Why Education, Training and Recruiting Remain Essential

By Gary Scheidker, director of technical services, Taylor Adhesives

It is easy to become complacent and stop learning. However, even long-time industry veterans often find more to learn. With all the changes in the flooring and construction industries, keeping your team up to date on current/pending legislation and product updates is essential. Everyone on your team from specification to estimating, scheduling and installation needs to know about any changes and the challenges they can create.

These changes may be mandated by local, state or federal legislation and may require additional licensing and/or certifications.

For example, the EPA’s RRP (Renovation, Repair and Painting) testing requirements have been in place for many years. This requires firms working on pre-1978 homes or child-occupied facilities to be certified and use trained, certified renovators to ensure lead-safe practices. The certification is a one-day class that is relatively inexpensive and is valid for five years. Failure to properly test for lead-based paint and follow safe practices can result in substantial fines.

Your team also needs to know where asbestos-containing materials may be present. Fortunately, OSHA offers an online certification course for asbestos awareness. In addition to fines, failure to properly test for and handle any lead- or asbestos-containing materials can open you up to civil liability.

I remember a flooring installation subcontractor who was pressured into removing an existing vinyl floor which contained asbestos. The property owner subsequently sued him for the value of the home and won. This could have been avoided by knowing how to handle asbestos-containing materials and following proper procedures. Keep in mind some state and local laws may have even stricter requirements for handling and disposal of these hazardous materials.

While keeping your team up-to-date is important, so is training them on the testing procedures they will need to follow. One example relates to the federally mandated switch to Type 1L cement. This change is designed to provide an eco-friendly (lower carbon footprint) alternative to traditional Type I/II cement concrete by incorporating 5-15% un-calcinated ground limestone into the mix. Since the limestone will be locally sourced, the quality and characteristics of the finished concrete can vary greatly by region.

The flooring contractor needs to start by requesting the concrete mix design. Find out if Type 1L concrete was used and what if any additional admixtures (such as fly ash) were included. Confirm whether any curing compounds, coatings or densifiers were applied.

For all Type 1L concrete, the slab must be physically examined for shrinkage cracks, surface pinholes, discoloration (blotchiness) or surface crusting. Since Type 1L concrete can be slower to gain strength, I recommend the following steps even if the slab appears sound:

1. Hardness Testing (Mohs Scale): Perform a Mohs pick test to ensure surface integrity. As a rule of thumb, concrete hardness should be at least 5 for light commercial and 6 for heavy commercial applications.

2. Relative Humidity Testing (ASTM F2170): Use in-situ probes for moisture measurement. Type 1L concrete tends to retain water longer, making surface-level tests (like the calcium chloride ASTM F1869 standard) unreliable.

3. Cure Verification: Type 1L can extend the required curing time. Ensure the slab is fully cured before sealing it with impervious flooring.

4. Bond Testing: Perform bond tests at the same frequency as moisture tests to verify the surface tensile strength is sufficient for the specified adhesive.

5. Porosity Testing (ASTM F3191): Determine the absorption rate of the surface to ensure proper adhesive/primer mechanical bond.

If any of these tests fail to meet industry standards, contact the general contractor immediately. It is their responsibility to remediate the slab and provide a substrate suitable for flooring.

Changes made to flooring products may also require specialized training for your team. One of the most common changes to resilient flooring is the elimination of PVC. These PVC-free flooring products may require non-standard installation techniques such as a semi-wet or wet set installation. These installation methods are generally slower than a dry set installation with a pressure sensitive adhesive. Making certain your salespeople, specifiers, estimators and schedulers are aware of the additional time and cost involved can prevent costly mistakes.

Have your installation team trained in the most up-to-date installation procedures for the products you install. Proper training will make them more efficient and ultimately result in a shorter punch list. Quite a few training organizations (CFI, FCICA, NWFA and others) are available that can help.

At Taylor Adhesives we recently started a free training program called T3C (Taylor Technical Training) Pro Path, which is performed by industry veterans and can be tailored to sales personnel or installers. The program is designed to educate and create an appetite for additional learning at all levels of the flooring industry.

Employee retention should always be a priority, especially when it comes to your key people. Listening to your employees and treating them with respect will go a long way. You should always give credit to employees who think outside the box, especially when their ideas benefit the company. Obviously proper compensation is also important.

We all know it is expensive to find and train new employees. Unfortunately, employees can and will leave for a variety of reasons which may be out of your control. When new people are needed, finding the right people can be a challenge. Over my 55-year career in the flooring industry, I have met and recruited some excellent people from unlikely places.

In many cases I have found amazing people through friends and business associates. I have hired people who were underappreciated in their current position, or they were stuck in a business with little to no opportunity for advancement. I have also hired people who were successfully self-employed by providing them with a better opportunity. Depending on the position you may want to recruit from a local vocational school, state college or high school.

Finding and keeping good employees is crucial for a successful business. Unfortunately, I have also made some bad hires over the years. In every case I had the opportunity to learn what makes a good employee. Make your hard-earned knowledge part of the interview process; listen to the applicants’ answers and observe their body language.