La Crosse Premium Hardwood Flooring: Hardwood Floor Installation & Refinishing
La Crosse Premium Hardwood Flooring installs new and refinishes hardwood floors. We work in La Crosse, WI. Scratched finish, worn traffic lanes, water stains, and original oak still hiding under carpet are the usual reasons people call. Board repair is part of the same visit when a full sand is more than the floor needs.
Jobs run solid or engineered, nail-down or glue-down, after moisture readings and a few days of acclimation so the floor stays flat through a dry winter and a humid summer. Prefinished boards go down faster; unfinished boards get stained and coated in the room so the color can match existing trim. Request a free estimate below, or call first if you are not sure whether the wood can be saved.
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Why La Crosse Premium Hardwood Flooring Is La Crosse's Hardwood Flooring Contractor
- Locally Owned & Operated
- Free Estimates
- Homes and Businesses
- Clean Job Sites
- On-Time Completion
- Solid and Engineered Hardwood
- Quality Craftsmanship
- Attention to Detail
- Honest Recoat vs. Full Sand
Hardwood Floor Installation & Refinishing
Hardwood Floor Installation
We install solid and engineered hardwood with nail-down, staple-down, or glue-down fastening, picked from the subfloor and the plank. Prefinished boards skip on-site coating. Unfinished boards get sanded and stained in the room so the color can match existing trim. Before anything is fastened, we check subfloor moisture and let the wood sit in the house for several days so it does not gap or cup after the heat comes on.
Hardwood Floor Refinishing
A full refinish sands to bare wood through a grit sequence, then stain and two or three coats of polyurethane in matte, satin, or semi-gloss. If you pulled carpet and found original oak or maple, staple holes and paint overspray are normal. We fill and sand those before the first coat. When the finish is only dull, not worn through, a screen-and-recoat is enough, and we will say so instead of selling a full sand.
Hardwood Floor Repair
A few bad boards, open gaps, or a squeak do not need a whole-room sand. We replace boards to match species, width, and stain, fill minor gaps, and quiet squeaks by fastening the subfloor back to the joist. Water damage is a different job, covered on its own.
Engineered Hardwood Flooring
Engineered hardwood is a real-wood wear layer over a plywood or HDF core, usually 3/8 to 3/4 inch thick. Click-lock, glue-down, or nail-down depends on the product. It is the better call over a concrete slab, in a basement, or on radiant heat, because the core moves less than solid 3/4-inch boards when indoor humidity swings.
Water Damaged Hardwood Floors
After a leak or a flood, we meter the wood and the subfloor. Cupping (edges up) and crowning (center up) tell us whether the boards can dry and be sanded flat or have to come out. Delaminated engineered planks get replaced. Solid boards that dried without buckling can often stay.
Dustless Hardwood Floor Sanding
Dustless sanding hooks the sander to a HEPA vacuum so dust is pulled at the pad instead of settling in the rest of the house. That is a real sand to bare wood, not a one-day chemical recoat. If the finish is worn through, pet-stained, or built up in old layers, it still has to be cut off. Containment just keeps the house cleaner while we do it.
Commercial Hardwood Flooring
Office Flooring
Most office and retail jobs use engineered hardwood over a slab. We spec a harder finish for chair casters and cart traffic, and a low-VOC formula so the room can be occupied sooner. Install and refinish work can run evenings or weekends so the business is not shut down on a Tuesday.
Restaurant Flooring
Restaurant floors take spills, wet mopping, and rolling carts. We use a commercial-grade finish with a sheen that is less slick when wet, and we plan the job so part of the dining room can stay open when the layout allows.
Medical & Professional Office Flooring
Medical and professional offices need a low-odor, low-VOC finish that will not disrupt patients or staff, plus tight seams that hold up to daily disinfecting. Install and refinish work runs after hours or on weekends so appointments are never interrupted.
Types of Hardwood Flooring
Oak Flooring
Red oak sits around 1,290 on the Janka scale, with an open grain that takes stain evenly and a warm pink-brown undertone. It is the default species in a lot of Midwest houses, in both solid and engineered, which also makes later board matching easier.
White Oak Flooring
White oak is a bit harder, about 1,360 Janka, with a tighter grain and natural tyloses in the pores that help it handle moisture better than red oak. It is the usual pick for gray, natural, and whitewashed stains. Quarter-sawn boards show ray fleck.
Maple Flooring
Hard maple is about 1,450 Janka with a tight, closed grain and a light natural color. It can blotch if stained without a wood conditioner. Birch is a similar closed-grain look. Cherry is softer, about 950, and ambers in sunlight over the first years.
Hickory Flooring
Hickory is one of the hardest domestic species, around 1,820 Janka, with cream-to-brown color swings in the same board. It holds up in kitchens, entries, and halls that see grit and chair legs.
Walnut Flooring
American black walnut is about 1,010 Janka. It comes darker out of the mill and is softer than oak, so it dents more. It lightens a little in sun, the opposite of cherry. It fits dining rooms and quieter spaces better than a back door.
