How Main Contractors Can Improve Their Flooring Projects

By Richard Catt, CEO of CFA

A well-known main contractor recently approached the CFA with a refreshing question: “How can we get better at commercial flooring?”

It’s not every day we hear that. A proactive approach, as opposed to reactive, even though education and support is a large part of what the CFA is about.

So, being asked about improvement from the outset was a welcome change. The CFA has supported major organisations such as Marks & Spencer before, but it’s still the exception rather than the rule.

What advice did we give?

The first recommendation was simple: work with a CFA member. Membership isn’t automatic, companies must meet strict criteria. That due diligence means clients can trust members to deliver quality, safely and competently. The benefits don’t stop there. Members have ongoing access to training, technical guidance, and regulatory updates, including the latest around the Building Safety Act. They’re also supported by a dispute resolution service, giving both contractor and client an independent inspection and report if something ever goes wrong.

How many flooring contractors can lean on all those credentials? CFA members can and use these benefits to sell themselves ahead of the competition. It certainly caught this contractor’s attention.

Next, we pointed them towards the CFA’s Guide to Contract Flooring. Packed with technical information across all major soft floorcovering types, it acts as a practical definitive guide for site staff and specifiers. By using the guide, contractors can set a clear, consistent baseline for projects. The CFA guide is available to specifiers on the public side of our website and members can also access the guide in sections as guidance notes from the members area to support their quotations and tenders. Really useful tools when explaining, or independently qualifying, why moisture testing is needed and perhaps the use of surface damp proof membrane.

Training was another key point. Through the Flooring Industry Training Association (FITA), flooring contractors can access courses on installation and that should be reassuring to a main contractor. But we also recommended main contractors provide their site managers, and wider flooring related teams, with a basic understanding of moisture testing, installation essentials, and how site conditions influence a good flooring outcome. We highlighted common causes of floor failures, inadequate heat and light, poor workspace preparation, contamination from other trades (such as paint and plaster) and explained how training can help site teams avoid these pitfalls. All FITA training courses can be seen at www.fita.co.uk and the CFA’s wider industry Training Guide on the CFA website.

We also advocated the benefits of a single system approach. By sourcing products through one manufacturer, contractors eliminate debates over compatibility, and secure guarantees. Better still, manufacturer members often provide site inspections and ongoing support, giving extra confidence on large projects.

Finally, we handed over a copy of our Why Choose a CFA Member leaflet. It quickly reminds of the many of these benefits of using CFA members, from adherence to our Code of Conduct through to the fact that CFA represents the whole supply chain, manufacturers, distributors, and contractors. That supply chain perspective means members offer holistic solutions, bringing together quality, competence, innovation, and sustainability, all under the CFA banner. That leaflet is also available through the CFA website and our downloads section.

The conversation was a powerful reminder of what flooring projects can look like at their best. Using CFA members is the surest way for main contractors and other end users to achieve high-performing, future-proofed flooring and the appropriate hassle-free return on their investment. However, we took the opportunity to press home that it is a collaboration and without their support, successful flooring projects are difficult to deliver.

For more information on CFA membership, and how we promote our members to the wider construction industry, specifiers, and clients email info@cfa.org.uk, call 0115 941 1126, or visit: www.cfa.org.uk