Ishmael refinished our hardwood floors after they were damaged by a dishwasher leak, and I couldn't be happier with the results. From start to finish, he truly took the time to make sure everything was done right and that I was completely satisfied. Throughout the entire process, Ishmael was patient, thorough, and happy to answer all of my questions. His attention to detail and commitment to quality really stood out. You can tell that quality is his passion--he runs one crew and is very hands-on, which makes a huge difference. What impressed me even more was his follow-up. Two months after the job was completed, I reached out with a flooring-related question. He responded within minutes and even came by our house the very next day to take a look. That level of care and professionalism is rare. If you're looking for someone who takes pride in their work, communicates clearly, and truly cares about the final result, I highly recommend Ishmael. Our floors look beautiful, and the entire experience was exceptional. read more

I cannot say enough good things about Ismael and his team! Ismael goes above and beyond with his work and takes great pride in his craft. I highly recommend hiring Ismael for any flooring needs. Great people! read more

Traditional Quality Hardwood Flooring - Flooring Near Me

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I can't say enough great things about the work done on my in-law's floors. They were getting the house ready to sell, and the transformation is honestly unbelievable. The old tile was removed and replaced with beautiful hardwood flooring, and the existing floors were refinished to perfection. They truly look brand new, like something out of a model home. The color and richness of the wood were completely brought back to life, and the attention to detail really shows. The entire space feels warmer, brighter, and more updated. Not only was the quality of work outstanding, but the whole process was smooth and professional from start to finish. If you're looking to refresh your floors or completely transform your space, I highly recommend this company. You won't be disappointed! read more

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We've now had floors done 3 times, these guys are without a doubt the best. Great communicators, high attention to detail and pride in their work. They fixed a bunch of problems free of charge as well. Initial price was the final price. No nickel and diming like every other contractor experience I've had. This is a family business that is built on reputation. Highly recommend read more

I am EXTREMELY satisfied with the work that Ismael & his team did on the floors for an entire apartment - on time, professional, fair and so nice! The floors look amazing and I'm so grateful to Traditional Quality Hardwood Flooring! They left the apartment so clean, probably cleaner! I give Ismael and TQGF my full endorsement! Call them - you won't be disappointed. read more

Ismael and his team were extremely great to work with. Getting a quote and setting up a time was simple and painless. The team got in and got the job done in a very timely manner without sacrificing any quality. He was always extremely easy to work with on pricing. I would highly recommend his services! Love my new, beautiful floors and am glad I chose Ismael and team for this first step in making my new place mine! read more

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Ismael and his team did a great job! They removed our carpets, sanded, and stained the hardwood floors that were beneath. Quick turnaround and he was great with communication throughout the process. read more

I am absolutely blown away with the work done by Ismael and his team. From the very beginning until the finished product their work was beyond excellent. They were professional and so easy to work with. Transparency was upheld throughout the project and the finished product was better than I expected. I highly recommend you use them for your needs. Any future work I would need will be done by them. Once you find a solid team you do not change it. Thank you all so much I truly appreciate everything you did. read more

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Ismael and his team did an amazing job refinishing our hardwood floors! They were very professional, easy to work with, and charged a fair price. Ismael is passionate about his work and wants only the best for his clients. Highly recommend! read more

This flooring company is top notch! Ismael, the owner, is friendly, honest, & has decades of experience. I would not hesitate to hire him for any flooring needs. He won't lowball you with a quote to get your business & then add on a bunch of "unexpected" charges like many companies do. He will be completely realistic & transparent when it comes to costs & expectations. Ismael is a man of integrity, which is hard to find in our world today, especially when it comes to people selling services/products. I have zero negative things to say about him and his company. Traditional Quality Hardwood Flooring is the best in Chicago! read more

