315-782-4437
Watertown, NY

Floor Tile Stripping and Refinishing

If we had to select one cleaned surface that presents the greatest challenge in commercial buildings it would be resilient tile floors. We see more improperly maintained vinyl composite tile (VCT) and roll goods than can be imagined, everything from sealed-in dirt to finish mopped onto the baseboards to one coat applied where five are needed for proper maintenance.

Restoration efforts generally involve stripping old finish and laying down fresh coatings of finish compatible with the type of tile. If this is properly done, the result is a clean, clear, light-reflective coating that is attractive, slip-resistant, and protects the tile underneath.

However, stripping finish every few months according to some outdated frequency schedule is a waste of modern formulations (the Green part) and time and money. Yet, this is commonly done when floors start looking dull and unsightly. Did you know that wasteful, expensive stripping can be postponed for years with proper maintenance methods?

If you have problems with your tile flooring and want those problems solved, why not take advantage of our 40 + years experience in resilient tile floor maintenance? We know how to properly clean and refinish VCT and other resilient tile surfaces. We have the equipment and experience to restore and maintain them. From entry ways to restrooms, our trained technicians can restore your unattractive resilient tile to a more presentable state. Don't put up with unattractive flooring any longer. Call us today for an on-site survey. We take the time needed to do floor restoration and maintenance right!

And don’t forget the challenges presented by ceramic and other hard tile flooring such as natural stone: dirty grout, built-up finish, sealed-in soils. We can help with all that as well.

Call us today. 782-4437

Did You Know?

If you read about a janitorial service offering floor “waxing” you will be interested to learn that true “wax” has not been used commonly in the facility floor maintenance industry since the 1950s. You may still find Carnauba wax in auto finish preparations, but resilient tile floors are now protected by acrylic co-polymer metal-interlock formulations (and variants), and have been for the last 60+ years. Any service company still advertising floor “waxing” is obviously behind the times in their terminology, and likely also in their floor maintenance approach and techniques.

Let’s use stripping frequencies as an example. While true wax-based finishes, applied with steel wool pads instead of modern micro-fiber applicators, were soft, allowing grit to embed itself, and would yellow over time, necessitating occasional stripping, modern finishes overcome those drawbacks. We do not need to strip anywhere near as often and that means maintenance cost savings in any building. Plus, we no longer assume that floor tile must be stripped of all finish in order to be restored. Often, a scrub-and-recoat is all that is needed! If you have a LEED project, this is a must.

Don’t assume the company advertising their expertise in resilient tile “waxing” is really up-to-date despite the anachronism.