How Often Should VCT Be Stripped and Waxed?

VCT (vinyl composition tile) is the default floor in a lot of LA commercial buildings — medical corridors, schools, retail back-of-house, older office buildings. It looks great when maintained and rough when it isn't.

The schedule

• Daily: sweep, damp mop with neutral cleaner
• Monthly: high-speed buff to restore shine
• Every 3–6 months: scrub and buff (removes top layer of wax, reapplies fresh)
• Every 12–18 months: full strip and wax (remove all wax, apply 4–6 fresh coats)

What happens if you wait longer

Dirt gets embedded in the wax. Stripping becomes much harder — you're not just removing wax, you're removing wax + ground-in grime. Cost goes up 30–50%. In the worst cases, you're looking at tile replacement, not restoration.

The math

A 10,000 sq ft VCT floor: strip and wax every 18 months at $0.45/sq ft = $4,500. Scrub and buff every 4 months at $0.30/sq ft = $3,000/year. Total $7,500 over 18 months, or $5,000/year. Replacement tile at $8–12/sq ft runs $80–120K. Maintenance is cheaper.