Learning how to wax and maintain newly installed vinyl composite tile for the garage floor is important. It helps to protect the tiles from stains, damage, wear and creates a nice polished finish. The process can also be confusing. With that in mind, we decided to list what is required and the steps involved in producing and maintaining a beautiful finish for your VCT garage floor.
One note to make is that high-traffic VCT floors do not have actual wax finishes applied anymore. However, the “wax” terminology is still popular to use. Most finishes now use water-based acrylics that are much better than wax and are formulated for different purposes.
The steps and products described below are similar to those used for high-traffic commercial VCT floors. This type of finish is what should be applied to a VCT garage floor to ensure the longest wearing and most durable finish.
Remember, garage floors see much more than just foot traffic. They are subjected to vehicle tires and fluids as well as other contaminants that can be encountered in a garage.
There are 4 steps required to properly seal and provide a wax-like finish on VCT tile for a garage.
- Clean the tile
- Apply a VCT tile sealer
- Apply an acrylic floor wax
- Buff the tile for gloss
This post may contain affiliate links. If you use these links to make a purchase, we may earn a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, All Garage Floors earns from qualifying purchases. You can read our full disclaimer here.
Clean the newly installed VCT
Though the floor may look clean after installation, it really isn’t. It may have footprints, handprints, dust, and glue residue around the seams or on the surface that all need to be removed.
First, sweep or dust mop the tile to completely remove all dust and debris from the floor. Next, use a soft cloth and mineral spirits to remove any glue residue that may have squeezed up between the seams or tracked on the tile.
Now you are ready to damp mop the floor. Important to note is that most newly installed vinyl composite tiles should not be soaked with water for the first 3 or 4 days. The glue needs time to sit and tack up. That is why it is important to damp mop.
Be sure that you use a neutral cleaner designed for vinyl floors. Here is a product from Zep that we recommend. Heavy-duty cleaners can alter the pH balance at the surface and affect the adhesion properties of sealers as well as dull the final finish. Use cool water in your mop bucket.
Dip the mop in the properly diluted cleaning solution and wring it out well. We prefer to use quality foam or microfiber mops on VCT and not string mops, but that is up to you. Damp mop the entire floor, making sure to rinse and wring out the mop frequently.
Once done, go over the floor one more time with fresh clean water in the same manner. This will remove any residual film that may have been left by the cleaner. Let the floor dry completely before starting the next step.
Note: One requirement that used to be standard procedure was to strip the tile of the temporary factory finish first before any sealers or finishes were applied. Most vinyl composition tiles these days come with a factory finish that is compatible with most sealers and will not need to be removed. This includes Armstrong Tile. Always consult with the manufacturer first before you skip this step.
Sealing a VCT garage floor
This next step may come as a surprise to some. Since the VCT you are putting a finish on is in the garage, you want to make it as resistant to oil stains and any other contaminants as possible. This is accomplished by actually sealing the VCT first with a special acrylic sealer for tile.
The VCT sealer is formulated differently and is designed to act as a base for the acrylic polish. Think of it as a primer. It penetrates into the pores of the tile, between the seams, and fills any low spots on the surface.
This allows for the acrylic wax polish to adhere better which creates a more durable finish. It also helps to protect the tile from permanent marks or stains that may be caused from harsh chemicals or scratching through the finish.
For application, we recommend using a microfiber applicator mop pad and not a string mop. String mops always have a habit of leaving lint behind that gets trapped in the floor finish. In addition, we have found that they can be inconsistent with applications. Microfiber applicator pads leave a smooth, glass like finish that goes on evenly.
The easiest way to apply the sealer is to pour it out directly onto the floor in a small ribbon at the back corner. Run your mop through it till it saturates the pad and then apply evenly in a side to side motion while walking across the floor. The coverage rate for sealers is already high so don’t try to stretch it out.
This is an example of using a microfiber applicator for applying sealer and wax. They are using a commercial applicator and bucket.
Two coats of sealer is good. Be sure to let it dry before applying the second coat. This usually takes 15 to 30 minutes depending on temperature.
Applying acrylic floor wax to VCT
Once the second coat of sealer is dry, your VCT garage floor is now ready for multiple coats of acrylic floor wax. Again, we recommend commercial products for the best results.
Apply a minimum of 3 – 5 coats of the acrylic floor finishing wax in the same manner as the sealer. The multiple applications will provide for a thicker surface coat with the best finish and protection for the floor. It also allows for a thick enough finish to scrub the floor multiple times with a floor maintainer during the maintenance phase of the floor.
Once done, your tile should have a bright, light-reflective finish to the floor. If you want it to really shine, you have the option of buffing the floor with a floor maintainer to achieve a very glossy and almost mirror-like finish.