Wide Plank Hardwood Flooring
Wide plank means boards in the 5 to 10 inch range: fewer seams, more of the grain showing. Wider boards move more with the seasons, so acclimation and steady indoor humidity matter more than they do with old 2-1/4 inch strips.
How Much Does Hardwood Flooring Cost in La Crosse, WI?
Installed hardwood in this market typically runs $10 to $25 per square foot, depending on solid vs. engineered, the species, and the subfloor.
Refinishing existing wood is usually the cheaper path when the boards are still thick enough to sand.
A site visit is the only way to get a firm number. Square footage, moisture, and tear-out all move the price.
| Service | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Hardwood floor installation cost (materials + labor) | $10 – $16 per sq ft |
| Hardwood floor refinishing cost (full sand & finish) | $3.50 – $6.50 per sq ft |
| Screen and recoat (finish still intact) | $4.00 – $4.75 per sq ft |
| Heavy sanding with board repairs | $6.00 – $8.50+ per sq ft |
| Board replacement / repair | $7 – $25 per sq ft |
| Engineered hardwood, installed | $9 – $20 per sq ft |
| Solid hardwood, installed | $11 – $25 per sq ft |
| Subfloor repair (if needed) | $500 – $2,000 per project |
Ranges reflect published national and regional cost data for hardwood flooring installation, refinishing, and repair (Angi, HomeGuide, NerdWallet, Homewyse, 2026) and are not an estimate for this business's rates.
What to Expect When You Hire a Hardwood Flooring Contractor
Six steps, from the first look at the room to the walkthrough.
- 01
In-Home Estimate
We measure, check the subfloor and moisture, and say whether the existing wood can be saved before quoting a price.
- 02
Wood & Finish Selection
Species, plank width, prefinished or site-finished, and sheen. We flag what fits your subfloor and traffic, including slab or radiant heat.
- 03
Subfloor Prep
Old carpet, vinyl, or failed boards come up. The subfloor is dried, leveled, and fastened before new wood goes down.
- 04
Installation or Sanding
New floors are nailed, stapled, or glued after acclimation. Existing floors are sanded through a full grit sequence under HEPA dust collection.
- 05
Finishing
Stain if you want a color change, then coats of finish with dry time between them. Occupied homes and after-hours commercial jobs follow the same sequence.
- 06
Final Walkthrough
We walk the floor with you before calling the job done.
What Beautiful Hardwood Flooring Installations Should Look Like
Hardwood floor in a furnished bedroom with natural light
Hardwood floor running the length of a commercial hallway
Hardwood flooring in a commercial lounge seating area
Finished hardwood floor in a dining room with table and chairs
Warm hardwood flooring across an open living room
Hardwood floor in a modern bedroom with low furniture
Hardwood Flooring in Onalaska, Holmen, West Salem & La Crescent
Based in La Crosse, WI. Onalaska, Holmen, and West Salem are in range. So is La Crescent, across the river in Minnesota.
- La Crosse, WI
- Onalaska, WI
- Holmen, WI
- West Salem, WI
- La Crescent, MN
Hardwood Flooring FAQs
How long does hardwood floor installation take?
A typical room is 1 to 3 days on site once the wood has acclimated. Whole-house jobs and wide plank or pattern work take longer.
How long does it take to refinish hardwood floors?
A full sand and finish is usually 3 to 5 days, including dry time between coats. Furniture stays off until the last coat has cured.
Can engineered hardwood be refinished?
Yes, if the wear layer is thick enough, about 2 mm or more. Thinner veneers cannot take a full sand without hitting the core. We check that on site.
Do you remove the old floor before hardwood floor installation?
Yes. Carpet, vinyl, and old wood come up as part of the job, then the subfloor gets checked before new boards go down. Tile or glued product takes longer and shows up as its own line on the estimate.
I pulled up old carpet and found hardwood underneath. Is it worth refinishing?
Often yes. Older houses around here still have solid oak or maple under carpet. Staple holes, paint, and pet spots are common. If the boards are thick enough, we sand and finish them. Bad sections get replaced first.
Can I stay in the house during refinishing?
Yes. Expect noise on sanding days and finish odor until it cures. Dustless equipment keeps the rest of the house cleaner, but the work rooms still need to stay empty.
Is solid or engineered hardwood better over a concrete slab?
Engineered. Solid 3/4-inch boards want a wood subfloor. Engineered cores handle slab moisture and seasonal swings better, which is why they show up in a lot of newer Onalaska and Holmen builds.
Do you install commercial hardwood flooring after hours?
Yes. Offices and restaurants can be scheduled evenings or weekends so you are not closed on a weekday.
How much does hardwood flooring cost per square foot?
Published ranges for installed hardwood typically fall between $10 and $25 per square foot. A full refinish is usually $3.50 to $6.50. Final price depends on species, subfloor, and tear-out. That is what the site visit is for.
Get a Hardwood Flooring Estimate in La Crosse
House or workplace. Tell us which, and we will measure, check moisture, and send a free estimate.