TRAINING INSTALLATION MASTERY
Tim Green, head of training at F. Ball and Co. Ltd., explains the importance of training to gain a competetive edge and how to access the industry’s best provisions for free.
Training has always been integral to ensuring the highest standards of professionalism in the flooring industry. Basic training should cover subfloor preparation, including the identification of different subfloor types and how they should be prepared, the use of repair and floor smoothing compounds to create a smooth base ready for the receipt of new floorcoverings, and selecting adhesives based on compatibility with different floorcoverings. It also needs to include instruction on how to avoid common causes of floor failure, chief of which is still unmanaged subfloor moisture.
ADVANCEMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY
Flooring professionals should strive to continuously improve and develop their knowledge throughout their careers. This has become particularly necessary as advances in technology have accelerated the development of subfloor preparation products and adhesives with advanced properties and applications. Armed with knowledge of new fast track products, contractors are better equipped to deal with increasingly demanding time constraints
CHOOSING THE OPTIMUM PRODUCT
Having a good knowledge of the range of new products available will also help contractors to choose the optimum product for a particular job and avoid compromising the finished appearance of an installation.
For example, particular vinyl adhesives are recommended to avoid visible trowel serrations showing through thin vinyl floorcoverings. There are also smoothing compounds that are designed especially to withstand heavy loads and high foot traffic and others designed to accommodate movements in subfloors of metal and wood.
CHANGES AFFECTING THE INDUSTRY
Contractors need to keep abreast of wider changes affecting the flooring industry too. For instance, calcium sulphate screeds are increasingly common in new builds and require specific treatment to ensure against floor failure. In such cases, traditional cement- based smoothing compounds will not be suitable and the use of a compatible calcium sulphate-based smoothing compound is recommended. Regular training helps contractors understand different materials and the benefits of using compatible products.
In another change, the move to standards-based apprenticeships has also brought new training requirements. One hour of ‘off the job’ training must be completed for every four hours spent working by flooring apprentices, which more companies are giving opportunities to as a way to tackle their skills shortages.
ACCESSING TRAINING
Fortunately, there is no shortage of excellent training available to flooring contractors at little or no cost. Flooring industry training centres, such as Flooring Industry Training Association (FITA) training centre in Loughborough, offer a wide range of training courses, covering everything from subfloor preparation
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to estimating costs and quoting. Thanks to the apprenticeships levy, which came into effect in 2017, many flooring companies enrolling apprentices on training courses such as these can claim back up to 95% of the cost.
INSPIRING EXCELLENCE
As a market leader in subfloor preparation products and adhesives, F. Ball believes that it has a responsibility to promote industry standards and best practice and, by extension, the positive reputation of the flooring industry. This is why flooring professionals of any skill level can attend free training courses at the F. Ball Centre of Excellence, the purpose-built, state-of- the-art training centre at F. Ball’s Staffordshire headquarters.
Training programmes, which run year-round, are led by experts from within the company, cover subfloor preparation, moisture management and control and adhesive selection. These include specialist courses for both apprentices and seasoned professionals and a three-day course on achieving optimum results when installing LVTs.
FUTURE OF FLOORING
F. Ball has launched its own apprenticeship programme, Floorsight, to directly tackle the industry’s persistent skills gap. Created in partnership with the Flooring Industry Training Association (FITA) and WEBS Training, and supported by the Contract Flooring Association (CFA), the scheme creates career pathways in contract flooring.
Apprentices gain hands-on experience with partnering flooring contractors, with training delivered at the F. Ball Centre of Excellence. F. Ball provides each participant resources, such as toolkits, branded workwear and laptops, to lower barriers for trainees and employers.
Following the success of the initial launch a year ago, a second cohort has recently enrolled on the programme.
www.f-ball.com/training
www.tomorrowscontractfloors.co.uk
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