The earner of this certification has been recognized by the NWFA for possessing industry knowledge and expertise for installing hardwood floors. Being a Professional Installer with the NWFA means this person has committed to mastering the installation process and will continue to participate in ongoing education to maintain and grow his or her skill set.

The earner of this badge possesses an understanding of the basics of wood flooring, including the anatomy of hardwood and softwood trees, the life cycle of a tree from the forest to the floor, and the many types and differences between solid and engineered wood flooring. This knowledge is fundamental to understanding how to install wood flooring of all types.

The earner of this badge has demonstrated proficiency in maintaining a safe jobsite. Safety on the jobsite is imperative because it protects the installer and the consumer from harm and ultimately saves time and money.

The earner of this badge has demonstrated the ability to thoroughly evaluate the jobsite prior to installation. An understanding of how to properly assess the conditions of the jobsite is one of the most important elements to a successful wood floor installation.

The earner of this badge has demonstrated proficiency in evaluating and identifying concrete and wood subfloors. This includes moisture testing and moisture control, flatness tolerances, radiant heating considerations, and sound control underlayment’s. The ability to evaluate these subfloors is one of the most important skills an installer can possess because subfloors are key to a successful wood flooring installation.

The earner of this badge possesses an understanding of the all-important relationship between water and wood. This includes wood moisture testing, how to acclimate and condition wood flooring to the home environment, and the flooring issues that can develop due to an imbalance between moisture content and wood.

The earner of this badge possesses an understanding of the important relationship of moisture in concrete and how it can affect the wood floor. This includes the components and behavior of concrete, concrete moisture testing, and moisture inhibitors that are appropriate for use on a concrete subfloor.

The earner of this badge has demonstrated the ability to lay out working lines to guide a successful wood floor installation. A proper layout is key to installing all wood floors.

The earner of this badge has demonstrated proficiency implementing the glue-down installation process for wood flooring. This common installation method is used to install many types of wood floors over many different types of subflooring.

The earner of this badge has demonstrated proficiency implementing the nail-down installation process for wood flooring. Being able to use this common installation method will allow this individual to successfully install many types of wood floors and meet customer expectations.

The earner of this badge has demonstrated proficiency implementing the floating installation process for wood flooring. This common installation method is used to install many types of engineered wood floors in a variety of situations.

The earner of this badge has demonstrated proficiency implementing the board replacement process for repairing damaged wood flooring. The ability to replace an individual board or group of boards is a valuable skill for the installer to maintain when repairing wood floors.

The earner of this badge has demonstrated proficiency in laying out and installing patterned wood floors, including herringbone and other types of parquet wood flooring. Patterned or parquet wood flooring is a beautiful, historical flooring option for any commercial or residential space