We coated the VCT flooring in the "belly" of the house this weekend and it was no small task.
Thanks to Bret, Chris and Kyle, we were able to empty the area of furniture to tackle the job — something that would have been much easier immediately after the floor was laid. However, we've done so much construction that had we done that, the initial layer would have to have been stripped (messy), so perhaps it is best that we did wait.
We also rented a floor buffer again, but discovered that — on newly coated flooring — the air-dried gloss is actually better than buffing it out. I have no doubt that in a few months (years?) when the gloss dies that a buffer will be the ticket to bring back the sheen… but with the proper coating technique (very thin layers) and some good prep (exile your cat a few weeks beforehand), the buffer isn't necessary.