The world is rich with a wide variety of professions. All the same, there are various types of professionals engaged in various professions. The reason for them to choose each of those professions might be different. It might be because they have a passion for that. Perhaps, it might be because they have an inborn talent for that. However, it does not matter what profession a particular individual chooses. What matters is what he or she must do to reach there. As for this article, our main focus is on how to be a flooring installer.
Is being a Flooring Installer worth it?
This is a popular question. In the simplest terms, being a flooring installer is really worth it. But wait, would you just keep trust in us for the sake of our word? That is not fair at all. You would have to know why the world needs flooring installers. That is important before getting to know how to be a flooring installer.
As we all know, the global population is undergoing a massive rise daily. And of course, people have to spend on their primary needs. So, more and more houses will be built in the future. And yes, there would be a lot more including offices, apartments, malls, and many more. For all these buildings, flooring installation is a must. Thus, whatever the type of building is, there is a high demand for flooring installers invariably. So, due to the rise of the population, there is nothing to worry about the future of flooring installers.
All the same, it is not mainly new projects that flooring installers would have to undertake. There will be lots of repair and maintenance work in the existing houses, commercial, and government buildings. So, the demand would remain ascendant without any doubt.
But let us be a bit more statistical. Let us refer to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. They say that the employment of flooring installers and tile and stone setters would grow 3 percent from 2019 to 2029.
Now, you know that flooring installation is a very good career choice for your future. We told you the reason and we used statistics as well. Now, we can go ahead and get to know how to be a flooring installer.
What do Flooring Installers do?
Still, there is something very very important that we must focus on before moving on to the exact content. That is basically about what is done by flooring installers. So, we will get a basic idea about what flooring installers do as well.
In the main, it is the duty of the flooring installers to work on flooring installations. Well, there is no need to tell that. The name of the profession itself tells that to us. However, flooring installation is a big process. Although it would seem very simple, it really is a complex process.
A flooring installer would initially have to remove the existing materials from the floor. Then, it is up to him or her to clean the floor and then to level it. Next, he or she would have to measure it and cut materials to fit. Afterward, the particular flooring installer has to arrange the materials following the design plan. Fixing them and applying compound fillers comes next. Ultimately, it is the finishing job.
So, you may have understood by now that the job of flooring installers is invariably technical. You need to learn all the skills that you would have to know in order to be a successful flooring installer and that is how you must proceed. So, let us now get to our topic first hand.
Wood Flooring: A Complete Guide to Layout, Installation & Finishing Hardcover – Illustrated, February 23, 2010
This is a book by Charles Peterson. Hardwood floors are unrivaled in terms of beauty, durability, and simplicity of upkeep. So, it is no wonder that demand has always been high. The availability of additional types of wood, particularly exotic species like Brazilian cherry and synthetic woods, has driven demand in recent years as well. This book comprehensively explains everything about the layout, installation, and finishing of wood flooring. Hence, this is particularly a very good book for a flooring installer to go through.
Steps to be a Flooring Installer
Now, we are going to focus on the steps to be a flooring installer. If you have the passion to become a flooring installer, then you must follow these steps. No doubt, you would be able to end up being a successful flooring installer ultimately.
- Get a high school diploma or an equivalent
- Complete an apprenticeship program
- Get the certifications
- Grow as a professional
- Start your own business
Yes, this is how you must go ahead if you want to be a flooring installer. This is the perfect pathway. Sometimes, you might be able to skip some of these steps and still be successful. That is just possible. But in actual fact, you would not go wrong if you follow the above steps perfectly and plainly. Then, your future is guaranteed.
1. Get a high school diploma or an equivalent
The first step to becoming a flooring installer is to get a high school diploma or an equivalent. But anyway, this might not seem to you like a step that we must emphasize at great length. It is because it has become a usual aspect for everyone who dares to enter into the construction field. So, if you want to be a flooring installer, still you would have to start with a high school diploma or an equivalent.
Why do you need to have a high school diploma or an equivalent? Well, it is basically to get a fundamental knowledge of the subject matters. If you do not know the basics, then you would not be able to move forth in the field. But this does not mean that you would be able to get a good understanding of the profession of flooring installation. It only means that you would be able to get a basic understanding of the way that you need to handle things.
