HANDS-ON TRAINING
Grow and enhance your skill set. Network with other wood flooring professionals. Learn about the latest trends and tools in the industry. NWFA hands-on training events offer all of this and more. With different skill levels to choose from, there’s a class for you, no matter where you are in your career.
Hands-on training events are offered all year long throughout the U.S. and Canada. Each event is led by an NWFA Regional Instructor. These instructors are highly skilled and trained individuals who have a great passion for the wood flooring industry and are eager to share their knowledge with others. Learn more about our instructors.
Along with the Regional Instructor, you can expect to see manufacturer representatives from NWFA member companies at each event. These representatives come to share their experience, but to also demonstrate their products and help answer any questions you might have while testing them out.
Each class includes an educational reference manual, access to online courses that reinforce the hands-on training being taught, safety goggles, disposable respiratory mask, earplugs, instructor directory, and lunch.
Ready to get started? Click Here to Register.
NWFA Partners in Education help make our training events possible. View the list of participating companies and learn how you can get involved.
CLASS DESCRIPTIONS & PREREQUISITES
Basic Installation, Sand/Finish Combo
A 4-day in-person introductory-level course for those new to the wood flooring industry. Provides a broad overview by combining the Basic Installation and Basic Sand & Finish courses. Includes a history of wood floors, understanding wood, an introduction to wood flooring tools/equipment and uses, installation of unfinished/factory finished solid/engineered flooring, and nail/glue/floating installation methods. Also includes fundamentals of sanding/finishing wood flooring, practice with application of stains/sealers/finishes, and an opportunity to participate in the entire wood flooring process from installation to finishing.
Prerequisite: No experience necessary.
Basic Installation
A 2-day in-person introductory-level course for those new to the wood flooring industry. Includes a history of wood floors, understanding wood, introduction to wood flooring tools/equipment and installation of unfinished/factory finished solid/engineered flooring, and nail/glue/floating installation methods.
Prerequisite: No experience necessary.
Basic Sand and Finish
A 2-day in-person introductory-level course for those new to sanding and finishing. Includes a history of wood floors, fundamentals of sanding/finishing wood flooring, introduction to wood flooring sanding equipment/uses, and practice with application of stains/sealers/finishes.
Prerequisite: No experience necessary.
Intermediate Installation
A 3-day in-person intermediate-level course for those with some wood flooring industry experience. Includes in-depth training on jobsite preparation, layout, understanding the science of wood, an analysis of solid/engineered flooring, practice and instruction for nail/glue/floating installation methods of unfinished/factory finished solid/engineered flooring, floor repair techniques, and simple herringbone pattern. Also includes an opportunity to learn how to incorporate simple design elements into any floor.
Prerequisite: 1 year of installation experience OR attendance at the Basic Installation or Basic Installation, Sand/Finish Combo course.
Intermediate Sand and Finish
A 3-day in-person intermediate-level course for those with some wood flooring experience. Includes in-depth training on general equipment maintenance, sanding multiple flooring types/species, unfinished/factory finished, and engineered/multidirectional/parquet flooring. Also includes floor flattening methods, minimizing the scratch patterns, and efficient use of the professional sanding equipment. On the finishing side, the attendee will learn about and practice with stain application, sealers, natural oils, waxes, colorants, reactive conditioners, finish application, scraping, recoats and final coat application, repairs, and board replacement.
Prerequisite: 1 year of sand & finish experience OR attendance at the Basic Sand & Finish or Basic Installation, Sand/Finish Combo course.
Advanced Installation
A 4-day in-person course for experienced wood floor professionals. Includes creating/designing/installing unique patterns/designs with solid/engineered unfinished/factory finished wood floors. Learning covers different specialty skills based on student/instructor input. Includes introduction to designing parquetry, cutting marquetry, wood bending, and designing with circles/curves.
Prerequisite: Three years of installation experience AND attendance at the Intermediate Installation school.
Advanced Sand and Finish
A 3-day in-person course for experienced wood floor professionals. Includes proper preparation of a wood floor to achieve desired end-result/look, experimenting with a variety of finishing techniques using unique application methods/products/systems such as reactive conditioners, bleaches, dyes, oils, pigments, and other colorants in conjunction with a multitude of finish systems to create a palette of styles/looks within the same floors. Also includes unique/historical woodworking finishing processes. This course includes the skills necessary to become a Master of Colors, Finishes, and Textures.
Prerequisite: Three years of sand and finish experience AND attendance at the Intermediate Sand and Finish school.
Inspector School
An in-person course designed to prepare wood flooring professionals to earn the NWFA Certified Wood Flooring Inspector credential and build a business as an inspector. Includes inspector’s role/legal responsibilities, how to identify wood flooring problems, conducting interviews, testing methods/tools, finding/using industry standards, conducting inspections, and report writing.
