VCT & vinyl floor restoration across Toronto and the GTA
Floor Stripping and Waxing Toronto
Floor stripping and waxing is the reset button for VCT and vinyl floors: every old coat of finish stripped to the bare tile, then fresh coats built back up and burnished to a gloss. We strip and wax floors for offices, retail, condos, medical suites, and schools, overnight or on weekends, priced per square foot in writing before the machines come off the truck.
- WSIB certified
- $5M liability insured
- Per-sqft pricing in writing
- Completion log every visit
Know the difference
When a floor needs stripping, not another coat
Floor finish is sacrificial by design: it takes the scratches, scuffs, and traffic so the tile underneath does not. But finish has a life cycle. After enough burnishing and recoats, old finish yellows, holds dirt in its scratches, and turns blotchy no matter how often it is mopped. At that point, more wax on top just seals the problem in. The floor needs a full strip.
The tell-tale signs a floor is past recoating:
- Yellow or amber tint, especially at the edges
- Black heel marks that no longer buff out
- A cloudy or uneven sheen across the floor
- Dirt that looks embedded rather than sitting on top
If your floor shows those, mopping harder will not fix it, and neither will another coat.
The process
How professional floor stripping and waxing works
Four stages, done in sequence. The steps rushed jobs skip are the reason cheap strip jobs fail within weeks.
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1
Strip
Commercial stripper is applied and given dwell time to break down every layer of old finish. Machines with stripping pads take the floor down to bare tile, edges and corners are done by hand, and the slurry is removed completely.
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2
Neutralize and rinse
The floor is rinsed and neutralized so no stripper residue is left to attack the new finish from underneath. This is the step rushed jobs skip, and it is why cheap strip jobs fail within weeks.
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3
Build the coats
Fresh finish goes on in thin, even coats with proper cure time between each. Commercial floors typically get 3 to 5 coats: enough to protect the tile and produce depth of gloss, applied patiently so each layer cures hard.
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4
Cure and burnish
The finish hardens overnight, and a high-speed burnish brings up the final gloss. You get a completion log confirming the work, the products used, and the recommended maintenance cycle.
No surprises
What every strip and wax includes
The scope is written down before we start, so you know exactly what the per-square-foot price covers. A standard floor restoration includes all of the following.
- Furniture and fixtures movedDesks, shelving, and floor fixtures shifted and returned once the finish has cured.
- Edges and corners by handBaseboards, corners, and tight spots the machines cannot reach are detailed manually.
- Full slurry pickup and rinseEvery trace of dissolved finish is removed, then the floor is neutralized so new coats bond clean.
- 3 to 5 coats of finishCommercial finish applied in thin, even layers with cure time between each for depth and durability.
- High-speed burnishThe cured finish is burnished to bring up the final gloss before we hand the floor back.
- Completion logA record of the products used, coats applied, and the maintenance cycle that keeps the floor out of a full strip longer.
Budget before you call
What floor stripping and waxing costs in Toronto
Every job is quoted in writing after a walkthrough. The ranges below are where most Toronto projects land, so you can budget in advance.
What moves the price: how many old layers must come off, furniture moving, edge and corner detail, the number of new coats, and overnight or weekend access. A floor on a proper maintenance cycle strips less often, which is the real cost saving.
The honest verdict
Strip and wax, or scrub and recoat?
Not every dull floor needs the full strip. If the finish is intact but scuffed, a scrub and recoat removes the top layer and applies fresh coats over sound finish, at roughly half the price and disruption. If the finish is yellowed, blotchy, or failing to the tile, only a full strip resets it.
We inspect and tell you which one the floor actually needs, because stripping a floor that only needed a recoat wastes your money, and recoating a floor that needed stripping wastes it twice.
The full maintenance picture, from daily care to periodic restoration, lives with our floor care team.
Where we work
Floors we strip and wax
We run 30+ commercial buildings monthly from our Concord office, and floor programs anchor many of those contracts. The crew that strips your floor is the crew that maintains it after.
- Offices and corporate suitesScheduled after hours so Monday opens on gloss.
- Retail floorsUnder high-output lighting that forgives nothing.
- Condo and apartment buildingsCorridors, lobbies, and service areas.
- Medical and dental suitesWHMIS-compliant, low-odour products.
- Schools and community spacesDone during breaks and weekends.
- Warehouses and back-of-houseWhere safety lines need to stay visible.
Questions, answered plainly
Floor stripping and waxing FAQ
Practical answers for facility and property managers planning a floor restoration.
How much does it cost to strip and wax floors in Toronto?
Most Toronto commercial jobs land between $0.40 and $0.80 per square foot for a full strip and wax, with a $350 minimum, and a 2,500 sq ft office typically costs $1,000 to $2,000. The main cost drivers are the number of old finish layers, edge detail, and the number of new coats applied. The exact price is confirmed in a written quote after a walkthrough.
What is floor stripping and waxing?
Floor stripping and waxing is the complete removal of all old floor finish down to the bare tile, followed by the application of several fresh coats of commercial finish and a burnish for gloss. It is the periodic reset that VCT and vinyl floors need when old finish has yellowed, embedded dirt, or worn through, usually every one to three years depending on traffic.
How long does strip and wax take, and when can we walk on it?
A typical office or retail floor is stripped, coated, and cured overnight: crews start after close and the floor is walkable by morning. Furniture goes back once the final coat has hardened, and the burnish happens either the same night or on a short return visit. Larger floors are phased in sections so the space keeps operating.
How often should commercial floors be stripped and waxed?
High-traffic floors typically need a full strip every 12 to 18 months, while lower-traffic offices can go two to three years. The interval stretches significantly if the floor gets maintenance in between: regular burnishing and an annual scrub and recoat protect the finish so stripping is needed less often.
Does stripping damage the tile underneath?
No, done properly it protects it. The stripper is formulated to dissolve finish, not flooring, and the neutralizing rinse stops the chemical action before new coats go on. What actually damages tile is the opposite: worn-through finish that lets traffic grind directly on bare VCT.
Do you strip hardwood or just VCT and vinyl?
Strip and wax chemistry is for resilient floors: VCT, vinyl, linoleum, and some sealed concrete. Hardwood uses entirely different care, and putting floor stripper on wood damages it. If your building has both, we run each surface on its correct program under one floor care scope.
Book a floor assessment
Get a floor stripping and waxing quote
Tell us your floor type, square footage, condition, and access hours. We give an honest strip-or-recoat verdict and a written per-square-foot quote within 24 hours.
Based at 3100 Steeles Ave W, Suite 206A, Concord, ON L4K 3R1. Serving Toronto and the GTA.
+1 (647) 567-9992