2. Complete an apprenticeship program
The next step is completing an apprenticeship program. What exactly is an apprenticeship program? It is where you would learn the trade exclusively. During the apprenticeship, you would have to work under the supervision of a senior. You would have to work as a helper initially. And there, you would get pretty good on-the-job training.
However, the good thing about an apprenticeship program is that you would get paid during the apprenticeship. So, you would not have to worry about your income even when you are still training to be a flooring installer.
Nevertheless, you would not get permission to work alone during the apprenticeship. It is because you might make certain mistakes as you are still training. Therefore, you would even be fined together with your senior if you are found working alone. In fact, you would have to adhere to the trade practices and customs exclusively.
An apprenticeship program would generally run for about 2 to 4 years. So, that is not a very long time. You would get knowledge of building code requirements, mathematics, blueprint reading, safety, first aid, and so on.
Basically, it is only after you complete the apprenticeship program that you would be able to be employed on your own. Then, you would be able to make money from the skills that you have mastered. You would then become a journeyman.
Flooring Installer (Careers in the Building Trades: A Growing Demand) Hardcover – January 1, 2018
This is a book by Andrew Morkes. Flooring installation specializations, common schooling pathways, the qualities you would need to be a good installer, installer wages, methods of investigating the field while in school, and much more are all in this book. Readers would learn about eight distinct trades and dozens of sub-specialties, as well as green construction options and the apprenticeship process. They would also discover why tradespeople are in high demand throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. So, this would be an interesting read for sure.
3. Get the certifications
Having completed an apprenticeship program is indeed sufficient for you to call yourself a professional flooring installer. Yet, you need some certification to show the world that you have the requisite skills to be a flooring installer. The best way to add that value to your professional career is by getting the certifications. Do not worry. We will tell you where you can get the certifications from. Here are the institutions that you can get the certifications.
From the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation, you can get the Certified Tile Installer designation. This is very valuable for your career as a flooring installer. You need to have experience of 2 or more years for this.
The International Masonry Institute, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, National Tile Contractors Association, Tile Contractors’ Association of America, and Tile Council of North America collaboratively offers the Advanced Certifications for Tile Installers program. This program is also vital for any professional in the field of flooring installation.
Further, the National Wood Flooring Association offers certain optional certifications. But again, you need to have 2 years of work experience to be entitled to this certification. Anyway, you would have to get through both written and performance tests for this.
The International Certified Floorcovering Installers Association also has a certification program. It also requires a minimum work experience of 2 years. And in the same way, you would have to get through a written test as well as a performance test.
All the same, the International Standards and Training Alliance offers a certification program. However, you would have understood by now that in order to get a certification, you would have to work in the field for some time.
4. Grow as a professional
Actually, now we have told you how to be a flooring installer. You know the exact pathway. But your life does not stop there. Of course, you have a way to go even after becoming a journeyman flooring installer. Because of that, you would have to grow in your career as a professional.
After working for a company for a long time, you can advance to higher positions like being a supervisor. But you cannot just get there. It surely needs a lot of courage. Also, it takes a lot of time as well. Mainly, it is with your experience and maturity that you would be able to advance to such higher levels. If you have the perseverance to move forth, then there is no doubt that you would be able to get there quite confidently. But of course, you would have to work for a considerably long period of time for that.
Also, you need to develop certain personal qualities and traits if you wish to go ahead like that. By the time you are employed, you must gradually develop those character traits as well.
The Flooring Handbook: The Complete Guide to Choosing and Installing Floors Hardcover – March 6, 2004
The author of this book is Dennis Jeffries. This book highlights the wide range of flooring alternatives available today, all of which may improve the function, beauty, and comfort of every room in the house. Of course, this book is a comprehensive reference that gives the most up-to-date information on flooring materials and procedures. The advantages of the three main flooring kinds are in this book, namely, hard, semi-hard, and soft.
