Commercial Floor Waxing Services
Strip and wax, scrub and recoat, and burnishing for commercial hard floors.
- Commercial buildings only, in every state except California
- Floor assessment by video or in person
Commercial floor waxing puts a clear coat on top of a hard floor so foot traffic wears down the coat, not the floor. We work in offices, schools, medical buildings, stores, and more. See all the buildings we serve.
What Commercial Floor Waxing Does
Most people call it wax. Today the product is a floor finish that goes down in thin coats. Each coat bonds to the one below it and builds a clear shield.
Grit on shoes works on that shield like fine sandpaper. Over time the top coats wear thin, and the floor looks dull even right after it is mopped. Once the finish wears through, dirt gets into the bare tile.
Thin coats bond tighter and dry more evenly than one heavy coat, which can trap air and peel. The shine is a sign the finish is still there. Its real job is to protect the floor under it.
Floors That Get Waxed and Floors That Never Do
The first step on any job is to confirm what each floor is made of. Many buildings have more than one type. A lobby may be LVT while the break room is VCT.
Floors that take finish:
- VCT. Vinyl composition tile is the most common waxed floor in commercial buildings. Its shine comes from the finish, not the tile. See VCT strip and wax for more.
- Sheet vinyl and some rubber floors. These take finish depending on the product and its condition.
Floors that never get waxed:
- LVT. Luxury vinyl tile has a factory wear layer. Finish does not bond to it and can cloud or peel.
- Stone. Marble and other stone are honed, polished, or sealed instead.
- Wood. Wood gym floors are screened and recoated with their own coating.
Concrete and terrazzo follow their own care plans. See all floor types.
Strip and Wax, Scrub and Recoat, or Burnishing
The shape the finish is in decides which service the floor needs.
- Strip and wax. Every old coat comes off down to bare floor, then new coats go on. This is the fix for finish that is yellow, peeling, or has dirt sealed between layers.
- Scrub and recoat. The worn top layers are scrubbed off and fresh coats go on over a sound base. This fits floors that look dull or show traffic lanes but still have finish that is clear and holding tight.
- Burnishing. A high speed machine polishes the finish that is already there. The heat smooths the top layer and brings back gloss. No new product goes down, so it cannot fix a floor worn to bare tile.
How a Floor Waxing Visit Works
- Close and clear the section. Furniture and anything else on the floor is moved out.
- Clean or strip. Light wear gets a deep scrub. Heavy wear gets a full strip to bare floor, then a rinse and time to dry.
- Lay thin coats. Each coat dries before the next one goes on. Read how many coats of wax a floor needs.
- Let it dry, then reopen. Walking on it too soon leaves scuffs and marks and can mean starting over.
Keeping the Shine Between Visits
Finish wears fastest at entrances, hallway turns, and doorways. Care aimed at those spots does more than redoing the whole floor each time.
Regular burnishing and scrub and recoat visits push back the date of the next full strip. Skip them, and the finish wears past saving, so a full strip is the only choice left. A floor care maintenance program sets a schedule based on how much traffic each area gets.
Scheduling Around Your Building
Each section has to stay closed while the finish dries, so some downtime is part of every job. The goal is to put it where it gets in the way least.
- Nights, after the building empties.
- Weekends, for large open areas that need more hours.
- One section at a time, so the rest of the building stays open.
- School breaks, for schools and colleges.
What Affects the Price
- Square footage. Odd shapes and narrow halls take more time than open rooms of the same size.
- Finish condition. Heavy buildup or yellow finish needs a full strip first.
- Service. A strip and wax is a bigger job than a scrub and recoat or a burnish.
- Layout and access. Stairs, freight elevator hours, and locked rooms add steps.
- Furniture. Rooms that are already cleared are faster to start.
For a rough number for your building, try the cost calculator.
Commercial Floor Waxing Near You
We work in commercial buildings nationwide. These cities have their own pages.
Commercial Floor Waxing Questions
How often do commercial floors need waxing?
It depends on foot traffic and the floor type. Busy entrances and hallways wear down first, while quiet back rooms can go much longer. A set maintenance schedule keeps the finish from wearing through between visits.
How soon can people walk on a waxed floor?
Once the last coat is dry. Dry time changes with the product, the number of coats, humidity, and airflow. The finish keeps hardening after it feels dry, so heavy carts and furniture should wait a little longer than foot traffic.
How long does a waxing job take?
It depends on square footage, how many coats go down, and whether the old finish has to be stripped first. Large buildings are often split across several nights.
Can new wax go over old wax?
Only when the old finish is clean and in good shape. If it is yellow, peeling, or holding dirt, new coats just seal the problem in, and the floor needs a full strip first.
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