NWFA technical education reaches new levels

The National Wood Flooring Association announced a new, more in-depth approach to its Intermediate Installation and Intermediate Sand & Finish training courses. Each now is a four-day training event, affording twice the amount of time for classroom and hands-on learning in each skill area. The courses are presented in consecutive weeks. 

“In our first intermediate training sessions to use the new, four-day format, conducted in June, we had more than 40 students from various segments of the wood flooring industry, including from manufacturer, distributor and contractor companies,” NWFA director of certification and education Brett Miller said in a statement.

“Students came from across the U.S., some with more than 30 years in the industry, highlighting the value of the instruction and the hands-on training opportunities, regardless of one’s level of experience,” Miller added. “One of the students who attended both weeks training, made the trip from Australia. A few more students had participated in our Principles of Wood Flooring course in April, and returned to deepen their knowledge and skills.”

The Intermediate Installation training now includes, for example, time for demonstrating and applying more in-depth techniques, such as “lacing-in,” in which the installation of a new floor is interlaced with a pre-existing wood floor in an adjoining area of the job site. Time also is dedicated to the installation and nuances between factory-finished and unfinished flooring, including installing borders, skirts and aprons.

The Intermediate Sand & Finish class expands the time spent hands-on with equipment, diving deeper into the skills and proper maintenance that help students reach their next levels of performance. In the four-day format, students not only get to apply stains, sealers and finishes, but have time to see the end results and then assess for problems, causes and cures. The training now also covers alternative finishes, including penetrating oils, UV curing, reactive colorants, and hard waxes.

The next Intermediate Installation and Intermediate Sand & Finish training classes will be held in August in Chicago. View the NWFA technical education schedule at www.nwfa.org for information and to register.