Installing Floors (Taunton’s Build Like a Pro) Paperback – Illustrated, September 7, 2010
This is a book by Joseph Truini. Wood, tile and stone, laminate, resilient-vinyl, bamboo, and cork are just a few of the flooring alternatives available And this book shows how to install them all like a pro. Contractor and seasoned author Joseph Truini tackles the subject in great depth in this book. He guides readers through the installation procedure. Further, it discusses the benefits and unique features of different materials through more than 350 step-by-step photographs and drawings. So, this would be an ideal book for you to read.
5. Start your own business
Whatever you do in life, maybe it is through something you have on your own that you can make the greatest profits. That is why we are asking you to start your own business even after telling you how to be a flooring installer.
So, you can start your own business and make it big little by little. Perhaps, you can turn yourself even into a big businessman eventually.
Important Qualities that you need to have
As we told you earlier, there are particularly important qualities you need to have if you want to be a flooring installer. The U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists down a few of them. Let us take a look at them.
- Color vision
- Customer-service skills
- Detail-oriented
- Math skills
- Physical stamina
- Physical strength
No doubt you would like to know how you must inculcate these qualities within yourself and how important they are. Go ahead reading! You would get to know.
1. Color vision
Of course, this is one very important characteristic a flooring installer would need to have. If you do not have the ability to identify the patterns of the tiles, you would not be able to engage in the profession effectively. Proper color vision is that much important. Otherwise, you would lack the proper finishing of your flooring installation task.
Thus, if you have eye-sight problems, it is necessary that you get the right treatments for that. If not, you would not be able to engage in the profession.
Color Vision
Of course, you would need to improve your color vision if you feel that you have some issue with that. Yet, it does not actually happen automatically. You need to improve it by engaging in some activity that helps it improve. And we found an ideal mobile application that we think would be ideal in this regard. You can visit Amazon and find out the link for the app. In fact, we think that this would be a great help for you.
2. Customer service skills
Customer service skills are really necessary for any professional. If you do not have customer service skills, how would you be able to deal with your clients and customers? Having customer service skills is that much important.
After all, maybe it is not the skills you have that matter. What matters most is how you impress your customers. If your clients are happy with your work, that is obviously one good thing with regard to the way that you deal with your customers. Customer satisfaction is the reflection of your customer service skills.
Sometimes, the way you perform your tasks may not be quite satisfactory. But simply because of your good customer service skills, you would be able to make your work look good to your customers. However, we are not asking you to make things look good. We are asking you to do things in the most brilliant way using your skills and the right flooring installation tools. But remember that customer service skills are dominantly important.
Basically, you must be polite to your customers. And you must be courteous all the time. In fact, you must treat your customers based on the ‘customer is king’ basis. Then, you would be able to impress your customers in an effective manner.
Customer Service: Skills for Success 7th edition Paperback
The author of this book is Robert W. Lucas. As we told you, it is pretty important to have customer service skills for professionals like flooring installers. And this book would surely be a perfect guide for you. So, we recommend this book to you. Just go through this book and get to know how to deal with your customers in the most effective and successful method.
3. Detail-oriented
Like almost all other professionals in the field of construction, you must specifically be detail-oriented. In fact, you must pay attention to every single detail of what you do. If you miss out on something, that means you are missing out on the entire pattern. Small details are also very important when it comes to a profession like flooring installation.
Flooring installers would have to be double assured that the patterns are correctly aligned. You would not be able to correct the mistakes that you make after you fix them. So, being detail-oriented is unarguably vital if you wish to be a flooring installer.
4. Math skills
And of course, math skills are also important. From the start of what you do, there are lots and lots of measurements for you to make. And of course, if you do not know the basics of mathematics, that would just be a big problem for you to be consistent in your career as a flooring installer. Having a very good understanding of math skills is one vital factor when it comes to flooring installation.
This does not mean that you have to know all the complex functions and formulae. What we are trying to stress is that you need to know maths up to an extent that would help the smooth running of your solar installation tasks.
Basic Math & Pre-Algebra For Dummies (For Dummies (Lifestyle)) 2nd Edition
As we told you, there is no need to have math skills like a genius. You need to have basic knowledge. That is perfectly sufficient. And this is a good book that you can refer to. Many readers of this book have reviewed this book positively. They have added their comments on Amazon telling that they were highly satisfied with this book. That is why we thought of recommending this book to you. It would be a fine choice for you.
