Monday, December 5, 2011

What to consider when purchasing a floor machine


Purchasing commercial floor care equipment for your work or business can sometimes seem complicated the more you shop. Its important to keep in mind what the two most important aspects: the size of the floors that you will be using the machine on as well as the method and end result you hope to achieve. 

When shopping for a floor machine keep in mind how user-friendly it is. Machines like the M171-3 in the Millennium Series from Powr-Flite are precisely engineered to absorb shock and torque while being easy to operate and move from side-to-side. New improvements such as its one-piece rotationally molded housing minimizes shock and vibration while giving the operator maximum control.

Most floor machines come in sizes ranging from 13” to 20” in diameter. If you’re going to be cleaning smaller areas such as bathrooms, offices or homes then choose a floor machine that’s smaller in diameter so you’ll be able to maneuver easily with a greater end result. If the floor you’re going to be cleaning is quite large then you will want to look at floor machines with a larger diameter.

Most professionals use a floor machine to remove scuff and residue embedded in the finish of the floor as well as to remove deeply embedded soil on a floor with a damaged finish. Look for a versatile machine that houses a 1 to 1.5 HP motor and operates at 175 RPM. A machine that meets these standards will be able to deliver a professional result combined with the correct floor pad and solution. There are also dual-speed floor machines that offer a low-speed setting (usually 175 RPM) as well as a high-speed setting to provide a deeper clean and a high gloss finish.

Powr-Flite has long been a trusted leader in the commercial floor care business for over 40 years. Shop their wide range of floor machines and burnishers at www.Powr-Flite.com

Friday, November 18, 2011

You Need FULL Pad-To-Floor Contact


Scuff marks and heel marks can ravage an otherwise clean and polished floor taking it from superb condition to a less than optimal look. When looking at a burnisher to attack such a floor and return it to a high shine it’s important to make sure you get full pad-to-floor contact. Without it you’re not maximizing your floor pad and burnisher.

If you are lacking full pad-to-floor contact this can be easily diagnosed by reviewing the pad wear. Is the edge of your pad worn down? This means only the edge is being utilized in your job not only making the total time of the job longer but wasting the rest of the pad area. Only using a few inches of a total pad means additional passes on the floor will be needing costing you time, energy and money.

Get full pad-to-floor contact with a burnisher from Powr-Flite. These machines offer exceptional operation that provides a smooth feel throughout the job. A self-adjusting pad driver has the flexibility to burnish unlevel surfaces evenly for a great finish. With a variety of sizes and housings available you can find the perfect burnisher for your needs. Each burnisher though provides a one-piece metal handle housing for a long life and no compensation caster is needed! The end result is incredible machines that excel at a quality floor finish and get the job done as efficiently as possible.

See the entire line of burnishers at www.Powr-Flite.com today.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Bigger is not always better when it comes to floor machines.


Floor care is often dominated by a “bigger is better” mantra leaning toward bigger machines to affect larger areas that work for a longer amount of time. While this may provide efficiency when cleaning certain floor types, this line of though overlooks the specific need by some for high maneuverability. If a particular space is small or the machine operator feels less comfortable with larger, heavier machines then a smaller piece of equipment may make more sense and be more efficient.

P131-7 Floor Machine
To solve this issue and provide users with a machine that can fit in or around nearly and space and any floor then take a good look at the P131-7 floor machine from Powr-Flite.  Powr-Flite’s P131-7 floor machine provides the power and durability for the toughest jobs in a convenient, easy to maneuver size. The P131-7 floor machine lets you get into those tight or small areas where a larger floor machine simply won’t fit. Lightweight and easy to maneuver, the P131-7 has heavy duty features normally found only in larger machines. Strip, scrub or spray buff a wide variety of floor surfaces with the smooth operation, power and durability of the Powr-Flite P131-7. A patented rotationally molded housing provide the popular floor machine a housing that is more resilient and durable than steel.  The shock and torque, normally passed on to the operator, is absorbed for a smooth experience.

