MAKING A LIVING THROUGH INSTALLATION

Making a living wage as an installer in today’s market is an increasingly difficult  matter. Jon Namba,  industry consultant and owner of Namba Services, Inc. reports that payment has dropped to mid-1970 levels. Before the recession, residential carpet installers were making $3.50 to $4.00 a square foot; in some areas, they are now making $1.75 to $2.75. Tile setters who were pulling in $3.00 to $5.00 a square foot previously are sometimes getting only $1.00 to $1.50 now. And hardwood installers, making $3.00 to $5.00 before the recession, are averaging $2.00 to $2.50 in some markets. Throw in licensing and insurance costs, and it’s hard for up-and-up tax-paying installers to compete.

Plus, at least on the residential side, quality installers will always be fighting a battle against fly-by-nights hoping to make a quick buck. The barrier to entry for the residential installation business is so low—roughly $350 to $400 of tools—that anyone with a couple nights worth of bar tips and an insurance policy can call themselves an installer, regardless of their experience, education or a track record of success. Committed retailers have a hand in curbing this problem by establishing (and maintaining) a close relationship with their installers and encouraging customers to use only these vetted workers.

The Carpet One Floor & Home store in Vallejo, California, owned by David and Michelle Struble, has worked with the same five installers for over 15 years. These installers do a good job and are rewarded for it—knowing that they will get first dibs on any jobs that come along. This reciprocal loyalty serves not only the installer and store but also the customer—as they are guaranteed an installer with experience and a history of success. In addition, at Struble’s store, customers are presented with a total cost—for materials and installation—after the store scopes out the job, and that price is guaranteed. Customers aren’t sold a roll of carpet and left to haggle with an installer over the cost of installing it.

Though it is often assumed that subcontractors will take shortcuts on the job site—when they aren’t under the watchful eye of the retailer—Struble says that this is not the case with his installers. Struble guarantees installations for life, and when problems occur, which they inevitably do, Struble expects the same installer who did the work to fix it. “The installer won’t take a shortcut because they know the will lose money in the repair,” says Struble.

Avalon, a major 14 store chain in the Northeast, pays for some of its installers’ training and certifications but also seeks to enable them with the best tools in the field. At times, the store will buy new tools at cost and sell them to the installers, for the same price, under a payment plan, which is much easier to absorb than a single payment. “Then I know they have the right tool in their hand,” says Vince Licolli, vice president of installation for Avalon.

If an Avalon installation needs to be repaired, the company gives the original installer the opportunity to take care of it. And if the repair costs Avalon money, they charge that back to the installer, again using a payment plan to make it easier on the installer’s finances. Licolli notes that repairs are needed infrequently—only a few call-backs are made a month across Avalon’s entire chain.

All of the dealers that we spoke with use subcontractors for installation, and that is fairly standard across the industry. Jim Walker, a seasoned installer and founder of the Certified Floorcovering Installers organization, estimates that less than 15% of retailers employ their installers. Licolli, who has been in the business for 20 years, notes that those retailers who do employ installers usually have only one or two on staff, and they generally serve as general contractors but also know how to install. Over the years, Licolli has considered moving installation in-house but believes that contracting creates healthy competition among installers that encourages them to work harder and smarter. Licolli has approximately 60 subcontractor installers that he works with.

Struble points out that his store could not offer competitive prices on installation if they had employee installers. “This is the best way to offer value to the customer and allow people to make a living,” he says. Struble—who owns Struble Family Funeral Services, which is located right next to his flooring store—purchased his Carpet One store when the owner, his former tenant, went bankrupt. Struble has employed his experience as a funeral director in the flooring store, taking a very humanistic approach to the business. He encourages both his employees and installers to focus on building relationships, rather than selling. And he seeks to meet the customers needs—whatever they may be—even if it means sending them to a store that better suits their needs. “I don’t take off one hat and put on another,” Struble explains. “All of us are here for the customer. It’s about hearing what the customer is saying, putting ourselves in their shoes and considering what we would want from someone in our role.”

DIVERSIFICATION
Rather than leaving the field during the recession, many installers have chosen to diversify, installing more than one flooring type. Most often, carpet installers jump to hard surface installation of engineered hardwood and resilient flooring. This trend has received a mixed response from dealers.

Some dealers value this diversification because they can send one installer to do a complete job of both hard and soft surface installation, freeing up another installer to go elsewhere. But other dealers believe it produces installers who are jacks-of-all-trades, masters of none.

Regardless of that “danger,” specialization might not be an option for long. Namba says, “Years ago, people could specialize; now they have to be diverse. They have to up their value. They have to install a minimum of two flooring types to be competitive.” In fact, Namba believes that the value of diversification is the most important lesson an installer—budding or experienced—can learn. He also advises that installers earn certifications through non-profit agencies to build their credibility.

However, it still gives flooring installers a bad name to have amateurs out there doing slipshod work. Fortunately, after a while the principle of survival of the fittest tends to weed out the worst of the worst, while others find they’re losing money to get the jobs done and they retreat back to the residential sector.

Smith Bros. Floors is now 93 years old.  My grandfather started the business as C.M. Smith Floors in 1918.  After WWll, my father, Roy Smith, joined his father and the company became C.M. Smith & Son.  When my grandfather passed away in 1959, my uncle, Bob Smith joined the company, and that was when the name was changed to Smith Bros. Floors Ltd.

