Norton Blue Fire is one of the top-performing abrasives in the hardwood floor industry. Many flooring contractors report that the Norton Blue Fire edger disc scratch pattern is one of the cleanest, and that the Blue Fire belt is one of the longest lasting in the industry.
Read on below to find out more about Norton Blue Fire.
Blue Fire is an abrasive made with 100% upgraded zirconia-alumina grain. Since Norton invented zirconia grain in the 1960s they have unveiled products like NorZon, NorZon Plus, and Blue Fire. Each of these products were patented upgrades of the previous version. In the case of Blue Fire, it has a 30% better cut rate and longer life than NorZon Plus.
Norton has a large division dedicated to making the abrasive grains. (Because they manufacture their own grains, they are able to deliver top quality products at a competitive price). When they use zirconia (Blue Fire) on their abrasives they do not mix or blend the grain with other, less expensive materials. In fact, Norton is the only company that does not blend the grains in their premium product tiers. Blue Fire is 100% upgraded zirconia which means noticeably longer life and better scratch-pattern than other zirconia products.
Norton Blue Fire products are available in discs and belts.
Another key factor to the high quality of Blue Fire is the anti-static backing. The anti-static component to Blue Fire is in place to ensure more dust ends up in the bag instead of on the floor or in the machine. This technology actually provides two benefits. When dust gets into the belt sander and coats the inside, it can impact performance and lead to repair work. And when a trail of dust is left on the floor it means lost time to sweeping or vacuuming the floor to remove dust. With Blue Fire, Norton has placed their anti-static technology into the backing of the abrasive, which means a much more effective anti-static belt.
If you’d like to order Norton Blue Fire you can contact us at City Floor Supply by calling (800) 737-1786 or clicking the pictures below to order Norton Blue Fire edger discs or belts online.
One positive regarding Blue Fire I’ve heard from multiple contractors is it’s overall value. When compared to other belts out there, whether low or high cost, professional Floor Sanders appreciate the value in a consistent, high quality product for a medium-tier cost. Taking into account the very clean scratch pattern (100% all 1 grain, not blended), stiffness of the backing (will resist drift on a worn machine), rapid stock removal, and life, Blue Fire is a Hardwood Floor Finisher’s friend. If one measures cost per foot, we’ve been getting consistent reports of 900′-1,000′ square, which equals less than a penny per square foot. Regarding the anti-static properties built into the Blue Fire belt, on a recent jobsite visit, a worker was asked by the boss which belt he preferred, the Blue Fire or the popular competitive product. The worker replied that he preferred the Blue “because I don’t have to sweep between cuts.”