Buffing and maintaining VCT garage floors
Maintaining your newly waxed garage floor isn’t difficult. We recommend using a dust mop fairly often to keep dirt and debris off the floor as needed. If you let the dirt build up, it has the effect of sandpaper on the finish. It will create small scratches on the surface which will trap dirt and dull the appearance.
For heavier cleaning, mop the floor occasionally with a neutral cleaning detergent for vinyl floors as described above and rinse with cold water. Do not let oils and other spills sit for long periods on the surface as it can eventually stain the finish or create a dull spot when you wipe it up.
One option that we highly recommend is the use of a floor maintainer. They serve multiple purposes in the maintenance of vinyl composite floors.
These are the low-speed buffers (175 RPM) that you can rent for around $40 a day. You can also find great deals when buying these used.
Spray buffing
One purpose for a floor maintaining machine is to create a glossier finish by spray buffing. This helps to bring out a mirror-like finish if that is your goal. You can do this once the floor has been waxed and dried with its final coat.
Lightly spray the surface of the tile with a spray buff solution. Here is a good example. Use a white buffing pad for the floor maintainer and run the buffer over the tile in a side to side motion at least twice.
Work your way across the floor in small 10 -20 ft² sections. This buffing will help to polish the surface and fill any microscopic scratches that may be present.
Floor scrubbing
There will eventually come a point when mopping the floor doesn’t bring back the shine and remove all the dirt. This is another reason for using a floor maintainer. Instead of the lengthy task of stripping the floor and refinishing, you can scrub it clean and buff back the shine instead.
This is a two-step process with the floor maintainer. The first step is to attach a red (mild scrubbing) or blue pad (heavy scrubbing) to the floor maintainer. Using a neutral cleaner, apply a generous amount of the properly diluted solution onto the tile and slowly scrub it side to side with the floor maintainer.
This process will remove a small layer of the acrylic wax and take the embedded and trapped dirt with it. Use a mop or wet vac to pick up the dirty residue as you go. Once done, use your mop to rinse the floor with clean cool water.
Once the floor is dry, the second step is to attach a white buffing pad to the machine and spray buff the floor as before. This process will bring back the shine just as it was when new.
One tip we can recommend is to apply another coat or two of acrylic floor polish every other time or so before you spray buff. Since scrubbing the floor slowly removes layers of acrylic wax, adding a fresh coat helps to keep the layers built up and puts off the need to strip the floor completely.
Stripping and restoring a VCT garage floor
The time may one day come in a busy garage when scrubbing the floor clean just won’t remove all the embedded dirt and marks in the finish anymore. This is usually because the layers of acrylic wax sealer have worn down close to the tile.
This is when you need to strip the finish completely and reapply the multiple coats of acrylic sealer and polish.
To strip the acrylic wax and sealers from the garage floor, you will need to use a blue or green (more aggressive) scrub pad on the floor maintainer. Do not use a black pad as these are too aggressive for VCT and could permanently damage the tile.
Be sure to dilute the solution according to the instructions and slowly scrub the floor with the maintainer. Use a mop or wet vac with a floor attachment to pick up the dirty solution from the floor as you go. Reapply and scrub as necessary until all the wax is removed.
After the tile is stripped it’s important to neutralize the floor. Use a commercial floor neutralizer when you do this. Do not use a vinegar and water solution as tests have shown this to be ineffective. Once neutralized, mop the floor one more time with cool clean water as a rinse.
Once the floor has completely dried, you can begin the process of applying new coats of VCT acrylic sealer and acrylic floor wax.
Final tips and recommendations
One helpful cleaning tool that we can recommend is a pole scrubber like this one here at Amazon. Sometimes known as a Doodle Bug, these are extremely helpful for scrubbing or stripping sections of tile that a floor maintainer cannot reach.
They are also very good for scrubbing small areas of the floor that may need it versus doing the entire floor. Be sure to get the threaded wood handle and brown scrub/strip pads to go with it.
When using scrubbing and buffing pads with a floor maintainer, make sure to rinse them clean immediately with warm water after use and hang dry. This ensures that you can use them again and saves you from having to purchase new ones each time you scrub your floor. Do not set them aside and let the waxy solution dry out first before cleaning them.
Another tip is to wear clean slip-resistant shoes when applying wax sealers and maintaining your VCT garage floor. Dirty soles can leave marks and dirt that get trapped between layers of wax.
And lastly, make sure to follow all safety precautions and directions when using cleaners, strippers, and sealers. This guarantees the most efficient use of the product, prevents time-consuming errors and it ensures your safety as well.
Follow these methods to clean, seal, wax, and maintain your new VCT garage floor. It will provide for a glossy finish that will shine and protect your vinyl composite tile floor for years to come.
Curtis says
This is by far the best article I have seen in regards to VCT maintenance. I have been in the flooring industry for over 25 yrs. and this is spot on. I have seen many maintenance personnel damage the life of vct from stripping and over saturation of water/chemicals which they have deemed necessary which is far from the case. I have seen many floors have to be replaced before their time due to poor maintenance procedures, really refreshing to come across this article.
