The floor installer is the worker responsible for laying floors in the interior. The floor installer specializes in laying floors and coverings in different materials (PVC, tiles, cement, wood, stone, carpet ) and in repairing interior floors .
What does the floor installer do?
The main part of the work is the preparation of the bottom and the laying of floors for civil, commercial or industrial use, both in new constructions and in existing buildings.
The floor installer makes a site visit, he measures the surface with precision, plans the sequence of work and prepares the base on which he will lay the floor (the slab). He cleans and scrapes the slab in order to make it smooth and compact, and he checks that it is suitable for the laying of the coating: for example he checks the absence of humidity and that the slab’s drying times are respected, which change depending on the type of floor (tiles, parquet, etc.).
The professionals of installation of flooring can sometimes be responsible for the thermal and sound insulation of the backdrop.
The flooring installer chooses the material, the quality and the color of the covering with the customer and lays it precisely.
The procedure is very different depending on the type of material used (ceramic, vinyl, laminate, wood or cement). The tiles in ceramic, for example requires the cutting and installation according to a specific pattern, while the vinyl sheet or PVC must be asked and perfectly adhered to the surface using appropriate adhesive. The laying of the cement coverings requires yet another procedure.
Depending on the material chosen, the floor installer uses different laying instruments: rulers and squares, picks, hammers, scalpels, spatulas, trowels and planers, but also leveling tools, shaping, and digital gauges.
After laying, the finishing should be carried out and the space around it cleaned, after which the work is finished.
Where does the floor installer work?
The floor installer works as a self- employed craftsman in construction or as an employee in construction companies dealing with new construction, maintenance and renovations – with masons, carpenters, plumbers, painters, joiners.
In the first case, he defines and negotiates the details of the installation directly with the client, in the second he carries out the work following the instructions of the surveyors, architects, designers and interior designers and he receives the instructions from the head of team and the site manager.
The working hours are generally full time daily, but flexibility may be requested, for example to organize with other artisans. In addition, depending on the project, trips to the site or the workplace may be shorter or longer.
The profession of the floor installer is relatively difficult, because it involves working for a long time kneeling or in awkward positions, and the work requires great expertise both for the execution of preliminary operations and for the laying of floors and coverings.