Hardwood Floors December 2024/January 2025

fluorescent stain glows under black light, and the glow pigments charge up so that when the lights are off, the floor stays illuminated.” For Mongalo, this project wasn’t just about creating a visually striking floor, but about giving his students a meaningful experience. “We have our own training facility on the campus, and this was a perfect opportunity for the students to get hands-on experience,” he shares. “We put two students in charge as foremen. They trained with me and also went through an NWFA class. They weren’t just learning how to install a floor; they were creating something from scratch.” The project had its challenges. The first step was to remove the existing carpet, which had been glued to the concrete subfloor. After the carpet was torn out, they faced dealing with stubborn adhesive residue. “We had cement masons come out with their concrete grinder, but they couldn’t get all of the adhesive off,” Mongalo recalls. “That’s when a local rep stepped in with an amazing machine that we didn’t even know could grind concrete. It saved the project.” Once the subfloor was prepped, Mongalo and his students installed the solid and engineered ash flooring using a glue-down method. The ash planks were 7 inches wide and 4 feet long, with a 1.5mm ash face. The students themselves applied the glow-in-the-dark stain, sanded the floors, and applied three coats of water-based polyurethane to give it a durable finish. “The hardest part? Sanding 1,280 pieces by hand!” says Mongalo. “We had to hand sand every single piece of flooring. It was grueling work, but it paid off in the end.” In the end, the project was more than just a flooring installation – it was an experience that deeply impacted the students involved. “The foremen who led the project were so inspired by the process that they’re now thinking about becoming

flooring contractors themselves,” explains Mongalo. “They don’t just want to be installers – they want to have their own companies one day. And seeing that passion come to life is what makes this job worth it.” Mongalo sums it up perfectly: “It took me 10 years to get to where I am today, but these students are learning everything in less than a year. Seeing

THE FUTURE OF THE FLOORING INDUSTRY IS IN YOUR HANDS WHAT WILL YOU DO TO HELP? them create this floor from start to finish and watching them gain confidence and skills they can take with them into their careers – that’s what makes me feel like I’m fulfilling my purpose.” Through the NFCAP, Mongalo is not only teaching students how to install floors – he’s giving them a foundation for a future in the flooring industry. “The mission is to plant that seed,” Mongalo says. “These students aren’t just learning a trade, they’re learning how to build a career.”

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