FCICA Member, IUPAT Announces New Commercial Carpet Certification 

Rockwall, Tx March 15, 2023--Flooring installation veteran Robert Varden and Val Chestohin, Lead Floor Covering Instructor DC 16 FTI Northern California and Nevada of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), announced the development of a new, intensive four-day certification program called Masters Commercial Carpet Certification. Applicants must have 4-5 years of on-the-job experience as an Apprentice/Journeyman with IUPAT.

“This will be the toughest certification in the installation profession to attain,” said Varden, a consultant for IUPAT. "It's strictly a pass or fail, and you can't receive the certification simply by years in the business. You must take and pass the test to qualify.”

“We’re in full support of anything that does training throughout the industry ... This is probably one of the most detailed testing programs we’ve seen to date by anyone.” Ken Kennedy, Director of Technical Services, The Dixie Group, after seeing the presentation by IUPAT.

“A lot of the certification is concerned with proper job site analysis,” observed Chestohin. “The preparation before the flooring is installed is where many flooring jobs can fail.”

In addition to job site analysis, applicants must know adhesive compatibility and requirements, substrate testing, substrate prep, material layout, patterned carpet identification and installation, carpet tile layout and installation, woven carpet, and double stick installation. Written, oral, and skill tests will be conducted.

“We’ve had excellent input and response from the mills in support of this Masters certification, including The Dixie Group, Engineered Floors, J+J Flooring, KANE Carpets, Shaw Industries and also Taylor Adhesives. ISE Logik is also helping with understanding the effect of admixtures and moisture mitigation or concrete substrates,” stated Varden.

The Masters Commercial Carpet Certification program is slated to be offered in June of this year.