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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 Northbrook and the surrounding suburbs. We install, sand, stain, refinish, and repair solid and engineered wood floors, starting around $3 a square foot. In 17+ years, we have completed 500+ floors across the area – bringing new life to original red oak strip floors in mid-century ranches and split-levels, pulling up old carpet in 1960s colonials to uncover hardwood worth saving, and installing engineered wide-plank oak in the custom luxury homes going up on teardown lots throughout Northbrook.
The same small crew handles your project from the first measurement to the last coat – no rotating subcontractors. We price everything line by line so nothing is hidden, use vacuum-assisted sanding that captures 95% or more of dust, and finish with Bona and Loba products that are kid- and pet-safe once cured. Call or email and we will have a free estimate to you within 24 hours.
High-quality Northbrook 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 mid-century ranches in Northbrook Highlands to newer custom builds near Techny Prairie, 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 Northbrook 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+ Northbrook-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
Northbrook's mix of mid-century ranches, split-levels, and newer custom builds means the right flooring approach depends heavily on when and how your home was constructed. Here is how we adapt by home type and condition:
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1950s-1970s ranch and split-level homes: These are the most common homes in Northbrook. Most have original red oak strip flooring that can be sanded and refinished rather than replaced. For any home built before 1978, we follow EPA Lead RRP protocols – proper containment, HEPA vacuuming, and clearance verification.
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Partial slab sections in split-levels and lower levels: Ranch and split-level layouts often mix wood-framed areas with slab sections. On concrete, we use glue-down or floating engineered systems and address moisture before anything goes down.
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Teardown replacements and custom new construction: Northbrook sees steady infill and teardown rebuilds. These homes typically use wide-plank engineered oak over advanced subfloor systems. We check subfloor flatness and moisture levels before installation so seasonal movement does not open gaps later.
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Additions and remodels: When a room is added or a layout changes, we match species, grade, and board width so the new wood blends into the existing floor without looking patched.
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North Shore humidity swings: Cold, dry winters from forced-air heat followed by warm, humid summers put real stress on hardwood. We acclimate wood on site and recommend keeping indoor humidity between 30-50% year-round to prevent cupping, gapping, and crowning.
In many Northbrook homes the original hardwood is worth saving rather than pulling out - but the only way to know for certain is to look at the subfloor and the boards up close.
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A lot of mid-century ranch homes in Northbrook still have their original hardwood floors hiding under years of wear. This one was no different - the boards were scratched, scuffed and had lost their finish almost completely. We sanded them back to bare wood, repaired the damaged sections and refinished everything in place. Same floor, no replacement. Take a look at the before and after photos and judge the results for 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
Absolutely. Many mid-century ranch and split-level homes in Northbrook have original red oak strip flooring that has plenty of life left in it. We assess the wood thickness before we touch anything, and if the boards can take another sanding, refinishing is almost always the smarter call over replacement. We use vacuum-assisted dustless sanding and Bona or Loba low-VOC finishes that are safe for kids and pets once cured. Refinishing starts at $3 per square foot.
Yes. Homes built before 1978 may have lead-based paint on baseboards, trim, or under old floor finishes. We are EPA Lead RRP certified, so we follow full containment, HEPA vacuum protocols, and post-work verification on every pre-1978 project in Northbrook. We will let you know upfront if your home falls into that category and walk you through exactly what that process looks like before any work begins.
It really does. The humid continental climate here means wide seasonal swings, cold dry winters and warm humid summers, and those shifts cause wood to expand and contract. We acclimate every board on site before installation and recommend keeping indoor humidity between 30-50% year-round. For lower-level spaces in ranch homes that sit on slab, we check moisture carefully and use engineered wood or glue-down methods where solid hardwood would not be stable long-term.
We do. A lot of the newer construction and teardown-replacement homes in Northbrook use engineered wide-plank oak over advanced subfloor systems, and that is work we handle regularly alongside classic nail-down installs in older homes. We check subfloor flatness and moisture levels before any installation, follow NWFA Technical Guidelines, and keep the same small crew on your project from start to finish. Contact us for a free in-home estimate within 24 hours.
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.
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