Scope

Floorcovering installers install, replace and repair a variety of floorcoverings. They work with cushion, carpeting, vinyl, resilient tile, sheet flooring, pre-finished wood, unfinished wood, engineered wood, laminate, seasonal carpets and artificial turf. Floorcovering installers install and service floorcoverings in residential and industrial/commercial/institutional (ICI) settings.

In new building construction, floorcovering is one of the final procedures to be carried out. Floorcovering installers ideally begin their work after services (water, electricity, light, heat) are installed and walls are painted.

When replacing or repairing pre-existing floorcoverings, the work area must be cleared of furniture and appliances. Existing flooring, cushion and trim must often be removed. Floorcovering installers are required to match patterns and insert pieces when repairing damaged areas.

The preparation for floorcovering installation involves inspecting, measuring and cleaning surfaces onto which the floorcovering is to be installed. Preparation normally includes correcting surface imperfections such as cracks, chips and small holes, and sanding and filling wood substrates and/or underlayment panels.

Floorcovering installers may be responsible for site visits, planning, scheduling and estimating of jobs. They use blueprints, freehand drawings, scaled drawings, layout plans, shop drawings, work orders and finish schedules.

Self-employment is common in this trade. Some floorcovering installers are employed by flooring businesses (retail or wholesale), construction companies and contractors.

A growing number of installers work primarily in one area of specialization within the trade such as carpet or resilient flooring installation. Floorcovering installers may work closely with other tradespeople such as carpenters, painters, electricians, interior systems mechanics, drywallers and cabinet makers.

Key attributes for people entering this trade are: good colour vision, hand-eye coordination, problem solving skills, mathematical skills, communication skills and organizational skills. Good physical condition is important because the work often requires considerable kneeling, stretching, twisting and lifting heavy, awkward loads.

Health and safety are important for these tradespeople as they are frequently in contact with chemical (e.g. paints, adhesives and other toxic materials) and physical (e.g. cutting tools, fastening tools and dust) hazards. Ongoing safety awareness and a good knowledge of safety standards and regulations are important.

With experience, journeypersons may move into supervisory, management and sales positions.

This trade offers year round, indoor and physically rewarding work. Skilled floorcovering tradespersons install products that enhance existing and new structures. A career in this trade can be financially and personally rewarding.

Observations

There has been an observation of a need to attract new entrants to this trade due to an ageing workforce. Because of the physical nature of the trade, there is a negative general public perception of the trade, making attracting new entrants a challenge.

Task-specific, unsupervised, subcontract work is prevalent in this trade; therefore, there is an increased emphasis on worker business skills. A growing concern with subcontracting is the undefined responsibility for on-the-job training. Many floorcovering professionals voluntarily engage in upgrading courses, manufacturers’ seminars and professional education courses to stay current with new trends and product innovations. Some workers may seek product specific technical training through manufacturers, resulting in their scope of training and experience being limited to specific products and methods.

In larger markets with larger employers, there are indications of specialization in the trade with floorcovering installers working with specific types of floorcovering materials such as synthetic turf, vinyl decking and specialty concrete finishes.

There has been an increase of awareness of physical impacts of the trade on floorcovering professionals. There have been new tools developed to address this concern and they are increasingly being used. Mini-stretchers and power stretchers are the recommended methods to stretch carpet; this reduces the use of knee kickers, one of the most common causes of long term injury to floorcovering installers.

The trade has seen the need for new specialty skills such as plastic welding to completely enclose rooms and make them germ free in locations such as hospital operating rooms and laboratories.

Environmental concerns have increased the use of environmentally friendly products such as natural products, low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) in adhesives and recycled materials.

Safety

Safe working procedures and conditions, accident prevention and the preservation of health are of primary importance to industry in Canada. These responsibilities are shared and require the joint efforts of government, employers and employees. It is imperative that all parties are aware of circumstances and conditions that may lead to injury or harm. Safe learning experiences and environments can be created by controlling the variables and behaviours that may contribute to accidents or injury.

It is generally recognized that a safety-conscious attitude and work practices contribute to a healthy, safe and accident-free working environment.

It is imperative to apply and be familiar with the Occupational Health and Safety Acts and Workplace Hazardous Material Information System (WHMIS) Regulations. As well, it is essential to determine workplace hazards and take measures to protect oneself, co-workers, the public and the environment.

As safety education is an integral part of training in all jurisdictions, personal safety practices are not recorded in this document. However, the technical safety aspect relating to each task and sub-task are included throughout this analysis.

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