SOUTH AFRICA · SALARY IN RANDS

Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles

What the work involves, the skills employers want, and how to get started in South Africa.

  • Floor Covering Contractor
  • Floor Coverings Installer
  • Floor Layer
  • Flooring Installer
  • Flooring Mechanic
  • Tile Installer
  • Tile Setter
  • Vinyl Installer
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What do Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles do?

Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles, are skilled tradespeople who specialize in installing and finishing various types of floor coverings that are not classified as carpet, wood, or traditional hard tiles. This includes materials such as vinyl, linoleum, laminate, rubber, cork, and other synthetic or composite flooring options. These professionals often work in residential, commercial, and industrial settings, where they assess the specific needs of a space, prepare the subfloor, and select appropriate materials for installation. Their work involves cutting, fitting, and laying flooring materials, ensuring proper alignment and adhesion, and finishing edges to create a seamless appearance. Floor layers must also take into account factors such as safety, durability, and maintenance requirements of the flooring they install, as well as compliance with building codes and industry standards. Attention to detail, physical stamina, and knowledge of various flooring materials and installation techniques are essential for success in this career.

What the work actually is

  • Sweep, scrape, sand, or chip dirt and irregularities to clean base surfaces, correcting imperfections that may show through the covering.
  • Cut flooring material to fit around obstructions.
  • Inspect surface to be covered to ensure that it is firm and dry.
  • Trim excess covering materials, tack edges, and join sections of covering material to form tight joint.
  • 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 employers expect

Skills

  • Active Listening Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Speaking Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Abilities

  • Extent Flexibility The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
  • Near Vision The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Oral Comprehension The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Finger Dexterity The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.

Knowledge

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Mathematics Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Mechanical Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
  • Production and Processing Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

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How people get into it

Education of new hires

High school diploma or equivalent
or: GED, High School Equivalency Certificate
Less than high school diploma
Post-secondary certificate
Awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in Personnel Services, Engineering-related Technologies, Vocational Home Economics, Construction Trades, Mechanics and Repairers, Precision Production Trades)

A normal week

  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
  • Getting Information
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems
  • Scheduling Work and Activities
  • Performing General Physical Activities

Tools used on the job

Technology

  • Office suite software Microsoft Office software
  • Data base user interface and query software Aya Associates Comp-U-Floor · Flooring Technologies QFloors · Focus Floor Covering Software · Textile Management Systems RollMaster
  • Project management software CPR Software FloorCOST Estimator for Excel · Measure Square FloorEstimate Pro · On Center On-Screen Takeoff · Pacific Solutions FloorRight
  • Computer aided design CAD software Project visualization software
  • Internet browser software Web browser software

Tools

  • Staple guns Flooring staplers · Hammer tackers · Underlayment staplers
  • Floats Concrete floats · Grout floats · Tapping blocks
  • Razor knives Broad knives · Dolphin knives · Skiving knives
  • Pry bars Base molding lifters · Pinch bars · Pull bars
  • Scribers Bar scribers · Scoring knives · Vinyl scribers

Who it suits

Realistic

Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.

Conventional

Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

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Questions people ask

How much do Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles earn in South Africa?

Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles salaries in South Africa vary by experience, province and employer.

What do Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles do?

Sweep, scrape, sand, or chip dirt and irregularities to clean base surfaces, correcting imperfections that may show through the covering, Cut flooring material to fit around obstructions and Inspect surface to be covered to ensure that it is firm and dry.

How do I know if this career fits me?

Take the free Assessify career assessment. It matches your answers to careers and shows the South African salary next to each one.