CALL US TODAY!
(630) 418 4139Get a free quote
From Just $3/sq ft
Serving Chicago & 30+ Suburbs
Certified Pet- & Family-Safe Finishes
Moisture Checks Done
Solid and Engineered Floors
Big Bro Hardwood is an employee-owned 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 original red oak strip floors back to life in Northbrook’s mid-century ranches and split-levels, refreshing parquet in 1960s and 1970s homes, and laying wider-plank white oak in the custom teardown rebuilds that have become common in established Northbrook neighborhoods.
The same small crew handles your project from the first measurement to the last coat – no rotating subcontractors, ever. We price everything line by line so you know exactly what you are paying for. Our vacuum-assisted equipment captures 95% or more of sanding dust, and we finish with Bona and Loba products that are kid- and pet-safe once cured. Call or email us and we will have a free estimate to you within 24 hours.
Premium Results From $3/sq ft
Quality hardwood flooring in Northbrook does not have to come with an intimidating price. Our refinishing work starts from just $3, and installation pricing is straightforward with itemized, line-by-line estimates so you always know what you are paying for. Use our hardwood floor cost calculator to get a quick ballpark before we even set foot in your home.
Floors and Stairs Under One Scope
We handle every stage of the project ourselves: installation, sanding and refinishing, staining, repair, and stair work. Keeping it all under one crew means species, board width, stain color, and sheen stay consistent from the main living areas right up to the treads and landings, with no handoff gaps between trades.
GREENGUARD-Certified, Pet-Safe Finishes
The finishes we apply are low-VOC and GREENGUARD-certified, meaning they are safe for kids, pets, and anyone sensitive to indoor air quality once cured. We work with Bona and Loba products on both solid and engineered hardwood, chosen because they perform well through Northbrook’s seasonal humidity swings without off-gassing harsh chemicals during the curing process.
Owner-Led From Start to Finish
Donatas, Valdas, and Slavek are the same crew who show up on day one and complete the final walkthrough. No rotating subcontractors, no handoffs, no details falling through the cracks between stages. When you have a question mid-project, the person who answers is the same person doing the work, which keeps communication simple and accountability clear.
17+ Years of Hands-On Hardwood Experience
Since 2008, we have worked on hardwood floors across Northbrook and nearby suburbs, including the older 1960s and 1970s homes that make up a large share of the local housing stock. That means we recognize layered finishes, potential cut-back adhesives, and subfloor conditions that come with age, and we know how to handle them correctly before a problem turns into a costly surprise.
Free In-Home Estimate Within 24 Hours
We come to your home, walk the space, check the actual floor conditions, and put together a free, detailed estimate within 24 hours. You get a scope built around what your floors genuinely need, not a generic square-foot average pulled from a website. It is a no-pressure conversation, and it costs you nothing to have it.
From mid-century ranches in the Highlands to newer teardown rebuilds near Pheasant Creek, we handle every hardwood flooring need Northbrook homeowners bring us.
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
1 crew
No subcontractors - the owner is on every hardwood job
Donatas
Owner
Valdas
Team member
Slavek
Team member
Northbrook's mix of mid-century ranches, split-levels, and newer teardown rebuilds each come with different subfloors, finish histories, and climate demands, so we adjust our approach before we ever open a box of flooring.
1
Mid-Century Ranches and Split-Levels (1950s-1970s)
These are the most common homes in Northbrook, and many still have their original red oak strip floors under carpet or old poly. With roughly 61% of the housing stock built before 1979, we frequently uncover floors worth saving. We sand back through multiple generations of stain and finish, assess the wood condition, and refinish in place rather than replace. Any home built before 1978 gets our full EPA Lead RRP protocol: containment, HEPA filtration, and verification before we leave.
2
Additions and Partial Rehabs
When a Northbrook homeowner adds a room or opens up a floor plan, new wood rarely matches the old without careful work. We select species and cut widths that come close, then blend the stain across both sections so the transition reads as intentional rather than patched.
3
Newer Custom Builds and Teardown Rebuilds
Infill rebuilds in established Northbrook neighborhoods often spec wider-plank white oak over plywood subfloors. We check flatness and moisture content before installation and acclimate the wood on site so it moves as little as possible after the job is done.
