Hardwood Floors December 2017/January 2018

AT THE SITE

Maintaining Installation Efficiency (Continued)

When installing, make sure you have all the necessary tools you will need handy such as hammer, tape measure, chalk line, nail sets, screwdrivers, chisels, utility knives, and nail pullers. It’s good practice to keep these items in a tool belt or pouch. Wearing a tool belt ensures that you will nd the necessary hand tools when you need them, saving yourself a lot of time in searching for tools that you had in your hands just moments before. If tools are strewn about the oor, you risk damaging the oor if these tools are stepped on during installation. is will result in performing unnecessary repairs. Other tools that can’t be carried in a pouch or belt should be kept in a toolbox. When the tool is not in use, it should be placed back in the toolbox to avoid searching for themwhen you need them.

Have a plan in place before starting the installation. Some of the things that should be considered are how to deal with the doorways, how to achieve a balanced layout, and where to begin installation to minimize the impact of the more di cult areas. Determine placement of your saw. e saw should be placed in an area as close to the area of installation as possible to minimize the amount of walking back and forth to the saw when cuts have to be made. Install as much of the ooring as you can before you have to make a cut then mark and cut the last boards. Make sure that you cut multiple boards at a time. Place a trash can close to the saw so that the o -cuts are disposed of immediately to avoid clu ering up your workstation and minimize cleanup at the end of the day.

SMART TIP Record the relative humidity (RH) and moisture content (MC) of the job on the subfloor and then take a photo to store with the bid information.

Soft Skills Show up for work on time (the earlier, the be er). When you are one of the rst trades on-site, you can take command of your workspace. It’s much easier to deny another trade access to your workspace than it is to remove a tradesperson that has already started working in the space. Starting work early will also allow you to take advantage of working in cooler temperatures in the summer months. Never be empty-handed. When you approach the

home or work site, carry a toolbox; it’ll save an extra trip. If you need to get something from your vehicle, bring down a full trash bag or bring down a trash can that may have to be emptied. If you know you’re nished with a piece of equipment, bring it back to your vehicle. at way, it is out of your way, and it saves you from having to scramble to get the equipment into the vehicle at the end of the job. Scrambling at the end of the job will o en result in throwing your equipment into the vehicle in a disorganized manner. Put your phone away! When you’re constantly distracted by incoming text messages, emails, and phone calls, you will lose your rhythm and momentum. Designate a time to respond to texts and emails that may accumulate during the day such as co ee breaks, lunch breaks, or at a time when you have completed a room or section of ooring and about to start a new room or section. Most of the tips suggested in this article seem like common sense; however, a lot of these simple tips get ignored when you’re in the heat of ba le trying to meet a deadline. e result is you end up working unnecessarily hard in an a empt to nish on time, and this can o en lead to shortcuts or a nished project that is not up to the standard you’ve set for yourself. e most e cient way to install a oor is to install it correctly the rst time. It becomes costly both in time and money if you have to return to a job site a er you’ve nished the installation and packed up your equipment. Staying organized and creating good work habits that become routine is the easiest way to optimize e ciency. Kjell Nymark is Technical Advisor at the National Wood Flooring Association in St. Louis. He can be reached at kjell.nymark@nwfa.org.

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