In March, District Council 50 floor coverers participated in the Armstrong Level III Certification courses, as well as a heat welding techniques seminar at Honolulu Community College. From March 13 – 14, five floor covering installers attended the first Armstrong Level III session. On March 15, 43 members attended a heat welding techniques seminar sponsored by Tri-West, and conducted by Scott Parks of Armstrong Flooring and Leo Martinez of Turbo Heat Welding Tools. Six floor covering installers attended the final Armstrong Level III sessions from March 16 – 17.
Floor coverers attending the two-day certification sessions were put into real-life scenarios and given a plan to follow. Seams separating homogeneous, heterogeneous and linoleum products, as well as heat-welded seams on inside and outside coved corners, made for a reality check on each layer of this difficult installation test.
Installers left with a better understanding of what is expected for any future Armstrong installation. Certifications allow our contractors to be able to bid on jobs specifying products, such as Armstrong, and ensure that an approved installer will complete the install according to the manufacturer’s installation standards.
Topics discussed and demonstrated in the heat welding techniques seminar included heat gun temperature settings, appropriate nozzle selection, and proper grooving and skiving techniques with newer Armstrong products like Medintech and Medintone.
The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades commends the members of DC 50 for continuing to improve their skill sets through training and education.