Solid hardwood
Solid hardwood boards are milled from one piece of wood. They bring natural grain variation and can be refinished when the board thickness and existing condition allow it.
Consider for: Main living areas, dining rooms, bedrooms
Hardwood Flooring · Oswego and the Western Suburbs
HARDWOOD FLOORS,
PREFINISHED OR STAINED
Solid or engineered, prefinished or stained on site to your color. We bring samples to your home, and most prefinished installations are done in a day or two.
Authorized Mohawk & Anderson Tuftex Dealer1-Year Labor WarrantyItemized EstimatesVeteran-Owned Since 2007
What Goes Into a Hardwood Installation
Hardwood flooring brings natural grain, board variation, and long-term character to the rooms where people spend the most time. Solid and engineered hardwood each have distinct construction, installation, and refinishing considerations. We compare them in the home, alongside subfloor conditions, room humidity, existing trim, and the transitions that make the finished floor feel intentional.
New hardwood is planned around room layout, subfloor conditions, floor height, and clean transitions to adjoining surfaces. Hardwood is sensitive to moisture and movement, so the base surface, room conditions, and installation method are part of that plan.
We also handle hardwood replacement, hardwood repair assessment, and tear-out and haul-away.
Explore Hardwood Styles
Real hardwood is defined by natural wood grain and board character. Compare construction, plank proportions, and finish in the rooms where the floor will live.
Solid hardwood
Engineered hardwood
Engineered hardwood has a real wood wear layer over a layered core. It can be a practical option where subfloor conditions, room connections, or seasonal movement influence the installation plan.
Compare: Connected rooms, slab-adjacent spaces, renovation projects
Plank width
Narrow and wide planks change the scale of the room and the amount of visible grain. Board width is selected alongside layout, transitions, and the character you want the finished floor to have.
Consider: Room scale, light direction, adjoining floors
Finish type
Finish affects sheen, texture, and day-to-day maintenance. The right finish balances the look of the wood with expected traffic, pets, sunlight, and how easily the room shows wear.
Review: Sheen, texture, scratch visibility, future refinishing
The Brands We Carry
As an authorized dealer, we carry hardwood from Mohawk, Paramount, Southwind, Tarkett, and Anderson Tuftex.
See them at our showroom at 37B Stone Hill Road, Oswego.
You can also book a free in-home consultation. We measure the rooms and bring samples to your home, so you judge color and texture against your own walls and light.
Choose Hardwood by Room
Living and dining rooms
Hardwood creates a continuous, natural surface through formal and everyday gathering spaces. Board direction, room transitions, and furniture layout are reviewed before installation.
Connected main floors
Hardwood is most often selected for living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and connected main floors where its grain and finish can carry through the home. The installation plan accounts for existing trim, doors, transitions, and the floor beneath the boards.
Kitchens and open areas
Hardwood can work in kitchens when spills are managed quickly and the room conditions are appropriate. If routine moisture exposure is a priority, compare hardwood with other flooring types during the measure.
Hardwood Refinishing
Refinishing an Existing Hardwood Floor
Already have hardwood floors? Refinishing sands the existing floor back, stains it and recoats it. It is a separate service from installing a new floor, with its own page covering the process, timeline and finish choices.
See how hardwood refinishing worksHardwood Flooring Questions
What does the timeline look like for hardwood flooring?
It depends on what your project entails. Prefinished hardwood flooring can be installed more quickly than a job that is stained on site. Smaller prefinished hardwood jobs can typically be finished within a day or two, while larger jobs can take several days. Hardwood refinishing jobs (or installing unfinished wood and staining on site) will take several days. They typically take 4-6 days, and the homeowner won’t be able to be on the floors for 2-4 days. Larger jobs may take longer to complete.
Does staining on site leave a smell?
Yes, there will be a smell. Typically, an oil finish will have a stronger smell than a water base finish.
Will there be a big mess / will there be a lot of dust?
We will try to minimize the dust, but yes, there will be dust. Tearing out existing flooring can be a dusty, messy process, and so can sanding hardwood. Our installers use a dust containment sander, which helps keep dust to a minimum. We will also use plastic to try to contain the dust, but some dust is still to be expected.
What would you recommend for cleaning hardwood floors?
We recommend Bona hardwood cleaner with a fiber cloth. If you are installing a prefinished hardwood floor, please check the manufacturer’s warranty guidelines for any other appropriate cleaners.
What is the warranty on hardwood flooring?
We offer a 1-year installation warranty on all hardwood flooring installations. Prefinished hardwood flooring warranties vary depending on which floor you select. They range from 10-25 years and can cover things such as the finish, manufacturer defects, and, on some floors, wet conditions. A warranty does not usually cover fade resistance, since wood is a natural product. Coverage for scratching and denting may also vary, since both are characteristics of hardwood floors.
Should I go with an oil base finish or a water base finish?
With an oil base finish, you can usually sand, stain, and apply 2 coats of finish, whereas with a water base finish we will need to sand, stain, and apply 3 coats of finish. A water base finish won’t have as strong a smell as an oil base finish and will also dry quicker. Over time, an oil base finish can start to look more yellow, and for certain colors we will recommend a water base finish to achieve the color you desire.
Should I install a prefinished hardwood floor or do unfinished with staining on site?
Unfinished with staining on site is a good option if you have existing hardwood and want to continue it, or if you have a certain color in mind or want to match an existing floor. A prefinished hardwood floor will have a quicker installation timeline, and the manufacturer-applied finish is stronger. Some prefinished hardwoods can be refinished down the line (some, but not all). A prefinished hardwood installation is also less messy than staining on site, since we will not need to sand the wood.