Most facilities managers and personnel are well-versed in VCT flooring. One of the least costly floor coverings to install is vinyl composite tile. Throughout the years, VCT has been put on millions of square feet of commercial and residential floor space. It is the most prevalent form of resilient floor and is often seen in retail establishments, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, light industrial environments, etc.
The comparatively low installation cost has to be weighed against the ongoing custodial maintenance expenses related to VCT. As compared to other flooring alternatives, it has one of the lowest installation prices, but when operating and maintenance expenses are estimated over a 50-year service life, it also has one of the highest maintenance expenditures. This is primarily because of the ongoing polishing, stripping, and waxing maintenance procedures necessary to maintain these floors in proper service condition.
AlphaGarage offers the VCT Solution system. Wolverine Coatings is the manufacturer of this two-layer crystal clear epoxy/urethane coating system. For existing VCT floors the wax must be stripped utilizing traditional maintenance methods, the tiles are then scuffed with a swing buffer/ abrasive pad combo and the clear epoxy and final urethane wear coats are applied. This coating will have the same level of durability as epoxy resin flooring, and will forever eliminate the ongoing labor-intensive strip & wax maintenance issues.Typically, a one-time application, the VCT Solution will stand up to heavy pedestrian traffic and limited vehicular use. Heavy traffic areas could need periodic urethane recoats to maintain the gloss look, but these will last years rather than months and the recoat method requires less effort than the generally recognized strip and wax technique. As an added benefit, optional traction additive can be incorporated to traffic areas were slip and fall potentials are of concern.
Older VCT floors present additional considerations. Floors installed in the 60's-80's utilized tiles and black mastic adhesive which may contain asbestos. Removing and replacing these floors can be costly and intrusive. If the existing floor remains well adhered, a safe alternative to removal can be to encapsulate and restore the existing floor with the VCT Solution system.
Eliminating the expensive and ongoing strip-and-wax maintenance routine from your operating and maintenance budget will save you a significant amount of money, minimize business interruptions, and significantly improve the overall appearance and utility of your VCT floors, whether you are using the VCT Solution on a new VCT floor or enhancing an existing floor. If all of these advantages of the VCT Solution aren't enough to persuade you, take this as the icing on the cake, thanks to the thorough and individualized training provided by AlphaGarage, your organization can confidently apply the VCT Solution with the help of its own in-house facilities team! If they can strip & wax they can apply our VCT Solution.