Floor scrapers must be operated with tools at the right pitch, or angle to the floor, for them to be efficient. Jim Sullivan, territory sales manager at National Flooring Equipment demonstrates how changing the angle of a scraper blade can improve the efficiency of floor removal and extend tooling life.
Efficiency is important during surface preparation because it reduces the time and labor needed to remove a floor, ultimately impacting a project’s return on investment. If a job’s square footage per hour is down, this could indicate that the machine is not working as it should. Maintaining sharp tooling at the correct pitch is a good way to prevent this.
Keeping up speed
How hard the coating or material is and how it is stuck to the floor dictate how the pitch of the blade should be set. The pitch should be adjusted to the sweet spot between the material on the floor and the concrete.
Finding this spot is important. Too much pitch can result in the machine digging into the subfloor, causing the blade to wear more quickly. The blade can also snap which can result in damage. Not enough pitch, and the machine will jump over the flooring without removing it, as it lacks the downward pressure on the blade.
Different tooling requires a different pitch and tool choice is also determined by the material on the floor. Contractors must choose the correct blade for the application. Whether it is removing ceramic, wood, carpet or tile, certain tooling types may have a recommended pitch. However, with carpet and tile floors, finding the correct spot can only be done by testing.
Depending on the machine, changing the pitch can either be done manually or with a lever.
National Flooring Equipment offers scrapers with a dual lift feature, where the pitch and angle can be changed in two places, making the machine stronger. The operator has multiple adjustments at their fingertips to allow correct blade adjustment without having to manually adjust the front end of the machine. This is more important when removing ceramic and wood, as the specific angle needed can only be achieved with multiple adjustments.
