Floor strippers, just like beer, must be operated with tool at the right pitch (angle to the floor) for them to be as efficient as possible. Jim Sullivan, territory sales manager at National Flooring Equipment, explains how changing the angle of a stripper blade can improve the efficiency of floor removal and extend tooling life.

It is important to be efficient during surface preparation because it reduces the time and labour needed to remove a floor, which ultimately impacts on 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. A good way to prevent this from happening is to maintain sharp tooling at the correct pitch.

The pitch of the blade should be set according to how hard the coating or material is and how it is stuck to the floor. It should also be adjusted to the sweet spot between the material on the floor and the concrete for maximum efficiency. The sweet spot is important, as with too much pitch the machine could dig into the subfloor, causing the blade to wear more quickly. The blade can also snap if the operator hits something, which can result in damage to the machine.

A different pitch must be used for a different tooling. The tool choice is determined by the material on the floor, so it is vital that the correct blade is used for the right application. Certain tooling types, like wood or ceramic, may have a recommended pitch. However, with carpet and tile floors, finding the sweet spot can only be done by testing.

National Flooring Equipment offers scrapers with a dual lift feature, where the pitch and angle can be changed in two places, which means that the machine is stronger. The operator has multiple adjustments at their fingertips to allow correct blade adjustment, without manually adjusting 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.