National Flooring Equipment’s Rogue Scraper Changes the Game in Heavy-Duty Floor Removal
Published: 16/6, 2023
Unlike industrial floors that typically last for many years, residential jobs will be more frequent due to new housing developments or regular renovations to keep up with the latest design trends. As a result, in most situations, contractors working on industrial applications can turn up to large, open spaces and immediately start removing the floor. Residential projects often involve extra consideration. Residential spaces are built for different use, with smaller, enclosed spaces on multiple floors. Effective floor removal is no easy feat, especially when working in areas with tight space constraints created by enclosed spaces. Larger floor preparation machines are unable to get into tight spaces or have limited blade angle adjustment to effectively remove flooring and adhesive, which then means the operator has to use hand tools to finish off the project. This can add a lot of time onto the project and requires more operator output. Ride-on scrapers can also be difficult to transport, especially when working on multiple floors. While heavy ride-ons can quickly and efficiently complete work in large, open spaces, operating them on upper residential floors is often impossible, so contractors need additional equipment in the case that the original machine cannot be moved from room to room. While there are lighter machines on the market, a lightweight machine doesn’t always have the torque or power to remove heavy-duty flooring, meaning that operators would still need to use additional equipment, which makes it a more costly process.
Changing the game
West Coast floor removal contractor Bottom Zupp has helped many residential owners remove stubborn flooring, but every application has its challenges. For example, the company was recently asked to remove 2,000 ft2 (186m2) of glued down wood on the second floor of a house. Fortunately, National Flooring Equipment was in the final stages of developing the Rogue, a 480-lb (218kg) walk-behind scraper to have that also boasted the maneuverability of a rider plus the ability to work up to 150 ft (45.7m) per minute—five times the pace of conventional walk-behind machines. What’s more, the Rogue removed the need for manual scraping, turning a multi-day job requiring manual labor in to one that could be completed in less than a day.
“Despite only using it a few times, I can already see the Rogue becoming a great asset,” says Bottom Zupp president Richard Nickerson. “Going forward, it will not only be valuable to us when we’re working on over 15 homes a day, but across the country. Everyone should include it as part of their equipment range.”