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Description
Example Titles
Classified Elsewhere
Duties
Skills
Employment Requirements
Terms & Conditions
Earnings
Education / Training
Career Paths
Outlook

Employment by Age Group
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Floor Covering Installers (NOC 7295)

Description

Floor covering installers install carpet, wood, linoleum, vinyl and other resilient floor coverings in residential, commercial, industrial and institutional buildings. They are employed by construction companies, floor-covering contractors and carpet outlets, or they may be self-employed.

Example Titles

carpet installer
carpet layer
floor covering installer
floor covering installer apprentice
floor covering mechanic
resilient floor installer
rug installer
vinyl floor installer

>> View all titles

Classified Elsewhere

Supervisors of floor covering installers (in 7219 Contractors and Supervisors, Other Construction Trades, Installers, Repairers and Servicers)

Duties

Floor covering installers perform some or all of the following duties:

Inspect, measure and mark surfaces to be covered
Measure, cut and fasten underlay and underpadding
Measure, cut and install carpeting using hand or machine stitcher, seaming iron, bonding tape or other bonding materials
Stretch carpeting using knee-kicker or power stretcher and secure carpeting to floor or other surfaces using staple gun or other devices
Measure, cut and install resilient floor covering using adhesive, rollers and other hand tools
Install hardwood floors, such as strip floors, block floors or plank floors using glue, staples, nails or other means
Inspect and repair damaged floor coverings
May estimate material and labour costs.

Skills

Floorcovering Installers need the following skills and abilities:

Essential skills:

ability to work independently or as part of a team
physical strength and stamina
good colour vision
manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination
good interpersonal skills in dealing with customers.

Technical skills:

ability to read blueprints and technical specifications
ability to use mathematics for cost estimation and cost planning
ability to operate power tools
knowledge of safe working procedures.

Employment Requirements

Completion of secondary school is usually required.
Completion of a three year apprenticeship program as a Floor Covering Installer or several years of work experience is usually required.
Some employers will require new workers to have a basic set of hand tools.

Terms & Conditions

Floor covering installers work in buildings under construction and in private homes and businesses that are being renovated. Installers may be exposed to strong fumes from adhesives and dust. Most of the work of floor covering installers is indoors, sometimes in conditions that are cramped. Floor covering installers may work evenings and at night to lay flooring in businesses outside of regular business hours.

Half (50%) of floor covering installers are self-employed, the remainder are employees. Most work full time on a project by project basis.

Although employment in this occupation is primarily seasonal, the annual earnings reported below represent the prevailing wages, salaries, and/or net income for full time employment for the full year.

Earnings

$28,100 per annum - starting

$35,800 per annum - average

$54,000 per annum - high

Earnings are reviewed annually or more frequently if new information becomes available.

Education / Training

The following post-secondary institutions offer related training in this field:

In January 2006, Floor Covering Installer became one of Manitoba's newest trades designated for certification. No apprenticeship technical training (in-school) is offered in Manitoba at this time. As there are currently very few apprentices in Manitoba, technical training is offered at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Calgary.
Some high schools in Manitoba offer a program in Building and Trades Technology.

Career Paths

Workers usually start as helpers.

Floor covering installers are employed by floor covering retail outlets, contractors and installation companies. Floor covering installers may specialize in various flooring materials: tiles, carpets, stone, hardwood, etc.

Experienced floor covering installers may advance to supervisory positions, move into sales or customer relations, or contract out their services. Some start their own contracting or retail businesses.

Interprovincial trade certification (Red Seal) is available to qualified floor covering installers. Red Seal trade certification allows for interprovincial mobility.

Outlook

Employment prospects for floor covering installers in the 2010 - 2014 period are expected to be good. Employment in Manitoba in 2010 is estimated at 680.

The demand for floor covering installers is driven by trends in residential and commercial construction and renovation. While construction levels declined in 2009 following a period of record growth, low interest rates and government stimulus programs continue to encourage some new residential, commercial and institutional construction and renovations and provide opportunities for tradespeople. Residential and commercial building is expected to grow moderately in line with increased business activity and population growth. The low entry requirements for this occupational group mean that there is usually a good supply of new recruits.

The replacement of existing floor coverings accounts for a major portion of the work for floor covering installers. Consumers now have, in addition to carpeting, a wide range of flooring products to choose from. Hardwoods, laminates, and tiles are gaining popularity because they are low-maintenance and long lasting. These more durable products will, in the future, reduce the need for replacement work, while at the same time increasing the skill, knowledge and experience required to do the installations.

A proportionally larger number of jobs for floor covering installers are located in rural Manitoba. The majority of floor covering installers (84%) are employed in the Construction sector. The remainder are in the Retail Trade industry (11%), followed by Wholesale Trade and Manufacturing.

Employment by Age Group

Employment by Industry

Employment by Region

Employment by Gender

Employment by Aboriginal Self-Identification

Employment by Visible Minority

Please Note - The source for above charts is the 2006 Census.