Vinyl composition tile (VCT) floors are designed to stand up to the wear and tear in high traffic areas. It is used in many commercial facilities such as offices, education buildings, retail stores, and restaurants. You will often find VCT flooring in high traffic areas where carpet would be susceptible to excessive wear. These areas include entryways, halls, break rooms, classrooms, and restrooms. This is part 1 of a two part article on VCT floor maintenance
VCT floors are sturdy, resilient, and easy to clean. They are low-cost alternatives to other resilient flooring such as stone, ceramic tile, and wood. They are even available in designs that look like each of these materials. VCT comes in a wide range of patterns and colors and can suit any decorating style in most commercial environments.
VCT is relatively easy to clean but requires regularly scheduled maintenance to achieve an optimum appearance and maximum life. This can help it last up to 20 years with minimal wear and tear. Regular VCT floor maintenance also helps it resist water and impact damage.
Protective Finish
The key to protecting VCT flooring is to keep a protective finish on the floors. VCT flooring is a porous material. Unless it has a protective finish, it is susceptible to staining from spills such as juice, coffee, urine, or other materials that can penetrate the unfinished tile material. A protective sealer and finish are the first step to ensure the floor will look attractive for years to come.
The finish is applied on new installations and on a periodic basis afterwards as part of a regular maintenance program. Normally a minimum of 4 or 5 coats of finish are applied to a VCT floor. A properly applied finish will give the VCT a high shine appearance and provide durability for foot traffic. Once the protective finish has been applied, the goal in any VCT maintenance program is to protect that finish to reduce the amount of scratching which will dull the shine and reduce its ability to protect.
Daily and Weekly Maintenance
To keep VCT dirt-free and attractive, you should dust mop or vacuum it regularly to remove any particulates than can scratch the finish on the VCT (sandpaper effect). Keeping debris and particulates off the floor will protect the finish, which in turn protects the VCT. A simple vacuuming or dust mopping of the VCT floor will go a long way towards extending the life of the finish on VCT flooring.
Depending on traffic, but at least once a week, the VCT should be damp mopped or soft scrubbed using an auto scrubber with a pH neutral cleaning solution. The goal with this step is to remove the particulates left from the vacuuming/sweeping and other dried spills. It is important to use a neutral cleaner to avoid damaging the finish on the VCT. The finish is susceptible to damage if the mopping solution is either too acidic or too alkaline.
For more information, please read part 2 of this article, What is VCT Floor Maintenance? Part 2 .