I was brought up going out to job sites and doing measures.  My summers were spent cleaning the shop and yard, building sleepers and pads for gymnasium floors and eventually installing hardwood to gyms, racquet courts, commercial properties and houses.  Along the way I also got my feet wet sanding and finishing these floors.

After graduating from the University of Calgary with a BA in Economics in 1985, the job outlook was very bleak, especially in the oil and gas sector.  My father had quite a bit of work lined up and asked me if I would like to install some floors until I figured out what I wanted to do.  That was in 1985 and I am still trying to figure it out.

My name is Paul Smith.  To be continued.

We have had a number of calls with questions related to seasonal movement or cracking of wood floors, especially in the winter months. Here is a little information on the subject;

Movement and cracking in a wood floor is not unusual, especially in the winter months of the year. The flooring reacts directly to the humidity changes; the introduction of more humidity or moisture will expand the floor as a whole; loss of humidity or moisture will cause each board to contract. This loss of humidity can result in cracking between the boards.

The outside air plays a role on our indoor environment, and typically humidity readings in our summer months are around 50-55%. Conversely, in winter months, we can see humidity as low as 5-10%. This marked variation in seasonal humidity is what causes any wood floor to expand and contract.

The use of a good quality humidifier in the home can help to reduce the seasonal humidity changes within the home, thereby reducing movement in the floor. These conditions within the home determine the extent of the cracking. It is recommended that the humidity be maintained as close to 30% as possible year round.

It is expected that floors with any shrinkage or cracking would close up to a large extent during the Spring and Summer months. Any further concerns over cracking can be evaluated during the summer months to determine if there is an abnormal problem with the floor. Calgary Hardwood Floors that are allowed to become exceptionally dry may not fully close up on their own.

Please feel free to call our office with any questions or concerns of any nature regarding your wood floor.

Controlling humidity is the most important factor in preventing problems with moisture and your wood floor. The correct maintenance also will go a long way in avoiding problems. Among the key points:

• Clean your wood floor with a cloth lightly dampened by a recommended cleaning product, using the manufacturer’s directions for use. It is best to buy a “floor care kit” recommended by your wood floor installer or retailer.
• Do not clean your floors with water or water based products on a regular schedule – clean only when necessary and clean only the soiled areas.
• Never damp mop a wood floor. The water deteriorates the wood and the finish.
• Never let a water spill dry on the floor.

Unlike many floor coverings, wood floors can last the lifetime of the building in which they are installed. Home owners who want them to last that long, however, should note the number one enemy of a hardwood floor: moisture. Wood floors naturally expand when moisture is present and shrink when it is not. Whether the reactions are a problem or not depends on the severity of the situation. Following are some of the common results when water and wood floors combine:

Cracks Between Boards: Almost every wood floor endures some expansion and contraction as seasons and humidity levels change. When homes are heated, humidity levels plummet, boards shrink and spaces appear between boards in dry months, cracks can easily develop to the thickness of a dime on a typical solid 2 1/4″ oak floor, with light-coloured woods making the cracks appear larger. Plank floors also will show cracks more. These spaces are to be expected and usually close up as the season changes and moisture returns to the air. To reduce the degree of change, home owners can add moisture to the air during the dry months, ideally by installing a humidifier in the furnace.

Cupping: As with cracks, between boards, both cupping and crowning are natural reactions to moisture and should not be a concern if they occur only to a minor extent. More severe cases however, indicate a serious moisture problem.

Cupping describes a condition in which the edges of a board are high and its center is lower. Humidity is usually the culprit, although cupping also can happen after water has spilled onto the floor and absorbed into the wood. The moisture causes the wood to swell, crushing the boards together and deforming them at the edges. In order to repair the floor, the cause of the moisture must be identified.

Most often, indoor humidity will have to be controlled. Other causes could include situations such as a plumbing moisture to migrate up into the subfloor and the wood flooring.

Once the cause of the moisture is controlled, cupping can be reversed. Oftentimes the floor may dry out and improve over time. Fans may be necessary to speed the drying process. After the floor has dried, it may be necessary to recoat the floor with finish, or to sand and refinish the floor.

Crowning : “Crowning” is the opposite of cupping: the middle of the board is higher than the edges of the board. This can occur when the surface of the floor encounters moisture. More often, it results when a floor has been sanded too soon after it has cupped. When this happens, the top edges of the board are sanded off, and thus are lower than the rest of the board when it returns to a normal moisture content.

Buckling : Buckling is one of the most extreme reactions to moisture that can occur with a hardwood floor. It happens when the floor literally pulls away from the subfloor, up to heights as high as several inches. Fortunately, buckling is an uncommon occurrence, usually happening only after a floor has been flooded. Even in such cases, it is possible that a floor can be repaired instead of being totally replaced.

Walking on Wood

Wood flooring is timeless. It enhances the warmth of any home and compliments the decor of any room.

Like a fine piece of furniture, wood flooring increases in value and becomes more beautiful with time. In a national survey, 90 percent of real estate agents said that houses with wood flooring sell faster and for more money.

Wood is a natural resource, renewable and recyclable. Buildings, barns, ships and other structures made of wood often find a second life in wood flooring, cabinets, walls and ceilings. And leading allergists agree that wood floors are the perfect choice for a healthy home.

The state-of-the-art technology and almost limitless choices of today’s stains, finishes, styles and designs make wood flooring one of the most practical, easy-care and versatile floor coverings today. Maintained preperly, wood flooring should never have to be replaced.