Floor Care

Yes, and this is one of the most common and costly mistakes in facility maintenance. Specific risks include:

• Applying wax to a floor that hasn’t been properly stripped causes yellowing, clouding, and uneven buildup that becomes increasingly difficult and expensive to correct
• Using acidic or alkaline cleaners on natural stone causes permanent etching and surface degradation
• Over-wetting hardwood or engineered wood floors causes warping, swelling, and finish failure
• Using incorrect pad or brush abrasiveness on polished concrete removes the finish layer permanently
• Skipping grout sealing after tile cleaning leaves grout immediately vulnerable to re-staining

Master Care’s technicians are trained in surface identification and correct chemical selection before any treatment begins, protecting your flooring investment rather than accelerating its deterioration.

Floor stripping and waxing costs in British Columbia and Ontario depend on total square footage, the number of finish coats required, the current condition of the floor, and the surface type. A floor that hasn’t been stripped in several years will require more time and chemical product than one on a regular maintenance cycle.

Master Care provides pricing following a free on-site assessment, this ensures you’re quoted for the actual work required, not a generic per-square-foot rate that may over- or underprice the job. Ongoing maintenance programs are available on flexible schedules with no long-term contract required.

Maintenance frequency depends on traffic levels, surface type, and your facility’s appearance standards. General guidelines:

• Strip and wax (VCT): 1 to 2 times per year for standard office environments; up to 4 times per year for high-traffic retail or healthcare facilities
• Buffing or burnishing: Monthly to quarterly depending on foot traffic and finish condition
• Carpet hot water extraction: Every 6 to 12 months for offices; every 3 to 6 months for high-traffic or food-adjacent environments
• Tile and grout deep cleaning: Annually for most facilities; more frequently for commercial kitchens and healthcare environments
• Concrete resealing: Every 1 to 3 years depending on traffic and surface wear

A regular maintenance schedule significantly extends floor lifespan and reduces the cost of full restoration or replacement over time.

Master Care’s professional floor care services include stripping, sealing, buffing, and deep cleaning for a wide range of commercial floor types. Programs are scheduled around your facility’s hours of operation to minimize disruption.

These are four distinct processes in commercial floor maintenance, often confused but serving different purposes:

• Stripping removes all existing wax, finish, and built-up residue from a hard floor surface using chemical strippers and a mechanical scrubber. It brings the floor back to bare material and is necessary before applying fresh finish, typically done once or twice a year depending on traffic.
• Waxing (finishing) applies a new protective polymer finish to the stripped floor, restoring shine and creating a protective layer against scuffs, moisture, and daily wear. Multiple coats are applied and allowed to cure between applications.
• Buffing uses a low-to-medium speed rotary machine to smooth the existing finish and restore shine between strip-and-wax cycles. It does not add or remove finish, it rejuvenates the existing surface.
• Burnishing uses a high-speed machine (1500–3000 RPM) to create a high-gloss, mirror-like finish on floors with a compatible finish already applied. Common in hospitals, schools, and retail environments where appearance is a priority.

Master Care provides all four services and recommends the appropriate treatment based on your floor type, current condition, and maintenance history.

The right treatment depends on your floor type and its current condition:

• Vinyl composite tile (VCT): the most common commercial flooring. Responds well to strip-and-wax cycles 1 to 2 times per year, with buffing or burnishing monthly to maintain appearance between cycles.
• Polished or sealed concrete: requires periodic resealing and scrubbing rather than wax application. Common in warehouses, industrial facilities, and modern retail environments.
• Ceramic and porcelain tile — grout lines accumulate embedded grime that mopping cannot address. Requires periodic deep scrubbing with appropriate pH-balanced chemicals and grout sealing after restoration.
• Hardwood and engineered wood — requires specific low-moisture cleaning methods and compatible finish products. Incompatible chemicals or excessive moisture cause irreversible damage.
• Carpet — hot water extraction (steam cleaning) is the industry standard for deep cleaning. Interim encapsulation cleaning maintains appearance between extractions.
• Natural stone (marble, granite, terrazzo) — requires pH-neutral products and periodic polishing or honing. Acidic cleaners cause permanent etching.

If you’re unsure what your floor requires, Master Care’s assessment will identify your surface type and recommend the correct treatment and schedule.