Sanding & Refinishing · 20 Years · Zero Shortcuts
Hardwood Floor Sanding & Refinishing · Chicago & Suburbs

The floors you stopped noticing — brought back to life in 3 to 5 days.

Owner-led hardwood sanding and refinishing across Chicagoland — dust-controlled sanding, premium finishes, and a 5-year written finish warranty. Final payment only after walkthrough approval.

See If My Floors Can Be Saved or call/text 773-900-5933
Most estimates within 48 hours
June and July start dates open — most projects can begin within a week.
Little boy playing with a toy airplane on freshly refinished hardwood floors in a bright Chicagoland living room
20 Years in Chicagoland 2,000+ Floors Restored Since 2006 5-Year Finish Warranty Final Payment Only After Walkthrough Approval NWFA Certified 4.9★ on Google
If you're here, I know the feeling

You stopped noticing the floor.
Then one day, you couldn't stop noticing it.

The worn path through the hallway. The finish that no longer catches the light. The scratches you've learned to walk around. Most homeowners don't notice it happening — until one day, it's all they see.

The gray path where everyone walks — the one no mop ever fixes.
The finish that used to catch the light and doesn't anymore.
Scratches, dents, and wear that make the room feel older than it is.
Wondering whether it's time to do something — or just keep living with it.

Most floors aren't worn out. They're hidden. The day we finish, the room you forgot you had comes back. Here's what that looks like.

Get a Free In-Home Estimate No pressure — just a straight answer about your floor.
Twenty years in the wood

The work speaks before we do.

Real Chicagoland homes — most sanded to bare wood and rebuilt, some built new. All finished the same way: zero shortcuts.

Refinished hardwood floor with custom stain in a Highland Park home

Highland Park
Sanded to bare wood · Custom stain

THE WORKHand-applying stain stripe by stripe during a Highland Park refinish
THE RESULTFinished hardwood floor after hand-staining in Highland Park

Highland Park
Stain applied by hand · Finished same week

BEFOREWorn carpet before removal in an Oswego home
AFTERNew oak hardwood floor installed after carpet removal in Oswego

Oswego
Carpet removed · New oak installed

Custom hardwood staircase built and finished to match the floors in a Chicago home

Chicago
Custom staircase · Built and finished to match

Whole main level of an Inverness home refinished in a natural tone

Inverness
Whole main level · Refinished natural

What we do

Sand & refinish the hardwood you already own.

No tear-out. No new flooring to buy. We sand your existing floors to bare wood and rebuild the finish from scratch — and most floors that look "ruined" still have decades of life in them. Refinishing costs a fraction of replacement, and during your free estimate we'll tell you honestly which one your floor needs.

Premium finishes

Bona, Loba, and Pallmann — the finishes flooring professionals trust. A hard, even surface that holds up to real family life and still looks right years from now.

We carry the burden

Furniture out and back, cabinets sealed off, mess handled. You leave a project and come home to a finished room.

The smell, gone for good

Sanding removes years of trapped odors from pets, spills, and moisture. Most homeowners are surprised how much fresher the house feels once the old finish is gone.

Done when we said

We show up when we say and finish when we say. Your schedule is set before we start, and we hold to it.

Before you price a replacement

Why spend $20,000+ replacing a floor that can be restored?

In Chicagoland, tearing out and replacing hardwood can easily run $20,000 or more once demolition, materials, and installation are counted. Most floors never need it.

Refinishing usually costs a fraction of replacement You keep the character of the hardwood you already own Finished in days — not weeks

During your free estimate, I'll tell you straight which one your floor needs. If it can be saved — and most can — you'll know exactly what you're not spending.

Most homeowners ask about cost first

Clear numbers, before you decide anything.

Single floor or main level

$5,500–$7,500
Typically 3–5 days

Many 1,000 sq ft refinishing projects fall in this range — a realistic starting point before we visit your home.

Whole-home refinish

$9,000–$17,000+
Usually 1–2 weeks

Multiple levels and larger homes. Staircases, railings, and repairs are priced separately and can increase the total.

Repairs & stair rebuilds

Quoted per project
Free in-home estimate

Board replacement, new stair treads, railings and balusters — priced line by line at your estimate.

Every floor is different. That's why the estimate is free, in-person, written, and line-item — you'll know exactly what each part costs before making any decision. No "all-in" mystery numbers. (Need new hardwood installed instead? We do that too — just ask during your estimate.)

In our customers' words

Sixty-five families. Four-point-nine stars.

★★★★★
★★★★★

"We used General Hardwood Flooring Chicago to sand and refinish the hardwood floors on the entire main level of our house. From start to finish, Vasile was transparent about all aspects of the project and prompt in all of his communication with me and our designer. He and his crew completed the job within the allotted time frame, and the work completed is outstanding."

Michael WolfEntire main level refinish · Google review
★★★★★

"The hardwood floors in the home we purchased were 25 years old and in terrible shape. Vasile and his team made them look brand new. They also worked extra hard to get the floors finished before we moved in."

JK McCohen25-year-old floors refinished · Google review
★★★★★

"Vasile was absolutely amazing to work with. He was professional, knowledgeable, and incredibly trustworthy from the start."

Tamar NRecent Google review
★★★★★

"Couldn't be better. Patience as we picked out colors, professionalism, warm and friendly team, especially Vasile. Floors turned out amazing. So beautiful."

Neil MorrowNorth Barrington · Google review
Read all 65 reviews on Google ▸
The professionals' choice — builders, realtors & contractors who put their own name on our work
Builder · 10+ years
★★★★★

"I own Revival Builders and have been working with General Hardwood for over 10 years — they do all my hardwood flooring."