The short story on Ishmael and why I chose him over his competitors is Trust, Communication, Quality, and Experience. I am wildly happy with the outcome and will have him back soon to work on another floor in my home. The longer story is below as I believe the devil is in the details, but not for everyone. Hence, the highlights above for the short attention spans (I am guilty as well). I purchased what is going to be our forever home and was so excited. There are always little tweaks you need to make when you move in, and my new home wasn't an exception. There are three floors with two floors that have hardwood and a third with super cheap vinyl floor. On the top floor of our house had high end 20-year old carpeting in the bedrooms with HUGE stains. Not only was it an eye sore, but my daughter has asthma, so they had to go or be replaced. I had Ishmael, two other hardwood flooring companies and a carpeting company out to my house for quotes. Ishmael was super cheerful from the moment I reached out to him and meeting him in person was no exception. He came into my house and told me not to touch my floors as they were beautifully done although honey oat and not my favorite. He mentioned the bottom floor had too many clear coats and adding another would make it look like plastic. He said he would give me a quote for the bedrooms upstairs, but he would be happy with the floors otherwise. This candor was appreciated and made me trust him because he had the experience of knowing not to add more clear coats which other companies quoted happily. Additionally, he was content to do the work but told me it was unnecessary (TRUST). He also provided me with a quote to replace the vinyl in our basement. During the process of meeting him he told me he could do most any contracting work, but all he does is flooring for the past 34 years. He's personally on the job with his crew and oversees everything to make sure it goes smoothly. I liked this approach because you don't want to go to a doctor that sometimes does a procedure. You want to go to a doctor that does a procedure all day with expertise and knowledge of the small issues which can turn into big issues if not handled well. I felt like Ishmael was the hardwood flooring specialist/doctor I needed for my home. I decided to move forward with hardwood flooring on the top floor of our home and stain it a medium brown with the intention of doing the bottom flooring later. The hiccup was we needed to move into the house in a week and a half. Ishmael said he could deliver in our timeframe, but we had to get moving. He and his crew were there and working as soon as I said yes. He detailed how the project would unfold and where we would need decisions points to be made (color of flooring, etc.) to keep us on track (COMMUNICATION). He went out and bought a bunch of different stains after I didn't like the first one I recommended. I was slammed at work and couldn't make it to the house to review the stains so he stained boards and traveled to my old house and presented the boards to me so I could decide. Once we made a decision I didn't worry about it until it was complete. I got the key from his crew and they were off without a fuss. The floors were beautifully done and I couldn't have been more pleased. read more

Ismael and his sons did an amazing job. They were recommended to us, and I would recommend them to anyone looking to doing hardwood floor updates and staining. They were extremely conscious of our HOAs questions and comments, and took great care with the work. They were fast while not sacrificing quality. When we were looking at quotes, they came in at a great rate and are well worth the investment. If you're looking for a quality flooring company, look no further. read more

The owner and his team create masterpieces I'm very pleased with their work! They're very respectful and they take pride in what they do and that's a big tell on how a business is. read more

Ismael showed up to give us an estimate on repairing our floors. He did provide the estimate as requested but also voiced his honest opinion regarding that our floors were in nice condition and he would leave them alone for now. We appreciate his honesty because we could have spent money on something that wasn't needed. When the time does come that our floors need repairing, we will be using his services! Thank you Ismael read more

Traditional was subcontracted by Oasis Heating to repair a damaged transition in our home - they were very courteous, polite, professional and extremely competent at what they do. They worked effectively and efficiently. They came as a two man team - were very careful and meticulous about their work. Top notch results and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for an experienced and honest flooring contractor. read more

This company does great work! I would highly recommend them. Ismeal and his team didn't miss a beat. My wood floor was refinished to perfection at a great price. They were on time, trustworthy and their communication was excellent. I knew exactly what was happening during the project at all times. I even had to reschedule the start date and they were very accommodating. If you use this team you'll know you've found the best. read more

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another fabulous job by Ismael and his crew. This is the fifth room that we've had Ismael do work on and we've always been pleased with the final outcome. The first room that he worked on for ua (in 2004) still looks as beautiful as it did the day he finished it. I cannot recommend him and his company highly enough. read more

Traditional Quality Hardwood Flooring - a staircase leading to a hallway - Flooring Near Me

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Ismael and the Traditional Quality Hardwood Flooring Inc. team went above and beyond to provide us with expert LVP flooring installation! Ismael walked us through the project plan every morning, patiently and enthusiastically answering all of our questions. The team was tidy and considerate of our time, finishing the project a whole day early. We could tell that Ismael and the team really take pride in the quality work that they provide, they cared for our home with as much respect as we do! We cannot recommend Traditional Quality Hardwood Flooring Inc. enough! read more

