CALL US TODAY!
(630) 418 4139Get a free quote
From Just $3/sq ft
17+ Years of Local Expertise
Employee Owned
Company
Serving Chicago & 30+ Suburbs
Certified Pet- & Family-Safe Finishes
Big Bro Hardwood is an owner-operated hardwood flooring company serving Lake Forest and the surrounding North Shore suburbs. We install, sand, stain, refinish, and repair solid and engineered wood floors, starting around $3 a square foot. Over 17+ years and 500+ projects across the area, we have worked in grand Tudor Revival and Georgian estate homes along Sheridan Road, restored original site-finished oak in pre-war residences near the Green Bay Road Historic District, and laid engineered hardwood over concrete in newer luxury infill construction throughout Lake Forest.
The same small crew handles every job from the first measurement to the final coat – no rotating subcontractors, ever. We provide line-by-line pricing so you know exactly what you are paying for, use vacuum-assisted equipment that captures 95%+ of sanding dust, and finish with Bona and Loba products that are kid- and pet-safe once cured. Contact us and we will have a free estimate to you within 24 hours.
High-quality Lake Forest flooring doesn’t need a luxury price tag. Our services start at just $3 per square foot. Use our hardwood floor cost calculator for a quick check.
Our hardwood floor specialists use advanced dustless sanding systems to keep your home cleaner and sustain the indoor air quality during the sanding process.
Most of our work comes from word-of-mouth. Clients trust us — and tell their friends. That’s how we’ve earned strong customer satisfaction.
BBH hardwood floor company works with everything from historic bungalows to high-rise condos. Our wood flooring options are built to handle snow, humidity, and the rhythm of city life.
We use only certified products from brands like Loba and Bona — safe for families, pets, and perfect for engineered wood floors or solid hardwood flooring.
Our hardwood flooring contractors keep a tight schedule, respect your home, and stay in communication. The entire process is clear, smooth, and handled by true professionals.
From the grand estate homes along Sheridan Road to the midcentury ranches tucked into Lake Forest’s quieter subdivisions, we handle every hardwood flooring need with the same small, experienced crew from start to finish.
We’re a hardwood floor company based in the Lake Forest area, with 17+ years of hands-on experience in hardwood floor installation, floor refinishing, staining, and repair services. Our team is small, focused, and takes pride in doing every job right, from the first measurement to the final product.
We’ve completed 500+ Lake Forest-area projects across the city and the Chicagoland area, and we work closely with every client to make sure the results match their flooring needs — no shortcuts, no guesswork. Big Bro Hardwood wood flooring contractors adhere to the industry’s National Wood Flooring Association Technical Guidelines.
Our wood flooring company believes in clear communication, the best materials, and clean, quality work. More than 80% of our new clients come from satisfied customers who recommend us to family, friends, and neighbors — and we’re genuinely proud to earn that kind of trust.
17+ years
Of experience
500+
Hardwood floor projects completed
30+
Suburbs served
15,000+ hours
Of hands-on hardwood work
Donatas
Owner
Valdas
Team member
Slavek
Team member
Lake Forest's mix of grand estate-era homes, postwar subdivisions, and luxury new construction each present different flooring conditions. Here is how we adapt our work to what we actually find:
1
Historic estates and pre-war homes (1880-1940): Many of the older homes along Sheridan Road and in the Green Bay Road Historic District still have their original site-finished oak or maple strip floors. We sand and refinish these rather than replace them whenever the boards allow it. For any pre-1978 home, we follow full EPA lead-safe RRP protocol – proper containment, HEPA filtration, and verification before we leave.
2
Blending old wood with additions and renovations: Estate-era homes frequently gain new wings or updated kitchens. We match species, board width, and grade as closely as possible and feather the repairs in, so the new wood does not stand out from the original.
3
Postwar ranches and split-levels (1950s-1970s): These homes typically have plywood subfloors over wood joists, which are well-suited for nail-down solid or engineered hardwood. We check subfloor flatness and moisture before installation so seasonal movement does not open gaps later.
4
Luxury new construction and infill homes: Newer custom homes in Lake Forest often use engineered hardwood over concrete or advanced subfloor systems, sometimes with radiant heat below. We confirm the installation method – glue-down or floating – based on what the slab and heat system actually require.
5
Lake Michigan moisture and seasonal swings: Proximity to the lake amplifies freeze-thaw cycles and summer humidity. We acclimate wood on site before installation and recommend keeping indoor humidity at 30-50% year-round to prevent cupping, gapping, and crowning.
In many Lake Forest homes the original hardwood is worth restoring rather than replacing - the only way to know for certain is to look at the subfloor and boards up close, which is exactly what we do on every free estimate.