Elizabeth Casey says
Thank you for your review. I’m glad to know that a professional uses the same method. I am about to seal and polish my brand new VCT tile floor and was researching how exactly to do it. Your endorsement helps me trust the article. I wll be hyperaware of the over saturation issue.
Joseph Dorsett sr. says
Good Day,
Can Zep high gloss polish be put over Mannington high gloss polish? I failed to mention I am polishing VCT tile.
Thank You
Shea says
Hi Joseph. Yes, you can generally apply one brand over another. Just make sure the floor is clean before you do. As always, if ever in doubt, we recommend contacting the manufacturer if you ever have a question about compatibility with other products.
Steve says
I have a medical building that i clean it has very very high traffic i have been using the zep high traffic floor polish but it just dont keep its shine very long any suggestions?
Shea says
Hello Steve. The Zep High Traffic Floor Polish is actually a highly rated polish. We suggest contacting Zep and talk to them about your issue. They have a tech reps that can assist you with issue.
John Franklin says
Question about existing VCT floor. Recently purchased retirement lake home. Part of property included a large detached shop building with 300 sq ft office. Have done epoxy on main shop floor. Office has 12 year old VCT tiles. Two issues. Many years of ground in dirt and little or no maintenance by original owner. Secondly there is a traffic wear problem from office door across office to shop bathroom. No surprise there. Bought large amounts of baking soda and vinegar from a warehouse club. Using a strong bristle deck brush. Clean up going well. Confused about what steps to do next. I realize the traffic wear marks will never look great. I just want a serviceable floor short of removal of original tile and/or overlay with peel & stick tile. Since this initial cleaning 80% of tiles look great. Suggestions?
Shea says
Hello John. You did not mention stripping the VCT of all sealers and waxes as we discuss in the article. Have you done that? Stripping the VCT takes you right down to the tile and removes any ground in dirt and wear marks that are not in the tile itself. If you have done that and you still have traffic marks in the tile, sometimes a light sanding with 100-120 sandpaper will clean the tile up.
Donnie says
Shea or anyone else can answer if you know. We have a leased building that the former tenant spray painted black about 800 sq ft of vct 12×12 tiles. Is there a method i can use to remove the paint? im a floor installer and have not had the pleasure to ever mess with vct before. So i was wondering can i sand the paint off with my floor maintainer or any other method i may be able to get the paint off?
Shea says
Hi Donnie. You can definitely sand to remove the paint. However, do you know what color tiles are underneath? If they are a multi-color such as black and white, sanding can embed the color of one tile onto the other. A less harsh option would be to use an ECO friendly paint stripper such as one of these products from Franmar. This can loosen the paint and then you can use the floor maintainer with a stripping pad to remove the paint.
Kelly Mitchell says
Do you need to stay off the floor or limit use for a period of time after refinishing it?
Shea says
Hi Kelly. No, once you apply and buff in the last coat the floor is ready to go.
Wendie Leaper says
Once the tile are lates down, how long do you wait to begin sealing?
Shea says
Hi Wendie. You want to wait at least 24 hours for the glue to cure before waxing.
Jean Hodges says
Have you heard of Nano Power Shine? We are installing a new floor VCT – we are age 67/74 and really dont want to have to strip floors at some point. Thank you.
Shea says
Hello Jean. We’ve seen the advertisements for it before and have visited their website. However, nowhere does it tell you exactly what it is. You would need to contact them and ask to see a technical data sheet. They use the term “Nano particles” for marketing. Most type of sealers (not wax) contain Nano particles, so there is nothing special going on there. Again, it’s just marketing. They are promoting a general term for sealers as the actual product. It may be a good sealer for VCT, but for some reason they don’t want to reveal what it actually is which always creates a red flag for us. If you do use it, keep in mind that they state that it still requires maintenance every 9-12 months.
Louis Farina says
My entire apartment floor is old I believe VCT tiles. Over the years, a thin clear coating or sealer has been peeling off. Almost like a clear hard slightly rubbery shellac. Any idea what could be going on. Ugly look now, and very rough flat surface. 1 tile even came up. Coating or sealer gone from connecting points, in between tiles. Was done 8 years ago before I moved in, but I can see tiles are old.
Shea says
Hi Louis. The clear acrylic wax sealer will do that if no maintenance is performed over such a long period of time. We suggest following the procedures we outlined in the article to strip the surface, reglue the loose tile, and then apply a new sealer.
Becca says
Do you have a product you recommend that is the “special acrylic sealer for tile” to seal the VCT with first? Thanks!
Shea says
Hi Becca. Yes, we recommend Armstrong S495 VCT Sealer. You can find it here on Amazon and in some industrial cleaning warehouses.