Hardwood Floors February/March 2024

By Kjell Nymark

Aside from the rigorous training, NWFA inspectors are trained to write clear and concise reports that can be used in court if needed. Many wood floor manufacturers specify that that they only will accept reports written by NWFA Certified Inspectors. Another reason they are sought after is that they are bound to a code of conduct. The code provides the involved parties with confidence that the information stated in the report is based on fact and unbiased. The current format for the inspector school is a full five-day program that covers: • Professional and legal responsibilities. • Site evaluations and observations. • Testing techniques, including invasive and non-invasive tests. • Conducting interviews with all the involved parties. • Identifying and applying industry standards. • Photography. • Effective report writing.

Are you interested in becoming an NWFA CERTIFIED INSPECTOR? Learn more about the program. Contact Kjell Nymark at 314.288.5848 or kjell.nymark@nwfa.org or Katie Norton at 636.736.5227 or katherine.norton@nwfa.org.

The school is comprised of theory and hands-on elements with several mock-ups of common issues that the students will evaluate and write reports on. The final day of the class is dedicated to the hands-on test requirement. There are two different scenarios that the students will evaluate and then write reports on, which they will later submit for grading. Once the hands-on test is successfully completed, they then will be awarded their certification. Becoming an inspector opens a whole new perspective on the wood flooring industry. Finding the cause of an issue is gratifying in that you can determine the chain of events that led to the issue accurately when no one else was able to. Often when there is an issue with a floor, it frequently leads to a lot of finger-pointing and the involved parties are at an impasse. Determining an accurate cause allows the involved parties to come to an appropriate solution. Inspector school is the pinnacle of training that NWFA provides; it’s applicable to all aspects of the wood flooring industry. As a result, many manufacturers actively seek certified inspectors to hire in their technical and sales departments. Earning inspector certification is a tremendous boost to your credibility and a good way to transition if you are at a stage in your career where you still want to use the knowledge that you’ve acquired, but no longer desire to do the physical work. Kjell Nymark is the certification and training manager for the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) in St. Louis, Missouri. He can be reached at kjell.nymark@nwfa.org.

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