Hey guys I'm doing my first vct job in 2 weeks and am open to any input or suggestions. I haven't stripped any since I was in high school. It's only 155 sf and only has one coat of finish on it that was applied with a sponge mop and looks horrible. I have stripper, black pads, a 175, mop buckets but no mops and no finish yet, any recommendations? What would you charge for this? All suggestions are appreciated as it's been years since I've done any of this. Thanks in advance.
VCT Help
- Thread starter jwfoulk12
- Start date
Blue Monarch
Supportive Member
Do you have a shop vac w/squeegee to suck up the stripper? How about access to a sam's club? I'm sure I'll get flamed for this, but hey sell finish and it will do the trick. When I use it, I usually put 3-5 coats on. They'll have the mop heads too. I use the blue ones to apply the stripper and mop afterwords. Buy the blue and white ones to apply the finish.
Tough call on the price. I'd probably do $200 for a small job like that.....and that's low because even though it's small, you've got plenty of time invested waiting for finish to dry.
Tough call on the price. I'd probably do $200 for a small job like that.....and that's low because even though it's small, you've got plenty of time invested waiting for finish to dry.
Blue Monarch
Supportive Member
........also, Jondon has some good tutorials to make it go a bit smoother and remember what's needed.
http://www.jondon.com/how-to/techni...g-serivice/hard-floor-care/resilent-tile.html
http://www.jondon.com/how-to/techni...g-serivice/hard-floor-care/resilent-tile.html
Thanks, I do have a SAMs club. What is the shelf life of finish though? I have some but it's probably 10-15 years old. I have both shop vac and squeegee but was just gonna rinse with the truck mount since it's such a small job and only one coat of finish on it. I bid it at $1.25 a foot with 3 coats of wax.
Blue Monarch
Supportive Member
No idea on shelf life. I'd be timid to use something that old tho. I think the finish will run u $26 or so for 2.5 gallons. Plenty for that job
Shane Deubell
Supportive Member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2011
- Messages
- 4,052
10 years is definitely too long for shelf life of anything.
Seeing you are a rookie i would scrub it real good, 3 passes to make sure. Pick up a couple hand scrapers for the corners. You can pick up cheap waxing kits at home depot, not sure of sams. Put a garbage bag in bucket for the wax.
We usually get hosed on jobs like this, waiting for finish to dry is a killer. We will put a blower at 45 degree angle to speed it up.
Lee Stockwell
FOJL
Dehumidifier on a small job shortens drying time.
The garbage bag in the bucket as a liner? Or do u mean to cover it to prevent it from drying out? Also with the blower do u ever get ripples in the wax? Thanks for the input everybody.
Mardie
Member
Use the garbage bag as a liner and then while you are waiting between coats fold it over to cover the mop and wax to prevent from drying out. For fans take your fan and blow it on all the walls to blow of all the loose dust before you start then after you lay down your coats of wax wait 5-10 min. then aim the fan up and away from the floor. All you need is an air turbulence in the room. Turn the heat up if you can.
Shane Deubell
Supportive Member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2011
- Messages
- 4,052
^^^^^^ What he said, you don't put fans directly on floor. Just shoot it in the air at an angle to create air flow.
Lee Stockwell
FOJL
Fan directly on floor to dry after strip and rinse. No fans in Beauty shops (was a messy lesson). I never use a wax bucket, just pour it on and spread.
Put the wax mop in a small plastic bag and tie it between uses. I prefer a white towel over any mop head for applying finish.
Put the wax mop in a small plastic bag and tie it between uses. I prefer a white towel over any mop head for applying finish.
I prefer these to apply finish - but that's just me. They use a heck of a lot less wax than traditional silky's.
http://www.cleaningproductsworld.com/microfiber-wet-mop-pads.html
http://www.cleaningproductsworld.com/microfiber-wet-mop-pads.html
Mardie
Member
I use a mop head that is made just for applying wax. These mop heads are made for applying wax. That is their only purpose. They are called applicator mops. They are available at any good janitorial supply house.
these - but they suck up half a gallon of wasted finish and don't distribute the finish as evenly as the microfiber and are way more wore work. Sorta like cleaning carpet with a VS.......
http://www.checkerscleaningsupply.com/product/00/F5329/20-oz-SILKY-WAX-MOP-HEAD-12case
Shane Deubell
Supportive Member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2011
- Messages
- 4,052
We like the flat microfiber also.
This is a 1x thing though so im not sure he wants to spend the $$$. You can buy a cheap applicator kit at home depot for $12 for jobs like this.
This is a 1x thing though so im not sure he wants to spend the $$$. You can buy a cheap applicator kit at home depot for $12 for jobs like this.
Mardie
Member
Willy only amatures and hacks use microfiber flat mops for applying wax.
Although they do have their place such as on very small jobs for the reasons you have mentioned about the waste in loading up a professional grade applicator mop. A professional mop will give much better control and a much better and more consistent coverage. Getting around toilets tight corners rough or damaged flooring and doing base boards would be not good with a flat mop.
Lee Stockwell
FOJL
A sock over a DoodleBug for detailing.
Just because a distributor calls it a 'wax mop head' doesn't make it so.
Just because a distributor calls it a 'wax mop head' doesn't make it so.
Mardie
Member
Willy only amatures and hacks use microfiber flat mops for applying wax.
That means a lot from a foam hack. But your ignorance is only outdone by you utterly breathtaking stupidity.
Mardie
Member
I can help you Willy BUT you have to ask and you must also be willing to forget all that is swirling around in your mind. IF you arnt the lead dog.....the view never changes.
And what would make you think I need help? This was done with a 16 inch microfiber pad with a whole lot less wasted product - a little better than half a gallon.In fact, I did all 1600 sf of that job, 5 coats with less than 5 used. So- how does my purple starfish look and smell from the back rows of the dog team? No licking please. I'm not that kind of dog.
Last edited:
So the floor turned out great, thanks for the info you guys have provided. However I did learn a lesson that wasn't mentioned here that I never thought about. Do you guys tape off the baseboards or what do you do to prevent stripper from splashing up on them?
Shane Deubell
Supportive Member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2011
- Messages
- 4,052
Paint? what kind of baseboards?
Lonny
Supportive Member
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2008
- Messages
- 307
I'll second the microfiber flat mop. Much more even finish than the traditional rayon mop heads. Never had a problem with corners, toilets, etc. Been doing this for 12+ years. As with anything there is a slight learning curve, nothing to be afraid of. Just make sure you bring enough stripper, or strippers( is that plural?).
