How much to charge for VCT?

[Steve Mueller]

I have about 2000 feet of carpet to do and they want me to clean the VCT +/- 1000 feet. How much are people charging for VCT?

 

[Jeremy]

Define clean.

 

[Steve Mueller]

Strip, and 2 coats of wax, then try to get the business on a monthly or bi monthly program.

 

[Jeremy]

With a service agreement-$ 0.40 & a minimum of $400. With out a service agreement-$0.045-0.55 depending on the edges/corners & furniture moving.

 

[Sticky]

VCT

I'd charge .50 per sq ft.

 

[RandyHilburn]

Steve,

One of the keys to lowering your cost is being able to move all the furniture off the VCT before you start to strip the floor. Shifting furniture and fixtures during the refinishing process will cause the job to take nearly twice as long.

Remember, to neutralize floor surface after removing the stripper and you've got 30 to 40 minutes between coats of finish. You can use fans to dry the floor after neutralizing, but don't use fans in an attempt to dry the finish faster or you'll create other problems for yourself.

You're going to need at least 2 gallons of stripper ($10 ea) and to gallons of finish ($15 ea) a floor machine and one or two black pads

Around here, .30 to .35 psf is the going rate. I only wish we could get what Jeremy is making.

Good luck. You can do it!

 

[diamond brian]

strip and 3 coats = $.50/sq ft

 

[Jeremy]

First time I ever heard that...

Anyway, my price is a bit high for my area but: I do great work. No, I'm not bragging. I take a lot of pride in it & the ones that are willing to pay for it take pride in it too.

 

[Guest]

Do you tape off the baseboards?

And Randy,
you say to remember to neutralize floor surface after removing the stripper. How?

 

[Jeremy]

Yup.

 

[steve frasier]

but don't use fans in an attempt to dry the finish faster or you'll create other problems for yourself

WTF

since when

next thing you know you will say a propane buffer is bad

I don't see a problem getting what Jeremy does, just read his other post

you chose who you work for

 

[Guest]

I sometimes speed dry. It doesn't look as nice, but haven't seen any major probs.

 

[Fon Johnson]

I'd sooner get kicked in the nuts than not use airmover to dry the finish. Of course, on the other hand, I've not been at this long, and our work sucks so..

 

[Guest]

Looks good, Fon.


How important is it to use a sealer before laying down wax?

 

[RandyHilburn]

Josh,

We use a Johnson Diversity Neutralizing cleaner in our mop water to clean up the alkaline residue of the stripper. We generally don't tape off the baseboard as we apply the finish with a microfiber flat mop and cutting in the edges is our starting point. If we get some finish on the bb we'll go back and clean it up at the end of the job.

 

[Fon Johnson]

Josh, you really don't need to use a separate sealer on a floor unless you are doing a really old worn floor, or terrazzo, slate, etc. The majority of the finishes on the market today have a built in sealer. As for using an airmover, it works well but you have to do it right. You can't put an airmover shooting directly across a freshly finished floor or it can make "waves" in the finish. We usually wait until it levels and just starts to dry. Using the airmover at this point can easily cut drying time by 10 or 15 minutes per coat, or more. Just don't forget to give it a few minutes of curing time after its dry to the touch, and that varies from finish to finish.

 

[Guest]

Randy,
I use to use vinegar in my rinse water as a neutralizer, it seemed to work.
LOL
I usaully tape off the base from start to finish so I don't get any stripper OR wax on them. I swing the big ol heavy synthetic mops, starting in the corners and along the walls first.

Fon,
thanks, that's what I thought.

 

[floorguy]

taping base boards is a time waster...

for 1 it takes to much time to go through and do it right...2nd when stripper and the like hits it, all it does it break it down and make a big gooey mess that you then have to clean up...

if you are smart (and quick to) you mop the base boards down when you do your edge mopping...and yes you get a little finish on them, but in 12 yrs i have yet anyone to complain...


same with rinsing...what a freaking over kill....if you dont have the autoscrubbers to pick it up and help dilute it, then flood the floor again with water and then scrub like you were stripping..

it dilutes any stripper left (neutralizing) and it helps "clean up" any missed areas...

gawd ask fon, if we had to go back and strip floors with "wall bangers" and wet vacs and "mop" rinsing, we would kill ourselves... :shock: :shock:

if your gonna do it, then spend a few extra dollars and buy a small or used autoscrubber...the time ahead after the 1st say 6 jobs will make you giggle.

 

[Steve Mueller]

Thanks for all the tips. I am off to give them a estimate on the VCT and I have two Round Table Pizzas that want a price for a monthly carpet cleaning contract.

 

[diamond brian]

Steve. Beware of the lurkers. :shock: