Terminator Services
The Terminator 'eliminates' virtually any flooring
The location was as Manchester; the project was the refurbishment of a large Primark store. Mick Scarry, UK owner of impressive Flooring decided he could dramatically cut down the time doing the job. So he invited Terminator Services UK to remove almost 8,000m² of the six-layer flooring including the problem latex screed. It took less than 20% of the time the job would normally have required. And after the Terminator had finished removing the layers, a diamond grinder was used to obtain a smooth surface.
New in the UK and operated exclusively by Terminator Services UK, The Terminator has over 10 years of proven technology in the US. It is a ‘sit on' flooring remover which can fit through standard doorways, turns in a 90cm radius and is only 66cm wide, 119cm tall and 165cm long.
It has a water-cooled 54hp Nissan 4 cylinder engine which is propane-powered with a catalytic converter and is said to be safe for use in restricted ventilation areas.
The two versions are Terminator 2000 and Lite 1500. They are claimed to be capable of removing carpet, carpet over tile, composition tile, ceramic tile, hardwood flooring, elastomeric coating, decorative coatings, roofing material, sports courts and vinyl flooring.
Terminator 2000 was originally designed for difficult carpet removal jobs such as the vinyl-backed carpet used at the Boeing company. With removal rates of up to 2500ft² per hour it is claimed to be effective with any carpet, including vinyl, action, enhancer, rubber and unitary backed carpets. The Terminator's proprietary stationary blade assembly is forced under the mastic, peeling carpet strips from the substrate, while removing up to 75% of the mastic in the first pass, it is claimed.
Layers of vinyl composition tile (VCT), vinyl asbestos tile (VAT), and sheet vinyl including up to 75% of the mastic, can be removed with the Terminator in the first pass, it is said. Removal rates as high as 20,000ft² of VCT, VAT, and vinyl are said to have been achieved by Terminator in a single eight hour work day. Its blade assembly lifts material from the substrate, proving less problematic than the hand chipping method of removal.
Equipped with the standard catalytic converter and a water misting attachment, airborne particles and carbon dioxide emissions are said to be kept within acceptable tolerances while removing vinyl asbestos tile in a contained asbestos abatement situation.
The Terminator's strength and versatility is shown when removing elastomeric coating from parking surfaces, concrete decks, flat concrete roof decks, boat decks, neoprene coatings, rubber gym floors, and soft surface sport courts. With correct positioning of its blade assembly, surface materials as thin as 25mm are said to have been successfully removed.
Terminator 2000 is claimed to effectively remove laminated parquet tiles and planking along with conventional hardwood parquet and planking glued to concrete surfaces with traditional hardwood adhesive. The majority of the mastic is removed with the material in the first pass. The Terminator is said to produce hardwood flooring removal rates of up to 1,000ft²/hour.
Removal of ceramic tile, terrazzo, granite, limestone, marble and natural stone applied with thin set mortar is achieved by using a 'tile bit' in the accessory ceramic tile jaw attachment on the Terminator's jaw assembly. With ceramic tile removal rates of up to 200ft²/hour, extra weight packages can be added for the toughest tile removal jobs and the optional water misting attachment controls the dust created by the removal operation.
An advantage of using The Terminator at the Primark job was that it did not damage the substrate. Even though the floors involved were fairly weak, no damage was done thanks to the angle of the equipment's blades which can be preset. The weighting of the machine can be set on the front and rear to avoid such damage. This was important since some marble tiles on the ground floor were specifically not to be damaged.
To complete the subfloor preparation at the site Impressive Flooring selected Lax bond's Screedmaster 1 self-leveling protein free smoothing compound which can be applied by hand or pumped to reduce time on site. Screedmaster 1 satisfies HTM61 and has fast curing properties and high compressive strength. Over 6,000 bags of Lax bonds Screedmaster 1 were used.
Unlike other manufacturers, Laybond was as prepared to underwrite its product on this project. Other manufacturers could not guarantee their smoothing compound for such a tough and complicated surface. The service we received from Laybond is second to none. Other such companies do not respond to our needs so quickly; Laybond has a very flexible approach which helps us in the specification process. Impressive Flooring has already completed 150 Primark Stores in England and Ireland. The company is highly acclaimed for its consistent high standards of workmanship. Although Terminator Services is affiliated to Delmar Flooring, the arrangement with Impressive was amicable. 
Nick Scarry, Impressive Flooring
Certain flooring contractors believe that through the Terminator I'm out to take business from them. But this wouldn't serve my long-term interests. I'm keen to create long-term partnering relationships with other contractors like Impressive Flooring who can benefit from The Terminator's capabilities.
Martin Delbosq, Delmar Group
Excerpt courtesy of CFJ Magazine Oct 2001
Company Reg No 03635915