Y'all. Ismael and his crew are the real deal. Not only was his quote the lowest that we received, his work was absolutely gorgeous and he is a lovely human as well. He came to take a look at our 1920's originals and walked me through what the process would be like (pointing out why he would replace the few boards that needed it - do you know how to tell where the radiators used to be? I didn't but I do now). He refinished our entire condo (around 1000 square feet) including repairs and adding a new shoe-rail trim all the way around in TWO DAYS. It seriously looks like a whole new place in here. Here's the bottom line - choosing someone to come into your home (especially if you JUST bought it) and do something major like this requires a lot of trust. It can be hard to trust someone you met because of the internet. But I am here to tell you - you can trust this guy. As mentioned above - he's the real deal. read more

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Ismael is a rare breed. A true craftsman who has deep understanding and expertise in his trade. He knows floors and he cares deeply about doing it right. Ismael treated my floors like they were his own. He went above in beyond in restoring our Brazillian Cherry floors to their original state. This included extra care and attention to hammering down flooring nails that extended slightly above the planks and filling In the space in above them with a wood puddy. It would have been easy for Ismael to run his sanders over these as the nailswere hardly noticeable - but that's not how he does business. Now that the floors are finished and curing, I couldn't be happier with results. They are beautiful! If you want it done right without someone cutting corners to make an extra buck, then Ismael is your guy. read more

Traditional Quality Hardwood Flooring - After photo - Flooring Near Me

We just had Ismael and his crew in to put in new hardwood in our living room/ dining room/ and guest room. Since we new nothing about flooring, we were hoping to go along with some of his recommendations....and we did! We went with the red oak he suggested, we went with a little bigger planks than he suggested and then he put down 3 stains we picked out to choose from. Ismael is a pro! and so are his guys. he had our floors installed and stained in 2 days. 3rd day was stinky... but looked GREAT! :) This is an honest guy.... all around. i highly recommend him! read more

Traditional Quality Hardwood Flooring - Flooring Near Me

Im not happy but I'll let you be the judge, 1st photo is section of prefinished flooring we wanted matched as close as reasonable. 2nd photos is same piece on their "matched stairs" 6 weeks out and not even the same ballpark. It looks like from the reviews if they do the whole project it's great but our project was installing stair treads to match existing prefinished floors. I know it wouldn't be perfect but they just used 1 stain minwax classic grey and didn't add any other color. When the stain went on I said it didn't look like it match and I was told it would darken up over a month and look perfect. It doesn't seem to have changed at all and it certainly still doesn't match. This was the most expensive of 3 quotes & i though you get what you pay for, well for the money I'm disappointed. There are also gaps between the stair tread and the wall which I've never had, I was told a painter can fill it with caulk....really? for all the money they should have cut the tread to fit and either didn't have the proper tools or they didn't take the time to measure each step. There were also a lot of "miscomunications" about the schedule, he was always very quick to show me screen shots of his messages to show how he kinda mentioned something eluding that I was wrong, I got the impression he's had a lot of this misscomuncations before. The whole situation was expensive and left me disappointed. read more

Traditional Quality Hardwood Flooring - This is what we wanted the stairs matched to, I dont think it's even close. You ne the judge - Flooring Near Me

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This was my 2nd time working with Ismael, and he and his crew continue to exceed expectations. On this project, we had damaged hardwood in our bathroom; Ismael and his team replaced the damaged boards and refinished the floor. The entire thing looked brand new and you couldn't even tell which boards were replaced. I HIGHLY recommend Ismael for any flooring project you may have - you will not be disappointment. read more

After several receiving several floor estimates I decided to go with Traditional Quality. Not because it was the cheapest but, because Ismael seemed to be very knowledgeable. He provided useful information and even gave me his professional opinion on the quality of the floor I selected and he was also very responsive every time I called or texted. Floor turned out beautiful. read more

Traditional Quality Hardwood Flooring - Flooring Near Me

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Had these guys come in and completely redo all our hardwood floors. Our home was built in the 70s and came with some gorgeous cedar floors that many modern houses don't have, so we were concerned about how anyone would go about restoring our floors. They did a wonderful job, and very efficient, in under 10 days. I would highly recommend this company to anyone looking to restore or redo their floors. read more