Prerequisite: Must be an NWFA member. Complete and pass the Inspector Test with a score of 80 percent or better. Attend these NWFA courses: Basic Installation (can be bypassed with 3 years validated experience), Basic Sand & Finish (can be bypassed with 3 years validated experience), Intermediate Installation, and Intermediate Sand & Finish. Complete NWFA University Installation, Sand & Finish, and Manufacturing courses.
One-Day Workshop: Problems, Causes, Cures
A 1-day in-person course providing an in-depth review of common problems, identifying their causes, and how to cure them. This workshop can be customized to focus on region-specific issues.
Prerequisite: None
One-Day Workshop: Wood Floor Sales
A 1-day in-person or virtual course providing instruction about different types of wood and their technical attributes as flooring products, how to sell wood against “wood-look” floor coverings, and the benefits of real wood flooring. Also includes minimizing claims and call-backs, guiding the customer to the right species and floor type for their lifestyle, understanding appropriate installation methods and finishes for each project, and developing stronger customer relationships and loyalty throughout the selling process.
Prerequisite: None
One-Day Workshop: Intro to Inspections
A 1-day in-person course that includes properly identifying an issue, its potential causes and cures, and dealing with disgruntled customers. Includes different testing methods and resources to determine the causes of the claim, working with inspectors, and understanding the inspection process.
Prerequisite: None
One-Day Workshop: Wood Floor Repairs
A 1-day in-person course providing an introduction to advanced-level repair work on finished floors, injection repairs, board replacements, factory-finished repairs, color matching, color theory, scratch and gouge repair, grain replacement, and collecting payment for the job.
Prerequisite: None
One-Day Workshop: Moisture Testing
A 1-day in-person course providing an in-depth view of moisture meters, moisture testing tools, and ASTM testing methods. Includes how to use different tools, assessing moisture content, dealing with wood and substrate materials, and claims. Also includes opportunities to work with subject matter experts who will help you prepare and assess substrates prior to installation.
Prerequisite: None
One-Day Workshop: Glue-Down Installation
This 1-day workshop provides an introduction to glue-down installation processes. Includes jobsite evaluation, acclimation, and subfloor preparation. Attendees will get hands-on experience using the tools needed for the job, laying out working lines, proper adhesive and trowel selection, and the steps for a successful glue-down installation.
Prerequisite: None
One-Day Workshop: Nail-Down Installation
This 1-day workshop provides an introduction to nail-down installation process. Includes jobsite evaluation, acclimation, and subfloor preparation. Attendees will get hands-on experience using the tools needed for the job, laying out working lines, fastener schedules, expansion space and the steps for a successful nail-down installation.
Prerequisite: None
One-Day Workshop: Floating Installation
This workshop provides an introduction to floating installation process. Includes jobsite evaluation, acclimation, and subfloor preparation. Attendees will get hands-on experience using the tools needed for the job, laying out working lines, proper underlayment selection, and the steps for a successful floating floor installation.
Prerequisite: None
One-Day Workshop: Multi-Disc/Planetary Sanding Equipment
A 1-day in-person course providing opportunities to learn about and use multi-disc/planetary sanders. Includes instruction for fine-finish sanding and flattening floors by utilizing abrasive types from medium to extra fine grits.
Prerequisite: None
One-Day Workshop: Machine Repairs
A 1-day in-person course providing in-depth training for field maintenance of common wood flooring tools and equipment, including the big machine/belt sander, edger, buffer, multi-head, compressor, and the flooring nailer. Includes disassembly and reassembly to address common field repairs.
Prerequisite: None
Master Craftsman Workshop: Marquetry/Inlays Workshop
A 2-day in-person course designed for experienced wood floor professionals. Learn to produce decorative, elaborate, non-linear, hand-cut designs from individual pieces of wood that function as a centerpiece, border, carving, or inlay into an existing floor. This course covers the skills necessary to earn the Marquetry/Inlay Mastery credential.
Prerequisite: 3 years of installation experience AND attend Intermediate Installation course.
Master Craftsman Workshop: Mastery Curves and Wood Bending
A 2-day in-person course designed for experienced wood floor professionals. Learn to produce circles, ovals, and curves by hand, through bending wood, using jigs, sleds, and specialty tools specific for this technique. Learn to include circles and curves into a flooring design. This course covers the skills necessary to become a master of circles, curves, and bending wood.
Prerequisite: 3 years of installation experience AND attend Intermediate Installation course.
Master Craftsman Workshop: Precision Patterns: Medallions and Parquetry
A 2-day in-person course designed for experienced wood floor professionals. Learn to produce a variety of parquet patterns and medallion styles by hand, including design symmetry, mosaics, and other decorative elements exclusive to the geometry of the pattern. This course includes building customized sleds and jigs which may be taken home after the course. This course covers the skills necessary to become a Master of Medallions and Parquetry.
Prerequisite: 3 years of installation experience AND attend Intermediate Installation course.
Download the NWFA Education & Training Programs Course Catalog for More Information