Hardwood Flooring School - NWFA

Being a member of the National Wood Flooring Association offers a multitude of Installation at NWFA hardwood flooring school benefits, both business wise, networking, and actual activities that allow you to work with all types of installation and finishing.

Locations

Each year the NWFA lists types of classes that are being held, duration, and costs. Four locations (2010) are now being used for schooling activities with the most recent addition being Las Vegas, NV. Chesterfield, Missouri remains the headquarters and original school location with New York and Vancouver presenting intermediate schooling.

Updated: September 2012

2013 Schedule of Cities:

New York, NY
San Francisco, CA
Deerfield Beach, Fla
Los Angeles, CA
Houston, TX
St. Louis, MO

Additionally, the NWFA has announced a number of one day workshops throughout the USA in 2013. Details have not yet been announced.

Hardwood flooring professionals can choose from a basics introductory class running four days that covers the following activities:

Handling & Storage - Site Preparation
Installation - Tools installation, sub floors.
Special Installation - Moldings, repairs, squeaks
Wood technology - Species, characteristics, milling

Watch an overview of this school on video dated September 2010.

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Other classes held several times throughout the year include:

Factory Finished Installation School - Three Days

Currently held in Las Vegas, Chesterfield, and New York this class covers aspects dealing with prefinished flooring, or what the NWFA is trying to rename to factory finished. Solid, engineered, and floating floors are covered here with the different installation applications. In addition, activities will admit working with other floor coverings creating mixed media possibilities.

Sub Floor Preparation & Solid Glue Down - Three Days

Locations include Las Vegas and Chesterfield, this class covers preparing sub floors for installation of solid hardwoods. Both wood and concrete sub floors are discussed in detail that offers knowledge in sub floor conditions, leveling, and compounds used for such. Working with moisture barriers, adhesives, radiant heat, sound control, and moisture testing are presented.

Intermediate Installation and Sand & Finish - Varies

The intermediate school is broken up into three days depending on what you’re Using floor filler looking for or one can sign up for the entire three day event. First days activities include working and solving moisture issues, installation techniques and working with borders and inlays.

The remaining days offer tool maintenance, with sanding and finishing applications. Finally, the last day covers board replacements and finish repairs.

Jigs, Treads and Risers - Four Days

This school has requirements. You must have at least three years experience in the field and previous NWFA attendance. This advanced event will cover working with stair treads and hand rails. Additional benefits include creating and working with jigs for various design elements with wood floors.

Advanced Installation - Three Days

Three days of progressive hands on training while using a large number of specialized techniques and products. Requirements include three years experience and previous NWFA schooling. Subjects include design elements, borders and medallions, using different floor coverings in tandem, metal insets/inlays, estimating, sanding, finishing, and specialty tools.

Expert Installation - Five Days

This five day school is the cream of the crop for very experienced professionals while requiring attendance at the NWFA advanced school. Activities include wood bending, radius installations, router work, inlays and parquetry, stair work, and hand rails. Classes are currently held one time each year in Missouri and Nevada.

Expert Sand & Finish - Three Days

Another high end workshop for very experienced professionals. Requirements call for three years experience, and previous attendance at the custom design and finish school. Sanding and finishing stairs, faux painting, hand brushing, custom stains and hand scarping are among a few key topics covered here.

Expert Installation/Expert Sand & Finish

This is a combined study of the two expert schools above that take up eight days. Courses are held continuously or back to back with the expert installation as the starting point.

For more information on NWFA school itineraries, costs, and dates you can email them at installationschools@nwfa.org

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