Powr-Flite has long been a leader in floor machines and the P131-7 floor machine is a great example why. To learn more, visit www.Powr-Flite.com.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Floor Machine & Refinishing Work

Stripping and refinishing floors in the winter months with a floor machine can be difficult or even risky depending on the climate. Because the optimal temperature for refinishing a floor is around 71 degrees many parts of the country have great problems creating this type of environment during the winter. Some floor types are especially difficult because of how they transfer and hold heat. If possible warm up the room during the winter to see the best results possible.

With the temperature raised though you still may face issues in getting the best finish possible with your floor machine if you fail to use the recommended finish.  Each chemical finish is specifically formulated to work with a floor type. Using something for stone won’t work as effectively on VCT due to the major differences in those floor types. To make sure that shiny finish doesn’t “walk-off” the floor use the proper floor chemicals.

In order to achieve that ideal shiny finish you first have to remove the existing layers. It’s common for professionals to achieve less than desirable results simply because they didn’t let the stripping solution sit for a proper amount of time. It’s important to let the stripping solution to sit and do the dirty work. Allowing the stripping solution to dig deep into the floor will decrease the amount of time on the floor machine and floor machine pads needed for a job.

As summer transitions to fall, quickly followed by winter remember these tips to get the most out of the your floor refinishing.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

How to Strip a Floor with a Floor Machine and Solution

Floor machines were designed to clean a myriad of different floor types proving itself a pretty powerful tool in your cleaning arsenal. By simply switching out your pad driver and pad you can refinish VCT floors, tile and much more. Using a floor machine pretty much anyone can strip a floor bare and completely refinish it in an evening (obviously depending on the floor size).

Before embarking on this adventure it’s important to pick the appropriate floor pad for your floor machine. Some pads were designed for lower RPM floor machines while others were designed for higher RPM’s so check the specs on your machine first. Pads themselves will aggressively remove wax, dirt and finish or simply polish clean, dry floors depending on your goals. If you want to remove light scuff marks and dirt you may want a less abrasive pad in a lighter color. If you are working a harder finish you may need a pad with hog hair to cut through the dirt and scuffs.


After you’ve determined the correct pad for your machine actually moving through the process is fairly simple and straightforward. Check out these steps as a high level overview.

Make sure all furniture and items are removed from the floor before starting. It’s better to work a clear area than work around something. If there are fixed items in the area like a pillar or column be sure to tape off the base for protection. Clean the floor surface with a mop or vacuum removing all loose debris.

With a clean slate you are now prepped and ready to go. Begin by mixing your stripping solution and water in a mop bucket. Mind the directions on the solution bottle to get the most effective mix, as this is essential in pulling up the existing finisher. Once mixed submerge a clean mop in the solution and then apply the saturated mop head to the floor. Move the solution all the way around the floor providing a healthy dose and coverage. You will probably need to add more solution to the mop several times so be prepared for that. Once the floor has an application of the stripping solution let it sit for 20 minutes. It is important to let the stripping solution sit and interact with the existing flooring finish to soften it up.

After the 20-minute period is over take your floor machine and start to work the floor area with a fluid back and forth motion. Floor machines necessitate control so try not to move with jerky movements as you cover the floor. Jerky or less controlled movements will result in the floor machine moving where you don’t want it and potentially banging into the wall. After working the entire area you can take a scraping tool and make sure hard to reach areas like a corner and floor edge are clear of floor finish. Then clean up the mess you just made with a mop and water. If you have one at your disposal this is a good time to employ a wet dry vac. Your goal here is to end up with a fully stripped, completely dry floor before adding new finish. If you need a fan or dryer to help in the drying process feel free to use one.
Now in your mop bucket take a trashcan liner and line the mop bucket with it. This will save you clean up time on the back end. Mix you floor finish and water, again following the directions on the bottle. Using a new mop head submerge the mop in the bucket and then allow some solution to drain before moving it onto the floor. Start by working the finisher along the perimeter of your floor area providing an event coat along the way. Once the perimeter is established you will work the interior area. Move the mop in figure eight movements to achieve a consistent application throughout. Once the area is entirely covered with an even coat of finish allow it to dry for around 15 minutes.

When the first application is dry you are ready to move through the process again as you work to achieve 3 to 5 coats of finish depending upon your needs. Once complete you have a newly finished floor!

This is obviously a high level overview on stripping a floor. Everyone has their own unique techniques so feel free to comment on what they like best.

Thanks.