1
2
3
4
These floors speak for themselves. This Lake Forest home was built in the postwar era, and decades of foot traffic had left the original boards deeply scratched, scuffed and completely dull. We sanded them back to bare wood, repaired the damaged sections and refinished everything - same boards, no replacement. No need to take our word for it. Take a look at the before and after photos and judge the work yourself.
Get a free in-home estimate within 24 hours. No pressure, no hidden costs — just honest advice and expert results, and no cutting corners.
Choose what you'd like an estimate for
Not sure which one? Learn about wood types →
* This estimate is for budgeting purposes only. Actual pricing may vary based on site conditions, moisture levels, subfloor state, and access. A final quote requires an on-site inspection.
Not sure which one? Learn about wood types →
Red Oak $3–$7 / sq ft
White Oak $4–$10 / sq ft
Maple (clear coat) $4–$9 / sq ft
Maple (stained) $4–$9 / sq ft
Cherry $5–$12 / sq ft
Walnut $7–$15 / sq ft
Hickory $4–$10 / sq ft
Exotic / Other $8–$20 / sq ft
No removal needed
Remove carpet +$0.70–$1.60 / sq ft
Remove vinyl / linoleum +$1.00–$2.50 / sq ft
Remove tile +$1.50–$3.50 / sq ft
Subfloor leveling / repairs+$1.00–$3.00 / sq ft
Moisture barrier / underlayment+$0.70–$1.50 / sq ft
* This estimate is for budgeting purposes only. Actual pricing may vary based on site conditions, moisture levels, subfloor state, and access. A final quote requires an on-site inspection.
Not sure which one? Learn about wood types →
Red Oak $3–$7 / sq ft
White Oak $4–$10 / sq ft
Maple (clear coat) $4–$9 / sq ft
Maple (stained) $4–$9 / sq ft
Cherry $5–$12 / sq ft
Walnut $7–$15 / sq ft
Hickory $4–$10 / sq ft
Exotic / Other $8–$20 / sq ft
Subfloor leveling / repairs+$1.00–$3.00 / sq ft
Moisture barrier / underlayment+$0.70–$1.50 / sq ft
* This estimate is for budgeting purposes only. Actual pricing may vary based on site conditions, moisture levels, subfloor state, and access. A final quote requires an on-site inspection.
Donatas June 30, 2026
Donatas May 21, 2026
Donatas April 28, 2026
Yes, and it’s work we genuinely enjoy. Many of the older Tudor, Georgian, and Colonial Revival homes in Lake Forest still have their original site-finished oak or maple floors, sometimes with decorative inlays or borders in formal rooms. We assess the wood carefully before anything else. If there’s enough thickness left, refinishing almost always makes more sense than replacing. We use dustless sanding and Bona or Loba low-VOC finishes that are safe for families and pets once cured.
Not with us. A large share of Lake Forest’s housing stock predates 1978, so we treat lead-based paint as a real possibility on trim, stairs, and older floor finishes. We follow EPA Lead RRP protocols on every pre-1978 project: proper containment, HEPA-filtered equipment, and verification before we leave. You get a clean result without putting your household at risk. We’ll confirm the scope and any lead-related steps during your free in-home estimate.
Being close to Lake Michigan means Lake Forest sees pronounced freeze-thaw swings and humidity shifts between seasons. Hardwood expands in humid summers and contracts in dry winters, and those cycles add up over time. We follow NWFA guidelines on acclimating wood on site before installation, and we recommend keeping indoor humidity between 30-50% year-round. For homes with slab sections or radiant heat, we’ll talk through glue-down or floating options that handle moisture movement better than nail-down solid.
Absolutely. Newer construction in communities like Kelmscott Park and similar Lake Forest infill developments often features engineered hardwood over concrete subfloors or advanced subfloor systems, sometimes with radiant heat underneath. We check subfloor flatness and moisture before any installation and match the method to what’s actually under your feet. Whether it’s a glue-down, floating, or nail-down install, we build the estimate line by line so you know exactly what you’re paying for. Refinishing starts from $3 per square foot.
It depends mostly on square footage, the condition of the floors, and whether you’re refinishing or installing new. Refinishing starts around $3 per square foot; new installation costs more because of materials. You get an itemized price at the free in-home estimate, and you can get a rough number first with our online cost calculator.
Most refinishing projects take 2–5 days, depending on size, stain, and number of finish coats. You can usually stay home – we seal off work areas and keep sanding dust to a minimum with vacuum-assisted equipment – but you’ll need to keep off the floors while the finish cures (water-based finishes are walkable sooner than oil-based). We give you a day-by-day plan before we start.
For most projects, we take a deposit to cover materials and lock in your dates, with the balance due once the work is finished and you’re happy with it. We put the exact terms in writing at the estimate, so there are no surprises.
Tell us what you need — we’ll help you figure out the best way to get it done.
5.0
