Master Craftsman in Wood Floor Refinishing and Installation

We had a wonderful experience with Abeln Floor Systems from start to finish on our new wood floor project. We live in a 129 year old home in Webster Groves that had extensive dips throughout the entire first floor. When we first purchased the home it was apparent there were a number of issues lurking under the 40 year wood flooring. There were extensive “wavy” areas in all 3 of the main rooms with some floors being as much as 1.5”+ out of level. Our fears were confirmed once the old flooring was removed, revealing a large number of problem areas of the subfloor. As we began the bidding process, many wood flooring contractors wouldn’t even attempt to bid the project, or simply priced it so high it was not in our budget. That was not the case with Jim Abeln and his crew. From our first meeting, Jim walked us through the process and explained in detail how his crew could remedy the multiple sagging subfloor issues we faced. His bid was very fair and included different price points for various types of wood to give us a full picture of what was available to us. His passion for hardwood flooring was evident from the moment we met. After some deliberation, we ended up choosing to install a job finished 3.25” wide white oak floor and we could not be happier with the final product! Jim’s crew spent multiple days shimming out numerous low spots throughout our home, skillfully using a combination of different plywood thicknesses, roofing shingles and other materials to smooth out our existing pine subfloors prior to the installation of the new white oak flooring. The crew were always courteous, quick with a smile and eager to talk through the project with us. We were comfortable enough with them to leave them in our home for multiple days throughout the project while we lived with family. Throughout the entire process, Jim would check in to update us on the progress and talk through any questions we might have. We went from having a floor that was an eyesore to a new wood floor that is a flat, solid and perfectly installed, sanded and finished centerpiece of our home. Frankly, at the beginning, we didn’t think our new wood floors could look as good as they do. The final product is stunning! I cannot recommend Abeln Floor Systems enough! Thank you for transforming our home.

In the spring of 2018 my husband and I purchased our dream home in the rolling hills of Wildwood, MO. Although we loved many aspects and amenities that this 15 year old home offered, we knew that prior to moving in, we wanted to refinish over 1500 square feet of existing hardwood flooring that had been worn and damaged over the years. In addition to refinishing the existing Bruce pre-finished hardwood, we had an additional 1500 square feet of carpet in the dining room, library, master bedroom and master closet that we wanted to convert over to hardwood. Deciding what we wanted to do was the easy part; beginning the process to find a company that we could trust to turn our vision into reality proved to be much harder. I asked for recommendations from friends, family and community members- as I typically do when looking for home repair professionals. I called 4 recommended companies, but only two of those companies actually showed up for scheduled appointments to give estimates!!! We became a bit discouraged and worried that the scope of our job was a bit more involved than either of these two companies could handle based on our interviews with them. This was a big investment and we wanted it done right! That evening, out of a bit of desperation, I did a Google search for "Hardwood refinishing in St. Louis, MO". Abeln Floor Systems was among the first few results generated in my Google search. As I read positive review after positive review, I was very impressed with the level of detail that these past customers went into when praising Abeln Floor System's work. I grew more encouraged that I may have just stumbled upon the ideal company for our project! I was pleasantly surprised the following day when I called and was able to speak directly with Jim, the owner of Abeln Floor Systems. I explained our situation, our semi-tight timetable and desire to get an estimate quickly. Jim was eager to learn the details of our project and was able to schedule an in-home visit later that day! From our first meeting, I was very impressed with Jim's attention to detail and willingness to listen to our needs/desires and make them reality. He offered suggestions and alternatives when he thought that there might be a better solution to what we had planned- all delivered with respect and utmost care and concern for an exceptional finished product. My husband and I quickly decided that Jim Abeln and his team were the right fit for us! Jim quickly scheduled a start date and his amazing team (Matt, Brad and Blake) got right to it! Our project was quite extensive and we got to know these guys well over the weeks that they worked in our home. I developed a trust and admiration for these hard working and amazingly skilled craftsmen throughout the course of our job. During the first day of installation, a slight milling problem was discovered with the new oak hardwood that was sourced for our home. Jim ordered the work stopped immediately, arranged for its return, (all 1500+ square feet), and reordered new oak flooring from a different manufacturer. I appreciated it more than anything that Brad, Matt and Jim had a great line of communication and were all on the same page about not moving forward until a solution was found. Other companies/installers may have not been so honest and could have just pushed through to get the job done quickly despite a sub-optimal result. Not these guys! They took the utmost pride in their work and their finished product as if it was their own home! Work was completed in early June 2018 and we could not be more thrilled with our hardwood flooring! What once looked like an old, worn out high school gymnasium floor, is now a completely refreshed, but timeless centerpiece in our home. We marvel at how the newly placed wood matches so beautifully with the refinished original oak flooring. Not a single visitor has stepped foot in our home without offering sincere compliments on our newly laid and refinished hardwood. And, when they ask who did our floors, we enthusiastically say, Abeln Floor Systems!

I have a small home in Tower Grove South, built in the 30s, and recently tore out 20-year old carpeting in my converted attic space. I was hoping to expose a pristine pine subfloor, but instead found a partially complete and very abused subfloor with a variety of woods used to fill out the foundation for wall-to-wall carpeting in the late 90s. Consultation with the flooring department at one of the box stores was taking me in the direction of a complete subfloor overhaul that would have led to the destruction of both my original subfloor and budget. I decided to reach out to a flooring specialist for a second opinion and chose Abeln Floor Systems more or less on a whim. It only took about 15 minutes on the phone for Jim to get me going in the right direction. He explained that it would be possible not only to repair the damaged boards in my space, but also to remove the "filler materials" and complete my subfloor with reclaimed materials that provide a close match to the original flooring. After the initial consultation, Jim was very flexible with me as I postponed the job during the stay-at-home period in the city and now, two months later, the job was scheduled promptly and completed in a flash. Kenny completed the repair in one day of hard work, expertly filling out the floor and dealing with some of the more technical aspects of the job, including working in small spaces where the angled ceiling meets the floor and filling a narrow gap in the original subfloor caused by a change in the direction of the underlying joists. The reclaimed material is such a good match with my original yellow pine that I might believe it came from the same tree. For budgetary reasons, I have chosen to sand and finish the floor myself and I appreciate Jim's willingness to take on the repair-only job and offer advice as I move on to the next phase of my project. I am very satisfied with the work and happy to have found a flooring expert who prioritizes preservation of original materials, even in a modest old home like mine.