So, he developed Floor Detective, an online database that lists every certified floor inspector in the U.S. and Canada, complete with contact information and geographic location.
The website, which originally launched in 2012, relaunched earlier this year with a new design. It is unique in that it compiles all types of floor inspector certifications, Zack says. He compiled the data using the lists from organizations such as the Institute for Floor Covering Inspectors, Inspector Training Services and NWFA.
“If you go to the NWFA website, you’re only going to get NWFA inspectors,” he said. Using Floor Detective, “you get all the certifications in one spot.”
The site has between 700-800 inspectors listed so far, and about 80 percent of those listed are hardwood floor inspectors, according to Zack.
The resource for locating a nearby inspector is free. The site also has a technical resource option that is available to users for an annual subscription fee of $99.
“I have over 30 contributors that have helped write, provide or review information,” Zack said.
Inspectors can be listed on the site for free, but inspectors who subscribe are moved up to the top of the search results, according to Zack.
The site currently has about 2,500 subscribers, Zack said, around 2,000 of whom are stores or manufacturers.
While the site is designed for professionals in the flooring industry, it also recently included an “Ask the Expert” feature, where homeowners can subscribe to submit questions to certified inspectors.
