Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles

Wages
In 2021, the average annual wage in Alabama was $35,520 with most people making between $24,330 and $50,960.
Wages by Industry
  • Building Finishing Contractors $41,380.00
  • Home Furnishings Stores $35,840.00
Education Required
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Common Majors
  • Carpet, Floor, and Tile Worker
About the job

Apply blocks, strips, or sheets of shock-absorbing, sound-deadening, or decorative coverings to floors.

What you'll do
    • Apply adhesive cement to floor or wall material to join and adhere foundation material.
    • Cut covering and foundation materials, according to blueprints and sketches.
    • Determine traffic areas and decide location of seams.
    • Disconnect and remove appliances, light fixtures, and worn floor and wall covering from floors, walls, and cabinets.
    • Form a smooth foundation by stapling plywood or Masonite over the floor or by brushing waterproof compound onto surface and filling cracks with plaster, putty, or grout to seal pores.
    • Heat and soften floor covering materials to patch cracks or fit floor coverings around irregular surfaces, using blowtorch.
    • Lay out, position, and apply shock-absorbing, sound-deadening, or decorative coverings to floors, walls, and cabinets, following guidelines to keep courses straight and create designs.
    • Measure and mark guidelines on surfaces or foundations, using chalk lines and dividers.
    • Remove excess cement to clean finished surface.
    • Roll and press sheet wall and floor covering into cement base to smooth and finish surface, using hand roller.
Things you need to know
    • Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Abilities you'll need to have
    • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
    • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
    • Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
    • Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
    • Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
    • Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
    • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.