Become a Floor Covering Professional
Floor covering professionals install a wide variety of flooring materials. Work is often done based on specifications of architects, facility managers, or interior designers. To be effective, a floor layer must be good at estimating materials and understanding pattern layout before the actual installation begins. It is also important for flooring professionals to know the safe and proper use of many types of tools, adhesives, and fastening systems. A floor layer may be asked to work on new or renovation projects for commercial, residential, or institutional structures. A good floor layer is neat, clean and careful not to damage any surrounding furnishings, walls, doors, or entryways.
Floor covering professionals typically work in crews of two or more because teamwork is a key component of any floor covering job site. Attention to safety and health is stressed because of the machinery, tools, materials, and equipment used in this trade. Floor covering professionals are usually paid by the hour, and as union members, they get overtime pay for all work over eight hours. Apprentices often start out on a job by helping to measure and cut and learning the tools and materials of the trade. They move into more complicated jobs as they gain experience.
Your training will be done by local experts through an “apprenticeship” program called INSTALL, which stands for the International Standards and Training Alliance. To make sure your training is the best in the country, a group of experienced contractors and union representatives make sure you get the right instruction.
For additional information on this program, please visit the Local #1185 website.