Epoxy Over VCT Tile? | Your Ultimate Guide to Safe, Stunning, and Cost-Effective Flooring
If you're in Northern New Jersey or New York City, wondering whether you can apply epoxy over VCT tile, the answer is a confident yes—with the right preparation. Whether you own a restaurant in Hoboken, manage a medical facility in Jersey City, or run a commercial kitchen in Brooklyn, this guide will walk you through why epoxying over vinyl composition tile (VCT) is not only possible but also often the best decision for safety, savings, and style.
In this guide, we'll explore:
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Why you should consider epoxying over existing tile.
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What makes older VCT tile risky to remove.
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The types of epoxy floor coatings we offer.
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How Epoxy Plus Pro turns vinyl tile into designer floors.
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Step-by-step prep tips and application essentials.
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Why it’s ideal for commercial kitchens, retail stores, warehouses, and more.
🧱 1. What Is VCT Tile and Why Cover It?
What Is VCT Tile?
Vinyl Composition Tile (VCT) is a common flooring used in older buildings, schools, hospitals, and commercial kitchens. While it’s inexpensive and durable, it’s also outdated—and sometimes dangerous.
The Asbestos Risk with Older VCT
If your VCT tile floor is more than a couple of decades old, it may still contain significant amounts of asbestos. What’s worse, the mastic adhesive used to glue these tiles to the concrete slab or wood floor could be just as hazardous. Disturbing these materials during removal can release dangerous fibers into the air.
Why Epoxy Is the Safer Choice
Removing asbestos tile requires professional abatement, which is not only expensive but disruptive to your business. Instead, epoxying over VCT is an elegant workaround that seals the floor safely and creates a modern, seamless finish.
💸 2. Save Money & Time with Epoxy Over VCT
The Cost of Full Tile Removal
To strip the floor completely, you'll need to:
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Remove every old tile, often with specialized equipment.
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Possibly shut down your space for extensive repair and patching.
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Pay high fees for asbestos abatement if required.
Why Epoxy Is Cost-Effective
By applying epoxy over VCT tile, you:
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Avoid the need for removal.
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Skip the grout coat, since VCT has no deep joints.
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Eliminate the cost of disposal and floor sander rental.
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Avoid need for extensive repair on the substrate.
🎨 3. Designer Epoxy Floors for Commercial Projects
At Epoxy Plus Pro, we offer premium, professional-grade epoxy floor coatings throughout Northern NJ and NYC. Here are our top options:
Designer Metallic Epoxy Floors
Give your tile floor a high-gloss, marble-like appearance using metallic epoxy. Ideal for:
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Retail showrooms in SoHo
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Restaurants in Montclair
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Salons in Paramus
You can even apply a clear epoxy over VCT to enhance depth and shine.
Full Broadcast Flake Floors
This floor coating system uses color flakes to add texture and grip, perfect for:
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Commercial kitchens
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Medical centers
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Garage floor renovations
Installed with a polyurethane clear coat or polyaspartic top coat, it delivers durability and slip-resistance.
🛠️ 4. How Epoxy Adheres to VCT Tile
The Importance of Preparation
The slick tile surface of vinyl composition tile can make adhesion difficult if not prepped correctly. We ensure:
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Sanding of the tiles using a floor buffer
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Cleaning the entire floor with denatured alcohol
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Testing for wax or sealers that may block epoxy to adhere
If needed, we use solids epoxy with a strong bonding agent designed for VCT.
Tile and Grout Conditions Matter
For ceramic tile or floors with grout lines, we apply a grout coat to level the surface. But for VCT floor with tight seams, this step is often skipped, saving time and labor.
🧽 5. Step-by-Step: Epoxy Over Vinyl Tile
Step 1: Assess the Tile
Check if the existing tile is firmly bonded. Loose tiles need to be secured or removed.
Step 2: Clean and Strip
Remove any wax, floor paint, or dirt using a combination of degreaser and denatured alcohol.
Step 3: Sand the Surface
Use a floor sander or buffer with a sanding screen to scuff the vinyl floor. This increases adhesion.
