About This Career

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

This career is part of the Architecture and Construction cluster Construction pathway.

A person in this career:

• Sweeps, scrapes, sands, or chips dirt and irregularities to clean base surfaces, correcting imperfections that may show through the covering.
• Cuts flooring material to fit around obstructions.
• Inspects surface to be covered to ensure that it is firm and dry.
• Trims excess covering materials, tacks edges, and joins sections of covering material to form tight joint.
• Forms 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.
• Measures and marks guidelines on surfaces or foundations, using chalk lines and dividers.
• Cuts covering and foundation materials, according to blueprints and sketches.
• Applies adhesive cement to floor or wall material to join and adhere foundation material.
• Rolls and presses sheet wall and floor covering into cement base to smooth and finish surface, using hand roller.
• Lays out, positions, and applies shock-absorbing, sound-deadening, or decorative coverings to floors, walls, and cabinets, following guidelines to keep courses straight and create designs.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 20 lbs., sometimes up to 50 lbs. You might do a lot of lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling.
• Work in this occupation involves bending or twisting your body more than one-third of the time
• Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
• Requires getting into awkward positions
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Exposed to hazardous equipment such as saws, machinery, or vehicular traffic more than once a month
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves kneeling, crouching, stooping, and/or crawling more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying objects

Work Hours and Travel

• Regular working hours and limited travel