Page 46 - CFJ_Jul26

TRAINING

Why training in flooring is so important

Wood flooring demands precision, expand or contract. This makes it essential to give a
training and apprenticeship-based skills It’s not sufficient to teach a young worker young entrant a clear idea about career
beyond quick digital learning shortcuts, how to lay carpet and vinyl and then expect progression within flooring as it’ll help
writes Adam Bernstein them to lay laminate and wood – each attract, motivate, and retain them.
requires different installation techniques, Many are plainly unaware that floor
NYONE who knows anything about
Aflooring will know installing wood tools, and adhesives. Beyond reducing the contracting can offer a stable and
risk of failure, skilled floorlayers will work
requires precision, and knowledge of rewarding long-term career that is far
subfloors, moisture management and more efficiently and reduce material waste. removed from being a low-skilled and low-
It cannot be said enough: Laying wood
finishing techniques. paid manual job. Contractors that can show
None of this can be learnt from the flooring is particularly difficult precisely a clear career path will be more likely to
likes of YouTube – it needs to be instilled because it is a natural material that reacts encourage entrants.
over time via a mentor of some kind – an to its environment. Because of this, Motivation is the starting point for when
apprenticeship for example. installers need to learn about expansion a young worker understands that they may
The key thing with flooring is that it’s a gaps to allow for moisture absorption and start as an apprentice but can progress,
highly visible part of any building - unlike expansion. they’ll likely stay committed. Without
structural elements that are unseen; Fundamentally, flooring — especially such understanding, they may leave for
flooring is immediately noticeable and used wood flooring — requires new entrants to perceptibly better opportunities.
every day, meaning that any mistakes are gain a combination of technical knowledge, Having an eye on career progression
quickly seen and felt. practical skill, and experience. Without helps with skills development. With
Because it’s technical it’s important proper training, the risk of failure is high. floorlaying demanding technical ability,
floorlayers learn their trade well as poorly As it’s been said, don’t give a farmer food; experience, and knowledge of materials
installed flooring amplifies issues such give him the tools to grow food. and techniques a visibly structured career
as uneven surfaces, lifting edges, gaps, Career progression route will encourage the young to gain
or premature wear. Any one of these One of the reasons the young aren’t qualifications. This helps the individual
problems will be expensive to fix and likely encouraged to come into flooring is that while improving the overall quality of work
to damage a contractor’s reputation. they consider it a mucky career that within the industry.
Subfloor preparation is a case in point. It’s involves a lot of hard work; instead, they And then there’s the matter – again - of
one of the most important skills in flooring want the bright lights of an office and retention. With many experienced floor
and before any material is laid, the surface computers. layers approaching retirement and not
beneath must be clean, level, and dry. If However, if taught well and have the enough young workers to replace them,
this is done incorrectly, even a perfectly right aptitude, there’s no reason why new entrants unable to see long-term
installed floorcovering can fail. they cannot progress from being a prospects will move on quickly.
It follows that floorlayers need to have junior installer to a senior estimator, site Allied to this is the fact that a well-lit
been taught about moisture movement supervisor, or even a business owner – career progression can offer a financial
in materials since moisture can cause once they’ve gained the technical and incentive to stay in the industry –
adhesives to break down or materials to commercial skills they need to succeed. individuals need to be shown how

46 CFJ July 2026 www.contractflooringjournal.co.uk
@CFJMagazine