Math Refresher for Adults: The Perfect Solution (Mastering Essential Math Skills) 1st Edition
This is a book by Richard W. Fisher. As the name of the book itself suggests, this is a math refresher for adults. So, this is just perfect for you. You can recall what you have learned and refresh your knowledge. Of course, you do not need a tutor or anyone like that. You can simply refer to this book and get the right amount of knowledge that you would need for your profession.
5. Physical Stamina
And here is another very important characteristic that you would need to have. It is physical stamina. But first, let us take a look at what physical stamina is. Well, physical stamina is the ability to sustain a particular physical or mental effort for a period of time. In terms of flooring installers, it is the physical efforts that would particularly matter.
You would have to work for long hours when you are engaged in flooring installation work. If you cannot, go on working persistently, flooring installation is obviously not a suitable career opportunity for you. You must choose some other profession. However, all the professions in the field of construction would necessarily require you to have physical stamina. That is a must. If not, your work would not be productive to your employer or to you.
In flooring installation, sometimes it is the same task that you would have to carry on continuously. Therefore, if you lack physical stamina, that is obviously going to be a massive problem.
Anatomy of Strength and Conditioning: A Trainer’s Guide to Building Strength and Stamina Paperback – January 9, 2014
The author of this book is Hollis Liebman. As we told you, physical stamina is a pretty important factor for a professional like a flooring installer. Anatomy of Strength and Conditioning is a fantastic how-to guide for individuals looking to increase physical stamina and train for high-performance activities such as strength, speed, aerobic capacity, and precision. The book is also a great method to get in shape overall. So, we suggest you read this book and reach the right standard.
6. Physical Strength
And it is apparently necessary to have physical strength if you want to be a flooring installer. Physical strength is something that is that important. If you are unable even to carry the flooring materials, that is obviously a serious problem. If so, you would not be able to engage in the profession.
Thus, just like all other professions in the construction field, you need to have physical strength if you wish to be a flooring installer. If you feel that you are not that kind of a person. Flooring installation is actually not an easy task. So, before you choose to be a flooring installer, be mindful of whether you are fit for that. If not, it is inevitable trouble that you are leading yourself to.
Couture Bridal Resistance Bands, Professional Exercise Bands Long Natural Latex Elastic Bands, Perfect for Strength Training, Physical Therapy, Yoga, Pilates, Stretching
The best method to increase your physical strength is to engage in strength training. And this is a perfect way for you to do that. You can make maximum use of resistance bands for that and improve your physical strength. The resistance band is composed of 100 percent natural latex, which is eco-friendly and has good flexibility and recovery. A resistance band is 5.9” wide and 59” long. You may make a loop band by tying a knot, or you can wrap a couple of wraps around your hands for a tight grasp, or fold them over for extra strain. No matter how you do it, what matters is improving your physical strength somehow or other.
How much do flooring installers make?
This is indeed a pretty important question. Perhaps, this might seem more important to you than any other part of this article. So, we thought of giving you a brief outline of the annual median salary. These data are from the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
As of May 2019, the median wage was $42050. Meanwhile, the highest 10 percent earned more than $74630 whereas the lowest 10 percent earned less than $25780. Of course, this looks to be a very good income undoubtedly. Because of this, you would not possibly have to worry about the income that you would get from the profession of flooring installation.
Similar professions
Sometimes, your interest might be to join the construction field. And you are scrutinizing all the career choices. If so, you would have to get an understanding of the similar professions that you can engage in. Obviously, you can read about how to be a plumber, masonry worker, electrician, HVAC technician, ironworker, glazier, solar installer, carpenter, and so on.
Conclusion
We have told you plenty of things about how to be a flooring installer. Doubtlessly, you might be having a pretty good idea about that. However, life depends on the choices you make. So, what we must ask you to finish off is to make the right choices at the right times. If you wish to be a flooring installer, it is up to you. If you feel that you can succeed, there is no reason for anyone to say no. So, happy flooring installation!