Mike KleinRevival Builders · Google review
Realtor · 15 years
★★★★★

"I have been using General Hardwood Flooring for 15 years. I have recommended friends, family & clients."

Dawn JensenRealtor · Google review
Hired by a GC
★★★★★

"Our general contractor hired General Hardwood Flooring for a stair and new-space oak floor install and stain."

Marisa O'DonnellStairs + oak install · Google review

Think your floors might still be worth saving?

Most estimates are completed within 48 hours.

Get My Free Estimate
Our word, in writing

You don't pay the final installment until you approve the floor.

When the work is done, we walk the floor together — in daylight, room by room. You point at anything that isn't right, and we fix it. The final payment doesn't happen until you say it's right.

In twenty years, that walkthrough is where most of our referrals come from.

Vasile Haureș
OWNER · GENERAL HARDWOOD FLOORING · EST. 2006
5-Year Finish Warranty
And it stays guaranteed: every completed project carries a 5-year written finish warranty. If the finish peels, flakes, lifts, or separates under normal residential use and proper maintenance, we repair the affected area at no cost. You receive your signed warranty document at the final walkthrough — along with the simple care guide that keeps your finish solid for years.
Cleaner floors. Cleaner home. No gimmicks.

The truth about "dustless" sanding.

Every hardwood sanding project creates dust. No honest contractor can promise otherwise. What matters is how much gets captured before it spreads through your home. Every machine we run is connected to commercial-grade dust extraction that captures the vast majority at the source.

Far less dust on furniture, counters, and shelves Much less cleanup — easier on anyone with allergies Adjacent rooms and living spaces protected
Kitchen cabinets sealed with dust containment before sanding

Containment up — cabinets and kitchen sealed before the first pass

Room fully wrapped and taped for dust protection during refinishing

Nothing left exposed — windows, walls, art, vents: wrapped and taped

Clean job site with protection still up during the finish coats

Clean to the last coat — protection stays up until the floor is done

We won't promise a perfectly dust-free home — no honest process can. We promise real dust control, proper containment, and daily cleanup, start to finish. That's the difference between a marketing claim and a professional process.

Want your home move-in ready? We can coordinate a trusted cleaning crew so every surface is cleaned before the furniture comes back — you come home to beautiful floors, not another cleaning project.
What the week actually looks like

No surprises. Here's the whole week, before you commit.

Before Day 1

The consultation

I come to your home, measure, check the wood's condition and thickness, and give you a written line-item estimate. You'll know exactly what you're paying for and why. No pressure, no follow-up calls at dinner.

Day 1

Protection and prep

Furniture moved, vents sealed, cabinets and adjacent rooms masked off, dust containment up. Then the first sanding pass begins.

Day 2

Down to bare wood

Full sanding with commercial-grade dust extraction on every machine. This is the loud day — most families plan to be out of that part of the house.

Day 3

Color day

If you're staining, we put real samples on your real floor, in your light, and you choose. Nothing goes on the whole floor until you've approved it on your wood.

Days 4–5

The finish

Sealer and finish coats, each one inspected before the next. Daily cleanup, daily text update on where we are.

The Walkthrough

You approve the floor

We walk every room together. You approve the floor — then, and only then, the final payment. That's also when your signed 5-year finish warranty goes in your hand.

Vasile Haures with his family — owner of General Hardwood Flooring, Des Plaines, Illinois
Family Owned & Operated
Since 2006

Family-owned. Owner-led.
Every estimate personally handled by Vasile.

Who you're calling

You're calling Vasile —
not a call center.

For twenty years, I've walked into homes across Chicago and the northwest suburbs and seen the same thing: homeowners who think their floors are beyond saving. Most aren't. The wood is still there. The character is still there. It's just hidden.

When you call, you get me — not a salesperson, not a script. I come out, look at your floor, and tell you straight what it needs and what it doesn't. If refinishing doesn't make sense for your floor, I'll tell you that too.

I'm one of a small number of NWFA-certified professionals serving Chicagoland homeowners — and I'm the flooring contractor that architects, designers, and builders across the area call when the project has to be right. Your home gets the same standard.

"Your floor remembers everything. My job is to help it tell a better story."
NWFA — National Wood Flooring Association Certified, Certificate #26070510

Certified by the National Wood Flooring Association — one of a small number of NWFA-certified professionals serving Chicagoland homeowners.

Before you call

The questions homeowners actually ask.

Is my floor too far gone to refinish?

Usually not. Most floors that look "ruined" just have a tired surface — the wood underneath is still solid and has plenty of life left. I'll tell you honestly when I see it, and if refinishing doesn't make sense for your floor, I'll tell you that too.

What does the 5-year warranty cover?

The finish itself: that it won't peel, flake, lift, or separate from the wood under normal residential use, for five years from completion. If it does, we repair the affected area at no cost — labor and materials included. You receive the full written warranty, signed, when your project is complete, along with simple care instructions — including keeping your home in the 35–45% humidity range that's right for Chicago.

What happens if I'm not happy with something?

You tell me at the walkthrough, and we fix it. You don't pay the final installment until you've approved the floor — that's in writing, on every project.

Do I have to move out while you work?

Not move out — just stay elsewhere during the sanding days. It's loud, and there's equipment and cords on the floor. Most folks plan to be out of that part of the house for those few days and come back to it finished.

When it's late and you'd rather not call

Tell us about your floor.
We'll bring the answers.

Leave your details and we'll reach out within one business day to set up your free in-home estimate.

We take on a limited number of projects each month — currently scheduling consultations about 2–3 weeks out.

Rather talk now? Call or text 773-900-5933.

No pressure, no sales calls at dinner. Just a straight answer about your floor.