This father and sons team is truly that. They work so seamlessly together in order to get the job done the right way and in a timely manner. They came in and saved the day when a previous contractor walked off the job. This team truly believes in quality and making sure you're happy along the way. They took such care and identified areas where wood needed to be replaced to ensure we had truly the best floors. If you want a company that delivers quality, customer service, and beautiful floors this is it!!! read more

Do yourself a favor and call Ismael for a quote. He stopped over on a Monday to estimate, and by Thursday he was already on the job. It took basically two days for my 700sq ft unit. Ismael and his son did an awesome job on my 120-year-old floors. This is a rental unit, and you can image what kind of shape they were in. He also patched some planks that needed replacing. Overall friendly, pro, affordable... We can't recommend this guy enough. read more

These guys are the best. Professional, clean, kind and fast. A class act. Work is impeccable. I can't recommend them enough. I would use them again in a heartbeat. read more

Traditional Quality Hardwood Flooring - Flooring Near Me

I requested a quote via Yelp in January of 2017 and was contacted same day by Ismael. He came in, quoted me, and his crew were in just a couple of weeks later. I thought they did a very quality job and the floors look beautiful. Two years later, the floors still look great. I'm really satisfied with the work and would recommend them to people I know. read more

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Ismael turned our worn looking floors into beautiful floors that look brand new. Communication was easy; he came over on the weekend to give us a quote right after we reached out to him, and he was very flexible to get the work done while we were out of town. We came home to what looked like a new place. Would definitely recommend giving Ismael a call if you need to redo your wood floors. read more

We hired Ismael to replace all of the carpet on our 2nd floor with hardwood, about 600 square feet. We scheduled it about a month in advance and stipulated that we needed the work done so that it didn't stretch over a weekend. The crew showed up on time every day and finished with a whole day to spare. They worked clean and overall the dust from the sanding stayed confined to the upstairs. The finished floors are an exact match to the existing floors on our ground floor and the finish is just about perfect. I haven't noticed any bubbles or rough spots anywhere. Communication was good at all stages of the process, the initial estimate was fair and pretty no-nonsense. I had a price in my head that I wanted to get per square foot and that price was met on the estimate without any haggle. I have a rental property with some pretty beat up cherry wood floors. I'll be hiring Ismael to refinish those next summer. read more

Hands down one of the best experiences I've had with a craftsman. I tried three other companies for this and was feeling defeated, until Ismael called me back. From our initial call, I knew I found the right guy. He was honest, fair, and took the job when others wouldn't (it was too small or they didn't think the scratch was worth fixing). He sanded down the one board and matched it perfectly. He wouldn't even accept my tip! Class act. Thank you very much Ismael. read more

Ismael brought new life to my faded, scratched, water marred hardwood floors. He quickly identified the wood type and why the last floor refinishing completed by the previous owner had left the floors dull and discolored. After two quick days on three job, I finally have the beautiful floors I wish I would have gotten 6 years ago when I moved in, thanks to Ismael & his team. read more

Ismael and his sons were great! They did a fantastic job turning my tired and worn-down hardwood floor throughout my first floor into a masterpiece; just as if they were newly installed. I would highly recommend him to family and friends. He was very knowledgeable and personable; easy to talk to and took the time to make sure all my questions and/or concerns were addressed and answered. He is truly a professional in his craft and the go-to guy if you need hardwood floors refinished! ~Darnell C. read more

I picked ismael off of yelp, instead of going with a friends recommendation, and boy am I happy I did. He knew the wood in my new house well and recommended to me what stain I should go with to highlight my walnut boarder. I originally wanted to go with something dark but I'm so happy I listened to ismael. I literally cried of happiness when I saw the floors. They turned out even more beautiful than I could imagine. The only small issue I had was that I didn't know I should have covered my water heater sensor before the floors were re sanded. The chemicals blew the sensor out which I had to get replaced (so FYI for anyone who's water heater is on the same floor that is being re-sanded.) read more

