Article Number : 5289 |
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| Date | 2/16/2010 9:16:22 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=5289 |
| Abstract | By Matthew Spieler HICKSVILLE, N.Y.—Add the North American Laminate Flooring Association (NALFA) to the growing list of organizations and companies to join forces with the International Certified Floorcovering Installers Association (CFI) in order to promote quality and professional installation... |
| Article | By Matthew Spieler HICKSVILLE, N.Y.—Add the North American Laminate Flooring Association (NALFA) to the growing list of organizations and companies to join forces with the International Certified Floorcovering Installers Association (CFI) in order to promote quality and professional installation. “Today it is essential that flooring installers achieve a higher level of education to achieve customer satisfaction,” said Bill Dearing, NALFA’s president. “Both organizations strive to prepare installers to become more knowledgeable concerning the latest installation techniques.” The latest announcement initially focuses on installers contracted by Lowe’s, which was seeking a way for its mechanics to become certified in laminate. CFI already does training and certification for the big box, so the tie-in with NALFA, which has been offering its own two-day training and certification courses around the country, was a natural fit. Dearing said NALFA’s two-day curriculum was “synthesized” into an intensive one-day course for the CFI/Lowe’s training. “Most of NALFA’s members liked the idea of an umbrella certification, and all participated in the committee that developed the one-day program.” He added Lowe’s installers are supposed to have a certain amount of experience in order to be employed, meaning they are not beginners. That is a key reason on why NALFA was able to strip away parts of its main curriculum for this venture. “CFI and NALFA curriculum cover all aspects of a quality laminate installation and provide the skills necessary to perform installations to high standards of craftsmanship in the field,” said Jim Walker, CFI’s CEO. He explained under the agreement, “Installers who successfully complete the two-year requirement of experience and the written, oral and skills tests of the CFI Laminate Training Course now have the opportunity to also become certified through NALFA.” No rubber stamp Dearing said he has always had a great deal of respect for CFI. A main reason NALFA chose to partner with it was because “we didn’t want this to be a rubber stamp approval, and CFI’s history is one that it does not automatically pass people. Installers have to prove and earn their certifications.” Jon Namba, CFI’s executive director, added, “The training and information is based on CFI’s proven methods of installation, NALFA curriculum, along with requirements and instructions from other organizations and mills CFI has partnered with, and experience in the field.” He noted training events in wood, laminate, ceramic and carpet will be conducted at 69 locations for Lowe’s during 2010, and “the industry technical certifications are also available at these events for others involved in flooring.” In addition, the Lowe’s dates are on top of the normal events CFI holds throughout the year as well as the ones that include an Armstrong or NWFA component. CFI’s calendar of events is updated daily on its Web site, cfiinstallers.com. Two-day course continues Dearing said NALFA is still moving forward with its original two-day course. The CFI/Lowe’s venture is mainly “another reinforcement for a professional installer to demonstrate that he knows and understands how to properly install a laminate floor.” While each NALFA member has unique characteristics to its products—which is why many offer their own certifications as well—Dearing said they all realize there are certain fundamentals that need to be done in order to achieve a quality installation. “The NALFA curriculum addresses these areas, which should give confidence to both the retailer and consumer that her new laminate floor will be installed correctly the first time.” For more on the program or to check on when a training and certification will be near your area, call CFI at 816.231.4646. |