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- With experience, option to become a team supervisor, estimator or contracts manager
- Option to set up your own carpet, floor laying or flooring design business
- Your role will include kneeling to fit flooring, lifting and carrying of heavy flooring materials, and moving of furniture
As a flooring fitter, you'll work in people's homes and on commercial premises.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Measuring floor space and estimating the amount of materials needed
- Clearing away furniture and taking off doors
- Removing old flooring
- Cleaning, levelling and sealing the work area
- Gluing or nailing underlay and floor coverings into place
- Stretching carpet over spiked gripper rods and taping
- Heat-sealing joins and edges on vinyl flooring
- Spraying or waxing floor coverings to give them a protective coating
- Using fast-track flooring systems
- Putting furniture back and trimming and re-hanging doors
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
You'll usually work as part of a team of two or three people. Some companies may offer a vehicle as part of your package. Commercial fitters may have to work evenings and weekends.
The job is physically demanding and you'll spend much of your time kneeling to fit flooring. You'll also be lifting and carrying heavy flooring materials, and moving furniture. You may come into contact with chemical adhesives and sprays.
You'll need
Most carpet fitters and floor layers start out by joining a company and training on the job. Employers will expect you to have practical skills and be good with numbers; GCSEs in Maths and English will be helpful for this role.
You could take a college course like the Level 1 Award in Flooring Operations or Basic Construction Skills with flooring options. This will give you some of the skills needed for the job.
You may also be able to start by doing a floor layer intermediate apprenticeship.
CAREER PROSPECTS
With experience, you could be become a team supervisor, estimator or contracts manager. You could move into areas like buying and product sales. You could also set up your own carpet, floor laying or flooring design business.