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When Ismael came out to give me a quote, his daughter was with him. When I asked how long he's been doing flooring work, she gave a very cute reply for him, saying he'd been doing it his whole life. He seemed like a hardworking, experienced family guy, so I hired him, even though his quote was considerably higher than others. My wife stayed home to supervise his work, installing hardwood flooring in a bedroom that previously had carpeting. Much to my surprise, when I checked in, my wife said Ismael wasn't there. Two guys who didn't speak English were doing the work, and one had a very bad back and was in a great deal of pain. They absolutely butchered our trim. It looked like something out of Frankenstein, puttied together in about 30 pieces. Absolutely ridiculous they thought this would pass muster. After chewing him out, Ismael graced us with his presence on day two, to try to repair the subcontractors shoddy work. For my modern loft, he brought some curvy, country-style trim that looking totally out of place. He said trim with clean lines was custom, and not available. Fortunately, my neighbor had some leftover trim...from the local hardware store...just enough to do the job. I received no discount for supplying my own trim after their butchery. In the end, the floor seems fine. But it was not at all the installation job I had hoped for, and strangers installed it...who were obviously not at the experience level I was paying handsomely for. I would not recommend this company and would be extremely skeptical about the regular glowing reviews from one-time or infrequent Yelp users. read more

I recently was in Chicago painting my Mom's living room in her 1950 bungalow and we decided to rip out the old carpet. We were thrilled to see solid oak floors but they were not in good condition. I live in San Francisco so searched Yelp for hardwood floor refinishers and saw the great reviews for Traditional Hardwood Flooring and sent an email. Ishmael called me the next day and sounded knowledgeable about non-toxic water based finishes which are especially important since my mom is 82. I had him do a quote at my Mom's house. He was very personable and gave a reasonable quote. He was able to start the work the same week and finished the work in 1 day. The floors came out incredible and he did a great job keeping things clean afterwards. I would use him again in a heartbeat and wish I could find someone this good and reasonable here in San Francisco! read more

By far the best floor refinishing and floor repairing company I've ever contracted. I'm saying this because I have a few buildings where I've had floors done and the quality and workmanship doesn't even come close to what Ismael and sons have done. Ismael ILC is a family owned company and Ismael is hands on. Ismael has 2 sons that also work alongside. I called Ismael for a quote to refinish and repair my 100 plus year old maple floors in my kitchen. These are original floors and other companies would not even offer to refinish but to replace the floors because it's easier for them to do. My maple floors were in bad shape and one side of the kitchen I removed tile which exposed more maple floors but also had tar paper stuck to the maple. Ismael came in and gave me reasonable quote and said, we can do this and we'll do it right. These guys don't skip steps, you can see it in their faces that they love what they do and they do it right. 1.5 days later I have beautiful floors and couldn't even tell where a few boards were replaced. Again, Ismael and sons are top notch and they do quality work and are proud of the outcome when the job is completed. read more

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Ismael is a truly kind, honest, and great man. I found him on Yelp (THANKS) and i wasn't disappointed. Not only was his price the most reasonable, and i got 3-4 other estimates, but he was dependable, organized, and didn't stop until he was satisfied with the quality of his work. I was moving in to a condo that had light oak floors, and i wanted all 1350 sqft refinished and stained a dark espresso. He did an amazing job and the floors look AWESOME!!!! we are totally happy with them and even after the fact when i've had questions, ismael has gone out of his way to help. I would totally recommend him for any flooring issue. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!!!!!! read more

I just bought a 1920s bungalow and was thrilled to find original hardwood floors hiding under the ugly carpet that the previous owners had put in. I was not so thrilled with the years' worth of stains on those wood floors. We called a couple of other floor guys who'd gotten good Yelp reviews and they either didn't call us back or gave us crazy high estimates for the job. Ismael was prompt in returning our calls, arranging a time to take a look at the floors to give us a detailed estimate, and was able to start work quickly. He showed us samples of stains, and we trusted his suggestion for which color would look best on our floors. He and his crew arrived on time and worked their tails off to make our floors beautiful. We had them refinish the wood floors in the living room, dining room, office, and two bedrooms and the job was finished quickly and at a very reasonable price. The floors look gorgeous! They're so smooth, the few boards that needed to be replaced blend in perfectly, and the color is exactly right. We're so impressed with the quality of the workmanship and the professionalism of the workers. I would recommend these guys again any day without the slightest hesitation. read more