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Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles

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

  • Details

  • Work Activities

    • Form 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.
    • Determine traffic areas and decide location of seams.
    • Apply adhesive cement to floor or wall material to join and adhere foundation material.
    • Lay out, position, and apply shock-absorbing, sound-deadening, or decorative coverings to floors, walls, and cabinets, following guidelines to keep courses straight and create designs.
    • Cut flooring material to fit around obstructions.
    • Remove excess cement to clean finished surface.
    • Inspect surface to be covered to ensure that it is firm and dry.
    • Heat and soften floor covering materials to patch cracks or fit floor coverings around irregular surfaces, using blowtorch.
    • Sweep, scrape, sand, or chip dirt and irregularities to clean base surfaces, correcting imperfections that may show through the covering.
    • Measure and mark guidelines on surfaces or foundations, using chalk lines and dividers.
    • Roll and press sheet wall and floor covering into cement base to smooth and finish surface, using hand roller.
    • Trim excess covering materials, tack edges, and join sections of covering material to form tight joint.
    • Cut covering and foundation materials, according to blueprints and sketches.
    • Sweep, scrape, sand, or chip dirt and irregularities to clean base surfaces, correcting imperfections that may show through the covering.
    • Measure and mark guidelines on surfaces or foundations, using chalk lines and dividers.
    • Disconnect and remove appliances, light fixtures, and worn floor and wall covering from floors, walls, and cabinets.
    • Form 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.

    Skills

    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    Abilities

    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.

    Knowledge

    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    Education

    Education
    No formal educational credential
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    1 to 12 months on-the-job training

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    49310/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    23.71/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    580
    Yearly Projected Openings
    60

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Dependability
    • Attention to Detail
    • Cooperation
    • Independence
    • Integrity
    • Achievement/Effort

    Tools

    • Abrasive stones
    • Awls
    • Blow torch
    • Carts
    • Caulking guns
    • Chalk lines
    • Claw hammer
    • Cold chisels
    • Concrete spreaders
    • Dollies
    • Edgers
    • Floats
    • Floor polishers
    • Floor scrapers
    • Glue guns
    • Hacksaw
    • Hammers
    • Hand clamps
    • Heat guns
    • Hold down clamps
    • Knife blades
    • Laminate file
    • Laser measuring systems
    • Levels
    • Metal cutters
    • Moisture meters
    • Nibblers
    • Paint mixers
    • Personal computers
    • Plasma arc welding machine
    • Power grinders
    • Power nail guns
    • Power routers
    • Power sanders
    • Power saws
    • Power screwguns
    • Protective knee pads
    • Pry bars
    • Pullers
    • Razor knives
    • Rubber mallet
    • Safety glasses
    • Saws
    • Scribers
    • Shears
    • Sliders
    • Slings
    • Spatulas
    • Sponges
    • Squares
    • Staple guns
    • Straight edges
    • Tape measures
    • Templates
    • Tile cutter
    • Trowels
    • Utility knives
    • Wallpaper roller
    • Wedges

    Technology

    • Computer aided design CAD software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Internet browser software
    • Inventory management software
    • Office suite software
    • Project management software
    • Web page creation and editing software