What NWFA certifications, training, and achievements does your wood floor contractor have?

In the case of Michigan Hardwood Floor Services, certifications and training are an ongoing part of ensuring that you receive the very best hardwood service possible. That’s true whether you are installing new wood floors, or refinishing existing ones, and whether you opt for a custom wood floor creation, elegant wood parquet patterns, or a traditional hardwood floor installation.

When Michigan Hardwood Floor Services Launched

When Victor Mulbauer started Michigan Hardwood Floor Services in 2007, he quickly discovered the National Wood Flooring Association or NWFA, and found it to be an ideal fit: professionally, it provided him with an educationally-inclined inside look at the hardwood flooring industry, while also helping him develop the business he had just started.

The NWFA holds a yearly conference. It also offers educational sessions, training, certifications, competitions, and more. As Victor spent more time with the organization, he discovered that he could learn even more about hardwood flooring installation and refinishing techniques, as well as the new technologies, equipment, and materials used in this field of woodworking.

The NWFA conference includes between three and four days of very productive time when you can learn about top-notch materials, products, and equipment, and meet with other contractors. This way, wood flooring professionals all have the opportunity to share ideas, develop friendships, bond through new business relationships, and find answers to problems encountered every day.

The NWFA technical education sessions provided Victor with the opportunity to deepen his knowledge and expertise. Certifications attested to the levels of knowledge and experience he had achieved, and yearly recertification ensured that his knowledge was always fresh.

In addition to attending every NWFA conference, Victor has participated in NWFA Inspector classes, as well as the Pre-Expo Symposium, offered exclusively to NWFA Certified Professionals during which an elite presenter leads a master-series, covering science, craftsmanship, and business topics relevant to the wood flooring industry.

Progressing Through NWFA Certifications & Technical Programs

To give you an idea of Victor’s methodical approach to solidifying his hardwood knowledge base, here is how he progressed.

He started meticulously with basic installation, sanding, and refinishing hands-on training classes, and then moved on to intermediate classes. As he grew and enhanced his skills, he continued with advanced classes offered by NWFA.

Wood Installation, Sanding, and Refinishing Knowledge

Victor learned about wood, tools, and equipment used for wood installation, sanding, and refinishing, as well as the methods for installing unfinished or factory-finished wood, including nail, glue, or floating installation methods.

He then attended sanding and refinishing classes, and learned about the tools and equipment used in this process. Training included scraping different types and species of wood, sanding multidirectional floors, and resanding and recoating factory-finished floors. Victor became an expert in how to use the different types of stains, sealers, natural oils, the different types of finishes used in the parquet scraping industry as well as different final coat applications and methods.

Since 2010, Victor has participated in hands-on training offered by NWFA year after year. The vast majority of these classes took place in Chesterfield, Missouri, at the NWFA headquarters, which meant that he had to put a lot of time, effort, and financial resources into learning this trade.

Certified NWFA Professional

All the hours spent in classroom education and skills training at NWFA, the country’s only trade association dedicated to the hardwood floor industry gives him confidence and capability to offer his customers a truly one-of-a-kind floor and experience.

Certified Professionals must adhere to technical standards and codes of ethics established by the NWFA or their certifications can be revoked.

Master Craftsman Designation

But all these efforts were not in vain because in 2014 Victor achieved the highest level of recognition by receiving the Craftsman degree, followed by a Master Craftsman degree in 2015.

In 2016 he participated in the Advanced Craftsmen class held by Bona US at NWFA, then another advanced installation class in 2017.

In 2019 Victor received a certification in wood floor coatings and finishings from Procoat.

NWFA Certifications Completed

Have a look at the courses that Victor has participated in every year, starting with 2010.

Installation, ‘The Next Step’ – April 2010, New York

Professional Sanding & Finishing – April 2010, New York

Expert Installation, Jigs & Staircase – September 2010, St. Louis, MO

Expert Sanding & Finishing – October 2011, St. Louis, MO

Expert Installation – October 2012, St. Louis, MO

Sand & Finish School at Bona, US – April 2013, Monroe, NC

Sanding and refinishing school at Basic Coatings – 2014, Toledo, OH 

NWFA Certified Professional Inspection Workshop – June 2014, St. Louis, MO 

BONA/ NWFA Advanced Installation, Sanding and Finishing School – November 2016, St. Louis, MO 

NWFA Advanced Training – October 2017 – St. Louis, MO  

RADCOAT & UNOCOAT HARDWAX UROIL Course – ProCoat, September 2019, Cabot, AR

NWFA Certifications Awarded to Victor Mulbauer

Here are a few of those NWFA certifications successfully completed over the years.

The Benefit of NWFA Certifications and Achievements

When you hire Michigan Hardwood Floor Services and Victor Mulbauer to do your hardwood floors, you are working with a National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) Certified Professional Craftsman. 

For Victor, the greatest benefit of these NWFA certifications and achievements is knowing that the knowledge he has acquired from these various certifications allows him to give his customers the best results possible. To see their joy after he has completed a makeover of their homes puts a smile on his face.

If you have any questions about NWFA and its certification and training programs, don’t hesitate to ask. And please do let us know how to help you with your wood flooring needs

Thanks for reading.