Flooring and the labour shortage

July 11, 2022

Understanding the labour shortage in the flooring installation sector and how the industry is fighting to boost its workforce.

When it comes to the home, many homeowners are very particular with regards to the types of flooring that they desire. Some desire soft carpets that warm and brush the soles of our feet, creating a comfort inducing feeling. Others crave sturdier material such as wooden floors that are more chic and easier to clean. Irrespective of the various flooring materials that are sought after, it must be acknowledged that the majority of our homes would not be as aesthetically pleasing or designed/built effectively without flooring or carpet fitters. The entire housing industry has seen a major struggle when it comes to an adequate number of workers and manual labour within the industry, and the carpet and flooring sector is no different. With that being said, this feature wishes to understand the worker shortage and how the industry is responding to this. This article will also assess the popular forms of flooring materials hitting the market, and how this may also be impacted by the supply chain shortage too.

The role of a carpet or flooring fitter

Carpet fitters lay carpets and vinyl floor coverings in homes and business premises. As a carpet fitter, they would measure up rooms, stairs, and hallways, estimate the materials needed for the job, and install the floor covering onsite, cutting it to fit and securing it. Floor layers, on the other hand, prepare or fit the floor base and sometimes install the coverings.

Both fitters and layers will go to people’s homes, speak with them about what kind of floor they’d like to have, advise them about the best options and how much it will cost.

Measuring the space and estimating the quantity of materials they’ll need for the project, whether it’s carpet, vinyl tiles or sheet lino, laminate flooring or solid timber, is a key part of being a flooring fitter.

It may also require:

Move the furniture out of the room and take off doors
Remove the old flooring
Clean, level and seal the bare floor, using compound if required

Depending on what type of floor is being fitted, a fitter would also:

Cut it to the required size and shape
Glue or nail floor coverings into place
Stretch carpet over spiked gripper rods and tape or heat-seal it
Spray or wax the floor covering to give it a protective coating

Once they have finished this, the furniture is moved back into the room.

Commercial work, on the other hand, is slightly different. Fitters normally fit larger floor areas such as shops, offices, hotels, pubs, schools and hospitals. In this instance, a range of materials is used including specialist materials like welded sheets or safety flooring.

Fitters and layers coordinate their work with the manager or the main contractor for the project.

Finally, they would:

Remove old flooring
Clean, level and prepare the subfloor, using smoothing compounds if required
Glue or nail floor coverings into place

Lay large areas of carpet, making sure it is fully fixed
Use fast-tracks flooring systems such as resin or concrete, to quickly install floors

This in itself is very physically demanding and time-consuming. Some fitters may be expected to work in the evenings. All this listed information is important to know in order to decipher what factors are impacting on this worker shortage. Accordingly, let’s assess the reasons for the worker shortage and how this is impacting on the development of newly built homes.