt and slush leave a white film near the doors. If the finish underneath is sound, a scrub and recoat clears it. Our guide to winter floor care for commercial buildings covers what to schedule before the salt arrives.
What to send before we quote
- Photos of the worst traffic lane and one corner at the wall
- A close-up of a damaged tile edge, so we can tell VCT from stick-down vinyl
- Whether we move the furniture or you do
- The real time the floor must be walkable, not just “first thing”
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my floor needs stripping or just a recoat?
If the finish is sound and the floor is only dull, scuffed or grey in the traffic lane, a recoat is usually enough. If it is yellowing, powdering, flaking or ridged, it needs a strip. A fingernail scrape that lifts flakes means the finish has failed.
How often should VCT floors be stripped and waxed?
Strip when the finish fails, not on a fixed date. Traffic, entrance grit, winter salt and how often the floor is scrubbed set the pace. Regular scrubbing and a periodic recoat keep a strip further apart. We can assess your floor and suggest a schedule.
How long before people can walk on a freshly waxed floor?
It depends on the building’s ventilation and the number of coats. A thin coat in a dry building with air moving dries sooner than a heavy coat with the HVAC off. We give you a window after seeing the site.
Can you strip peel-and-stick vinyl?
Generally no. The adhesive is not made for stripper, and tiles can lift. Send us a photo of a damaged corner and we will tell you what you have.
Can you strip and wax LVT or LVP?
No. Luxury vinyl with a wear layer is not a strip-and-wax floor. It needs a different product and is quoted separately.
How quickly can I get a strip and wax quote?
We send a written quote within 1 business day. If we need to see the floor first, we book a free site assessment and quote after it.
After a busy season, the post-holiday restaurant and banquet cleaning checklist covers the reset that nightly cleaning skips.
Planning for the new year? Our gym cleaning checklist for January breaks the work down by zone.
Get a strip and wax quote
Send photos of the worst lane and a corner at the wall, plus the time the floor has to be walkable. We will say whether it is a recoat or a strip. Get a free quote, or see our strip and wax services.
