Here at Anderson Innovations, we pride ourselves on offering a variety of solutions to adequately meet the needs of those utilizing our equipment. Anyone who has used our equipment knows the high level of quality they can expect from our machinery, and our blades are no exception. The blade is the heart of a floor scraper. A poor-quality blade in a fantastic machine will produce mediocre results at best. It doesn’t matter whether or not you own one of our machines. If you want to get the most out of your floor scraper, then use a high-quality blade and maintain it properly! We currently offer three different types of floor scraping blades: Self-Scoring, Flat, and Carbide.
Self-Scoring Blades and Flat Blades
Our Self-Scoring and Flat blades types of floor scraping blades that are made from quality spring steel at the right level of hardness to give the most edge retention while also being tough enough to withstand the rigors of tear out. If you are reading this blog, you are likely aware of the differences between the two blade styles, but for those who aren’t here is a brief explanation:
Flat Blades for floor scraping machines
A flat blade is exactly like it sounds—flat with no bends or other features. We offer them in varying widths from 6” to 27,” and they are best for taking up materials like VCT, epoxy coatings, soft thin-set, etc. They are also an excellent option for re-scraping adhesive.
Flat blades work for several types of flooring removal jobs where the material you are removing can be separated from the other material on the floor, such as one of the materials mentioned above.
If you need to take up flooring that doesn’t easily separate from the other material on the floor, like carpet or sheet vinyl, you will need to prescore the material with a knife or other tool before using the floor scraper to remove it. We also don’t recommend using a flat blade to remove ceramic tile, though you may be able to get away with it depending on how well the material is adhered to the floor (more on ceramic later). Flat blades can be used both on Walk-Behind and Ride-On Scrapers.
Self-scoring blades for floor scraping machines
If you have to remove carpet or sheet vinyl, LVP, etc., you cannot use a flat blade to remove the material without first going through the pre-scoring process because it is all connected. That is a lot of extra time and work, so for those types of materials, the self-scoring blade is a much more time- and labor-efficient option.
Self-scoring blades have a feature (generally referred to as a wing) bent up on either end of the blade at 90 degrees. Like the fin of a shark cutting the surface of the water, the vertical wings cut through the material, separating it from the rest of the flooring, while the horizontal cutting-edge scrapes the material from the floor. What you end up with is a strip of material the width of the blade that comes up from the floor, and can then be disposed of.
This blade is a serious time saver, and can also be used in either Walk Behind or Ride-On floor scrapers. We also offer these blades in multiple different widths from 6” to 14”
Carbide Blades
One of the other types of floor scraping blades we offer are our carbide blades. They have a carbide insert soldered into the front of the blade. These blades are meant to be used for removing hard materials like ceramic tile because the carbide insert can withstand the punishment from being rammed into hard material better than spring steel blades. Carbide blades are also a good option for removing wood flooring. However, depending on the length of the boards, you may need to prescore the wood floor with a saw before using the scraper to remove it. In addition to wood, carbide blades can also be a good option for removing thin-set, epoxy coatings, and more.
You can utilize a carbide blade on any of our Ride-On floor scrapers or if you need a Walk Behind option, we make carbide blades for our ES 400S. One of the benefits you recieve when using Carbide blades on our Ride-On scraper is the ability to adjust the blade angle and slide plate until you have the blade nearly flat to the floor. This is ideal when removing material like ceramic tile as steep angles typically make tear out more difficult.
Floor scraper blade widths and thicknesses
Working with the right blade for material will help you be more efficient with your flooring removal. We offer a range of blade widths and thicknesses. So, which is right for you?
Blade Width
The width of the blade is a very important factor. We offer blades in widths of 6”-27” for our spring steel blades and 2”-6” for carbide blades. If you are new to floor scrapers, you would be wrong to assume that wider is always better. The ideal width of the blade to use depends on the job. If the material you are removing is heavily adhered to the floor, you would be better served by using a narrower blade, which will allow you to remove material more quickly than a wider blade that causes the machine to bog down and work much harder to separate the material from the floor.
Other points to consider:
- If you are using a battery-powered machine, a blade that is too wide will make the machine work harder, drawing more amperage, which equates to less working time before the machine has to be re-charged
- When using a wider blade, the weight of the machine is spread over a larger surface area. Depending on the material you are removing, using a blade that is too wide may leave thin amounts of material or adhesive behind that you will have to go back over to remove (re-scraping). Using a narrower blade allows you to apply more pressure on the cutting edge which may leave a cleaner floor
- A rule of thumb in blade selection is to use the widest blade available that allows the machine to run efficiently, while removing as much material as you want from the floor in a single pass
Blade Thickness
We only offer one thickness for our Carbide Blades. However, our spring steel blades are currently offered in .062” or our Heavy Duty .094”. A couple of points to consider when choosing a blade thickness are:
- The weight of your machine: Depending on how heavy your machine is, you may need to run the heavy-duty blades vs the .062” because the thinner blades may not be able to withstand the weight of the machine. This is more important with flat blades since the self-scoring blades have wings which give the blade more lateral stiffness (like an I beam), but you may still need to run Heavy Duty self-scoring blades.
- Flooring material being removed: Thick/stiff material will generally require a thicker blade to resist bending
Typically, if the material allows it, a thinner blade will be more efficient because there is less resistance when pushing a thin blade through material and adhesive than a thicker blade. So, we generally recommend starting with a thinner blade (as long as it can withstand the machine’s weight) but having the thicker blades on hand in case the thin blade cannot get the job done.
For more information, reference the chart at the bottom of this page.
Working with Anderson Innovations
Are you interested in purchasing one of these types of floor scraping blades, a Floor Scraper, or in becoming a distributor of Anderson Innovations machines? Contact us to get started! Our line of blades will be available to purchase from us directly beginning mid-September, 2024
