Getting the Equipment to perform for YOU is the most important part of Floor Stripping, Interior fitout and strip out projects and Make good projects your team is a part of. With the right floor lifting equipment – you can get the job done, no excuses, no time delays, no more of the unexpected hard work.
Partnering the right equipment for your projects is critical to the success of your floor lifting projects and ensures you make the best ROI (return on investment). From our customers’ experience we’ve put together the All Preparation Equipment GUIDE TO FLOOR LIFTING.
Being one of the industry’s oldest and most experienced manufacturers of floor lifting and stripping equipment, National Flooring Equipment engineers and manufactures the most extensive, state of the art equipment for fast, high speed floor removal. National hosts over patents internationally and is considered the global leader in floor stripping and lifting equipment technology.
With so many different types of floor lifting options available from a floor scraper through to a ride on machine it’s important you get one that suits you and your projects. We’ve put together a few tips for you to consider;
WE STAND BEHIND OUR MACHINES.
THE FLOOR STRIPPING MACHINE
Push, Walk or Ride along.
The difference in production is what comes down to making a decision on the machine. Each style of machine works much the same but some rely on the operator to push them while others rely directly on the motor and the movement of the blade to lift off the floor covering.
Ride on floor lifters are by far the easiest way to remove large areas of floor coverings. Giving a high speed performance they can be used to remove carpets, vinyls, tiles, timber and parquetry quickly while being compact enough to fit through doorways and get into confined spaces.
Self-propelled machines are a walk behind unit which drives itself. Offering significant production capabilities these machines allow for a quick removal process on soft floor coverings including carpets, vinyls and linoleum. The Panther 6280HD Gladiator is amongst some of the few machines that will also work to remove tiles.
Push along units including the Razorback Extreme drive with a single motor meaning there is more work put on the operator when removing floor coverings. This system is ideal for residential and smaller commercial applications removing soft floor coverings from vinyls and carpets to linoleum.
From here, the other options are slower then all of the above and more effort on the operator. Hand held blade and scraper options come in all shapes and sizes and are ideal for where only small strips of soft floor coverings are needing to be removed.
THE FLOOR SCRAPING BLADES
Flat, Angled or a Chisel.
The style of blade makes a difference in how quickly the floor covering will remove. On concrete subfloors removing vinyls, carpets or lino bevelled up blades work best and don’t often require extra weight on the machine to help it remove.
All Preparation Equipment recommends when using a regular flat blade, bending up the corner of the blade will prevent it from digging into the subfloor. The blade holder height and angle can be adjusted to a 45 degree angle to the floorboards to ensure no damage.
Floor lifting machines with a changeable cutting head are designed to swivel to keep the blade in direct contact with the floor. A combination of the right cutting head, size of blade, the blade angle and weight of the machine helps to ensure the fastest and easiest removal process possible. Thickness of the blade, the width, sharpness and angle also play a role in this. On some jobs it’s difficult to determine what blade will work best that’s why All Preparation Equipment offers contractors to call when on the job to discuss the blades they have on hand to use or what they may require.
THE FLOOR LIFTING MACHINES' SPEED
No two projects are the same, so it’s essential to work out what your machine and team are capable of. The jobsite conditions and the state of the floor dictate how accurate estimated figures really are. Floor removal and lifting rates can depend on the concrete substrate condition, the size of blade, material being removed – (ceramic tile, vinyl, carpet or floor coating) the adhesive or bonding strength, how long the floor covering has been down, if there is a patching or self-levelling compound on the floor, what the CSP (Concrete surface profile) is along with many other factors.
The more of this you know the better you’ll be at quoting each job, as each of these can have an impact on how easy the job will be to do and the time the floor takes to remove.
LET'S HAVE A CHAT
We know Floor Stripping and you know your job. We'd love to help you with your current equipment and help make your floor removal process easier, faster and cleaner.
Sometimes it's as simple as a different blade on your Jack hammer setup or Push Along Floor Stripping machine to help you get through a floor covering faster.
Reach out - call us on 1800 422 992 today. to speak to one of our Specialists in Floor Removal.