Membership Catergories and Criteria for Master Fitter Assessments

ASSOCIATE MEMBER

This grade of membership is open to persons supporting the aims of the NICF but who are not practising fitters. Associate membership is for you personally and not for your company or any fitters who may be employed by or contracted by you. The NICF will only recommend master and approved fitters to potential customers.

TRAINEE FITTER

This category is for trainees and those serving an apprenticeship in fitting. Trainee members are expected to upgrade within three years.

APPROVED FITTER

This is intended for persons actively involved with fitting. Applicants must supply details of three referees who can vouch for the standard of their work, and successfully complete an examination, either written or oral. Applicants are encouraged to apply for Master Fitter status within two years of becoming an Approved Fitter.

MASTER FITTER

For practising fitters who have reached a level of competence assessed by the Institute. Entry requirements are:-

a) three written references from people who can vouch for the standard of your work;

b) successful completion of examination (written or oral);

c) applicants must give a practical demonstration of their fitting skills and answer questions relating to fitting under the direction of an NICF Assessor.

Master Fitter Assessments

You have the choice of one of the following routes to achieve a Master Fitter qualification in carpet fitting. These are on-site assessment or Training Centre assessment

Training Centre assessment

Description of tasks to be undertaken by the fitter on the assessment.

You will be required to install a secondary backed carpet to a hall, straight stairs, bullnose step, kite winder step and produce a joins in both a secondary and Felt backed carpet.

You will be required to bring your own tools (tools that you require to install carpets) and come in your van.

All materials will be provided including: - Carpet, underlay, gripper rods, door bars and heat seam tape. If you think you require any additional supplies please feel free to bring your own supplies.

On-Site assessment (carpet and laminate only)

You will be required to select three installations in separate houses that you have fitted in the last three months. The carpets installed to these houses must be a woven or secondary backed carpet fitted on the stretch fit method to a flat area, a stairs which must include a bull nose and kite winder steps (if all of these steps cannot be found on one stairs a second house can be selected) one of these installations must include a join. In addition a Felt backed or dual stick installation with a join.

You will be required to use your van to take the assessor to the installation and you must have your own tools on the van so that they can be assessed (tools that you require to install carpets).

Prior to the assessment you will be required to submit names and addresses to send out reference documents which we will require returning prior to an assessment date being set.

Your will be assessed on your personal presentation (acceptable appearance viewed from a customer aspect), your tools (sufficient tools to carry out the task) and your van (appearance, tidiness suitable to carry all materials without damage).
Verbal questions asked by the assessor. The questions are set so that we can assess your knowledge on the areas that cannot be covered in the practical or onsite assessment. They will be based on general knowledge relating to the installation of carpets. These will include questions on woven carpets and sub-floor preparation.
You will be required to fit carpets using the stretch fit method to a flat area, a four step straight stairs, a bull nose step which can be cap and band or sewn, a kite winder step and produce a join in a piece of carpet.
You will be required to take up small sections of the installation so that the assessor can see the preparation.
You will be assessed on: -

The fitting of the gripper rods (securely fixed with the correct gap).
The fitting of the underlay (laid correctly, correctly fixed and cutting against the grippers).
Sufficient tension on the carpets.
Square alignment of the carpet to the area.
Cut to the correct length and tucked in correctly.
The stair carpet is tucked into the gripper sufficiently with no slack on the riser.
The bullnose step is securely fixed with no slackness and all fixings are secure and safe.
The kite winder step is securely fixed with no slackness.
The join to be cut straight with no gaps between the two pieces. The heat seam tape must be applied correctly with no overheating. The general appearance should be smooth without any distortion to the fibres.

PATRON MEMBERSHIP

This is for any Company connected with, or related to, the floorcovering trade e.g. large retail store, manufacturers, who wish to support the aims of the Institute. The NICF will only recommend master and approved fitters to potential customers.

RETAILER MEMBERSHIP

This category is for small to medium-sized shops and does not cover fitters working for the retailer. (The NICF will only recommend master and approved fitters to potential customers).

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