Step 4: Repair and Patch
Fill any cracks or holes with concrete repair compound. This ensures a level substrate.
Step 5: Apply Primer
Primer helps the epoxy coating stick, especially when working with older VCT or synthetic tiles.
Step 6: Epoxy Application
Apply the epoxy coat, followed by either:
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A metallic epoxy design
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A full flake broadcast
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Or a clear coat for minimalistic shine
Step 7: Seal With a Top Coat
Finish with a polyaspartic or urethane top coat for UV stability, scratch resistance, and chemical durability.
📍 6. Local Service Areas: Epoxy Over VCT Tile in NJ & NYC
We provide epoxy flooring solutions for both commercial and residential spaces in:
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Hoboken, NJ
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Jersey City, NJ
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Montclair, NJ
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Paramus, NJ
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Bayonne, NJ
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Newark, NJ
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New York City
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Manhattan
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Brooklyn
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Queens
Whether it’s an older commercial kitchen, a warehouse with old VCT, or a DIY epoxy garage floor, we’ve got you covered.
🔍 7. When Should You Not Epoxy Over VCT?
There are a few cases when we recommend full tile removal:
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Loose or damaged tiles that can’t be fixed
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Heavily contaminated flooring with oil, wax, or chemicals
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Moisture issues coming up from the concrete slab
In these cases, we’ll guide you on safe removal or provide concrete overlay systems as an alternative.
🛡️ 8. Safety and Compliance: Avoid Asbestos Exposure
Don’t DIY Without Testing
If you’re planning a diy epoxy job and aren’t sure about the condition of the tile, always test for asbestos first.
Let Professionals Handle It
At Epoxy Plus Pro, we’re trained in assessing older VCT, especially when it may still contain significant amounts of asbestos or harmful adhesives.
🔄 9. Other Flooring Types We Can Epoxy Over
In addition to epoxy over vct, we also install epoxy floors over:
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Wood floors (with special prep)
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Concrete floors
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Ceramic tile
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Quarry tile floors
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Linoleum floors
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Vinyl tile
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New tiles (after proper surface prep)
Every type of tile requires unique surface prep, but our expert installers know exactly how to handle each one.
🏆 10. Why Choose Epoxy Plus Pro?
Proven Expertise
We’ve successfully installed epoxy coatings for:
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Schools
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Office buildings
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Restaurants
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Medical facilities
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Garages and showrooms
Locally Trusted
Our work in NYC and North Jersey has earned us a reputation for reliability and design excellence.
Customized Designs
From bold metallic epoxy to subtle clear epoxy over VCT, we offer personalized options for every floor covered.
✅ Final Thoughts: Epoxying Over VCT Tile Is Smart, Safe, and Stunning
Don’t let asbestos tile or outdated vinyl floors slow down your renovation goals. Whether you're resurfacing a kitchen floor, upgrading a commercial space, or revitalizing your garage floor, epoxy over VCT tile is one of the smartest choices available—both economically and aesthetically.
Let Epoxy Plus Pro help you skip the mess and move straight to the magic. Your floor doesn’t have to be stripped to be spectacular.
💬 Ready for a Floor Transformation?
Contact Epoxy Plus Pro today for a free estimate on your project in New Jersey or NYC. Visit www.epoxypluspro.com to explore more flooring solutions, view our gallery, or schedule your consultation.
🧠 FAQ: Epoxy Over VCT Tile
Q1: Can epoxy be applied to VCT tile in a commercial kitchen?
Yes, it's perfect for commercial kitchens due to durability, grip, and sanitation benefits.
Q2: Will epoxy stick to old VCT with wax?
Not without proper prep. The wax must be removed with a stripper or denatured alcohol before epoxy is applied.
Q3: Is epoxy better than replacing the VCT?
In many cases, yes. It's faster, safer (especially with asbestos), and more cost-effective.
Q4: What kind of top coat is best?
We recommend polyaspartic or polyurethane for UV and chemical resistance.
Q5: How long does it take to install?
Most jobs can be completed in 1–3 days depending on the size and type of tile.