4
Condos and Townhomes on Concrete
Pheasant Creek, Woodlands, and similar developments typically sit on concrete slabs. We use glue-down or floating engineered hardwood with proper moisture mitigation underneath, coordinate with HOA scheduling requirements, and use low-VOC Bona and Loba finishes that are safe for shared-building ventilation.
5
Seasonal Humidity and Winter Heat
Northbrook winters are cold and dry, and summers bring real humidity. That swing stresses solid hardwood. We recommend keeping indoor humidity between 30-50% year-round, and we size expansion gaps accordingly during installation so floors stay tight through every season.
In many Northbrook homes the original wood is worth saving rather than replacing, but the only way to know for certain is to pull back the carpet and look at the boards and subfloor up close.
1
Call or send the form, tell us about your floors, and we’ll set a time to come look.
2
We measure, check the wood and subfloor, talk through color and options, and leave you an itemized estimate.
3
Our crew handles prep, sanding, install, stain, and finish on a dust-controlled setup, cleaning up daily.
4
We do a final walkthrough, go over care and timing, and stand behind the work.
A homeowner in Northbrook reached out about floors in a 1960s split-level that had seen decades of foot traffic - the boards were worn, scratched, and dull, with the finish nearly gone in the high-traffic areas. We sanded them back to bare wood, repaired the damage, and refinished them from scratch. Same original floors, no replacement needed. 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.
Get a realistic budget range in about a minute for refinishing, new installation, replacing carpet with hardwood, or stairs. It’s a starting point, not a firm quote, and we confirm the exact figure with a free in-home estimate.
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 July 21, 2026
Donatas May 21, 2026
Donatas April 28, 2026
Very often, yes. A large share of Northbrook homes were built in the 1960s and 1970s, and many still have their original red oak strip flooring under carpet or old vinyl. Before we ever recommend replacement, we check the board thickness with a probe. Most original floors have enough wood left for two or three more sandings. If the boards are solid and the subfloor is sound, refinishing is almost always the smarter call.
The biggest threat here is not cold itself but the dramatic humidity swings between a dry, heated winter interior and a warm, humid summer. We recommend keeping indoor humidity between 30-50% year-round with a humidifier in winter and air conditioning or a dehumidifier in summer. That simple habit prevents most gapping, cupping, and squeaking. We also acclimate every new floor on-site before installation so the wood adjusts to your home’s specific conditions first.
It can, yes. Pre-1978 homes may have lead-era coatings on trim and older floor finishes that require careful handling. We are EPA Lead RRP certified, so we follow proper containment, use HEPA-equipped equipment, and verify cleanup before we leave. You do not need to find a separate contractor or worry about compliance. We handle it as a standard part of the job for any qualifying home in Northbrook.
Yes, but the approach matters. Solid hardwood directly over concrete is risky here given our climate, so we typically recommend engineered hardwood with proper moisture mitigation underneath. Engineered products give you the look and feel of real wood while handling the moisture movement that concrete slabs see through Illinois seasons. We test subfloor moisture levels before any install and walk you through the best product options for your specific unit.
Refinishing starts at $3 per square foot, and we offer flat-rate pricing for homes under 1,200 square feet. For a quick starting estimate before we visit, try our cost calculator. Every in-home estimate is free, provided within 24 hours of your call, and broken down line by line so you know exactly what you are paying for. New clients also receive 10% off when applicable.
Refinishing is the right answer for most Northbrook homes if the boards are structurally sound and have wood left to sand. It costs a fraction of replacement, preserves the character of original flooring, and is usually done in a few days. Replacement makes sense when boards are cupped beyond recovery, heavily damaged, or simply too thin to sand again. We will give you an honest assessment at the estimate, not just the more expensive option.
Refinishing a typical main floor takes two to four days including dry time between coats. Installation projects vary by scope but most are completed within a week. You can usually stay home, though we recommend keeping pets and kids out of the work area and sleeping elsewhere on heavy finish days. We use low-VOC Bona and Loba finishes that cure quickly and are safe for kids and pets once fully dry.
Yes. We stand behind every project with a workmanship warranty covering any craftsmanship faults, plus a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. If something is not right, we come back and fix it, no argument. For urgent situations like unexpected damage, we offer emergency repairs within 48 hours. We have built most of our Northbrook work through referrals, and that only happens when clients genuinely trust the outcome. Protecting that trust matters to us.
Tell us what you need — we’ll help you figure out the best way to get it done.
5.0
