Winnetka, IL
Whole-home refinishing
About 2,800 sq ft of existing hardwood was sanded and refinished throughout the home with one coat of Loba EasyPrime and two coats of Loba Supra A.T. The work took five working days.
WOOD FLOOR REFINISHING · NORTH SHORE
Wood Floor Refinishing Services on the North Shore
Dull, scratched or orangey floors do not always need the same fix. We look at your floors in person and recommend the refinishing service that fits them — from a one-day buff and recoat to a full sanding with a new stain color, stairs included.
Floors are all we do
A family-owned floor and stair company since 1996.
Your color, your floor
Stain samples are applied on your own floor.
Named dust control
Oneida Vortex DCS and Bona Portable DCS 2.0.
01 / WOOD FLOOR REFINISHING
One team for every kind of refinishing
Wood floor refinishing covers several different jobs. Some floors only need a fresh coat over a finish that is worn but intact. Others need to be sanded down to clean wood so scratches, gray traffic paths and an old color can go away. Stairs and railings often need the same treatment so they match the rooms around them.
Homeowners in Winnetka, Wilmette, Glenview, Lake Forest and across the North Shore usually call us after a trigger: they pulled up carpet and found oak, they are getting a house ready to sell or move into, or they are simply tired of floors that look honey-colored or orange.
Peter Dudzik, who founded the company, has more than 30 years of hands-on experience as an installer, floor sander and supervisor. During the free estimate we explain what we see on your floor and why we recommend one service over another, then put the work, the finish products and the timing in a detailed written estimate.
WOOD FLOOR REFINISHING
Our wood floor refinishing services
Each service has its own page with what it can do, what it cannot do and how the work goes.
Hardwood Floor Sanding
Full sanding for floors worn to bare wood, deeply scratched or found under carpet. Coarse-to-fine passes, careful edges and corners, and a smooth, even surface with no swirl marks or lap lines.
Hardwood Floor Staining
Choose a stain color you won’t regret. We apply about 12 × 12-inch samples on your own sanded floor, tone down orangey red oak, and match new boards and stairs to the floors you keep.
Dust Containment Floor Sanding
Full sanding with Oneida and Bona dust collection at the machine, kitchen cabinets wrapped in plastic, and a clear plan for living at home with kids and pets while the floors are done.
Buffing and Recoating
Dull, scuffed floors with the finish still intact can often be renewed in about one day. We test the finish and past cleaning products first, and tell you honestly if sanding is needed instead.
Screen and Recoat
A one-day topcoat refresh timed around listing photos, closings, move-ins and tenant turnovers. Urgent jobs can usually start within about a week, and we tell you honestly when a full sanding is the better choice.
Stair Refinishing
Treads, risers, handrails and posts sanded mostly by hand, then stained and finished to match your refinished floors. One family team for floors and stairs, with stain samples on your own wood.
02 / WOOD FLOOR REFINISHING
Which refinishing does your floor need?
The right service depends on how deep the wear goes. If the finish has only lost its shine and has light scuffs, a fresh coat can bring it back in about a day. If the finish is worn through to bare wood, the floor is scratched into the wood, or you want a different color, the floor has to be sanded and finished again, which usually takes about four working days.
We check the floor in person before recommending anything. A recoat on a floor that really needed sanding only hides the problem for a short time, so we tell you plainly which option fits and why.
- Dull, scuffed, finish still intact: buffing and recoating
- Getting a house ready to list or between tenants: screen and recoat
- Worn to bare wood, deep scratches, found under carpet: full sanding
- Want a new color, or orangey red oak: sanding and staining
- Stairs that should match the floors: stair refinishing
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What a quality refinish should look like
A well-sanded and finished floor feels smooth to the touch and looks even in daylight. There should be no swirl marks, no lines where one pass of the sander overlapped another, no bubbles and nothing trapped in the finish, and no stain on the baseboards or walls.
We finish floors with commercial-grade products such as Bona Traffic HD and Loba Supra A.T., most often in satin. At the final walkthrough we go over the floor with you, explain drying times and tell you which cleaning products to use, so you know what to expect in the weeks after the job.
04 / WOOD FLOOR REFINISHING
Planning around your move, sale or family
Many refinishing projects have a deadline: closing on a house, a listing date, or furniture arriving. Urgent projects can usually start within about a week, sometimes sooner. Light foot traffic is usually possible after about two hours and furniture can return after about two days, depending on the finish and the conditions in the house.
Calls are answered directly or returned within about an hour, so you can reach us before, during and after the work.
RECENT PROJECT
HOW IT WORKS
How a refinishing project comes together
Free in-home estimate
We look at your floors and stairs, measure with a laser and talk through colors and finish.
Detailed written estimate
You get the work, finish products, approximate start date and expected duration in writing.
Preparation and work
We help move furniture, protect kitchen cabinets with plastic and tape, and sand with dust containment.
Walkthrough
We go over the floor together and explain drying times, furniture and floor care.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Your questions,
answered.
Have a question about your floor? We can review it during your free estimate.
(847) 781-0100How do I know if my floors need refinishing or just a buff and recoat?
If the floor is dull and scuffed but the finish is still covering the wood everywhere, a buff and recoat is often enough. If you see gray or bare wood in traffic paths, scratches you can feel with a fingernail, or you want a new color, the floor needs to be sanded. During the free estimate we look at the floor in person, check the existing finish and explain which option makes sense for your rooms. We would rather tell you a recoat will not last than sell you one that disappoints.
How long does wood floor refinishing take?
A full sanding and refinishing usually takes about four working days. Buffing and recoating usually takes about one day. Larger homes and projects that include stairs or repairs take longer; the whole-home Winnetka project above, about 2,800 sq ft, took five working days. Your written estimate includes the approximate start date and expected duration for your project.
Can we stay in the house during refinishing?
Many families stay at home and use the rooms we are not working in. We explain ahead of time which areas will be off limits on which days and talk through ventilation, pets and access to bedrooms and the kitchen. Light foot traffic is usually possible about two hours after the last coat and furniture can usually return after about two days, depending on the finish and the conditions in the house.
Can you make my red oak floors look less orange?
Often, yes. After sanding we apply stain samples about 12 by 12 inches directly on your floor, so you can compare several colors in your own light before anything is decided. Red oak keeps its grain and some of its natural tone, so we explain honestly how close a chosen color can get to the look you want.
What is your minimum charge?
Our minimum service charge is $770. Estimates are free and done in your home. We also offer a 10% winter special and a 10% referral discount when a customer you referred signs a contract with us.
LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR HOME
Find out what your floors need
Book a free in-home estimate and get a written recommendation for your floors and stairs.