LVP Installation Training Added to CCA University Curriculum

The slate of training classes offered to CCA Global Retail Group members as part of installation excellence in partnership with expert Robert Varden has expanded with the addition of luxury vinyl plank (LVP) installation.

“With our members keeping busy with commercial and retail projects, it’s especially vital that we arm them with top-tier training on not just the overarching basic skills but also in understanding the nuances and small details that can make or break an installation,” says Keith Spano, president of Flooring America, Flooring Canada, International Design Guild and the Floor Trader. “We also learned from our pilot class that this training should include skills associated with glue-down LVP installation over a concrete slab, as well as rigid core floating floor systems.”

The new education track joins the existing curriculum of carpet seaming and patterned carpet classes. It covers the use of primers and adhesives and teaches how to install planks on a chevron angle for herringbone designs. Rigid core LVP locking systems are covered, too.

“For this course, we begin with job site conditions, floor prep and levelling — stressing the importance of getting that right before anything else,” says Varden. “We always emphasize knowing the manufacturer’s instructions and how to use trammel points to have a perfectly squared installation from the outset. One wrong detail in any of these steps and an inspector can disqualify your installation.”

CCA Global Retail Group’s members can enrol in the classes as part of their CCA Global University training program. Since February, 84 installers have participated in the training, with classes sold out into summer. New fall classes are being added.

“Our member retailers are eager to up their installation game while dramatically lowering their chance for callbacks,” says Nicole Harding, vice-president of CCA University. “Adding this new training is another valuable addition to our members’ curriculum.”