Choosing a home with the original wood floors was a must-have for us. When we moved into our 1895 Tower Grove East home a couple years ago, it had exactly what we were looking for--beautiful heart pine floors throughout--but they were in rough shape. They showed years of deferred maintenance, damage from the previous owners' pets, and a few footprints from their DIY refinishing job-gone-wrong. After speaking with a few companies, we were skeptical of whether we'd be able to bring these old floors back to life. When we met Jim at Abeln Floor Systems, we instantly saw that he was passionate about restoration. His expertise is unparalleled and we knew he was the right person for this job. Jim also had an inventory that would help us repair a few tricky areas that required special attention and odd-sized boards. We kicked off the job by doing a walkthrough with both Jim and his crew member Kenny. This ensured we had a shared expectation of outcomes and gave us all the opportunity to flag any areas of concern before the work started. Throughout the process, both Jim and Kenny were incredibly transparent and proactive with their communications; we received a daily check in call to share updates, ask questions, and confirm we were satisfied with the work so far. I couldn't imagine a better outcome and my biggest regret is that we didn't do this project sooner. I mean, look at the pictures!! The floors are immaculate and have made such a significant impact in restoring this home's character. Jim and Kenny were both amazing to work with and I'm so thankful that we were able to do this project with them. If you are looking for high-quality outcomes and a trustworthy crew, look no further. This is the best team you could hire in greater St. Louis. read more

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I would highly recommend Jim and his group for any floor project you need. Our home is an older Victorian home in Webster, ~120 years old. We have wood floors throughout, except for for whatever reason two of the bedrooms they put this carpet into the middle... Which, of course when we moved in one of our dogs promptly decided to use as a bathroom whenever she wanted. The carpet didn't look great, didn't smell great, collects dust all that bad stuff. Plus, it just didn't match the rest of the house. Jim was able to come in here and start on Tuesday and by Saturday the floors were ready and we could move the furniture back in. The finished product looks amazing and they were just a really good group of people to work with. If you're going to have somebody in your home for a few days in a row it definitely helps to have friendly and trustworthy people. I would highly recommend him to anybody. read more

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I cannot believe the transformation of my 100-year old floors. they have been covered with carpeting for the entire 30+ years I have lived her because the wood was so dried out and stained. I had another company look at them about 20 years ago and was told they were hopeless. Jim came in and assed the floors and was so encouraging. The person who did the work was a true craftsman. a lot the flooring had to be replaced and I can't tell the difference. Mostly, I just want to rave about what great service they provided. read more

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I spoke by phone with Jim Abeln for about 10 minutes. After describing my hardwood flooring project and answering his questions, I asked whether he was interested in the job. At the same time, I expressed how I was prepared to be very flexible and accommodating of his other commitments, deferential to his expertise, and so on. He assured me that, yes, he was very interested. At that point, he said he was with someone else and asked if he could call me back. "Absolutely," I replied. He never called me back. After about three weeks, I called him again. Reminded him of our previous conversation, etc. He then proceeded to schedule an appointment with me for about two weeks later. The appointment date and time came, he never showed up, didn't call to say he couldn't make it, or to reschedule. I never heard from him again. read more

Jim & his team were a pleasure to do business with. They refinished the original hardwood floors on the main level of our home & it all turned out absolutely gorgeous. Looks like we had all new floors installed. The whole process took about three days & we were pleasantly surprised at the lack of dust and mess; they use a very high quality sander that sucked up 90% of the dust, leaving very little behind. Everyone on the team was punctual, polite, and professional. 100% recommend Jim Abeln Flooring! read more

Jim and his crew took great care of us when we needed our floors restored. He was able to take out pet stains and had reclaimed wood available to perfect the restoration. He did the work on time and for the price we agreed on. We are very happy with the results and we love our floors. Highly recommend Jim for great service and product. Thanks read more

Jim and his team refinished our 1962 parquet floors that had been covered by carpet for years. They needed repair and evenreplacement in parts. Jim did the work while I was out of town and helped me pick the stain color via multiple samples. He also creatively solved a few problems where the threshold transitions were significant. I will definitely use Jim again for any flooring needs! read more

Abeln Floor Systems - Picking stain color. - Flooring Near Me - Maplewood, Missouri

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I am so impressed with how our floors turned out, it feels like we have a brand new house. Initially, we had shopped around for a few different quotes but, as soon as we met and talked with Jim, we knew this was who we wanted to refinish our 80+ year old floors. The way he spoke about his work and the excitement he showed in our house and floors convinced us evewould be in good hands. Working with Abeln and coordinating the project was easy. Jim and his team were really responsive and able to work with our schedule. They did the job quickly without compromising on quality. Will recommend to friends and family. read more

My husband and I had a great experience working with Abeln to have hardwood installed in our living and dining rooms as well as having our wood stairs refinished. Jim Abeln and his crew were courteous, professional, friendly, and communicative through the entire process. They wore masks the entire time they were in our house which I really appreciated and kept us informed every step of the way. The crew showed up on time every day, worked hard to minimize any dust or other mess, and did great work. The project completed on time and on budget. Our floors and steps look great; I would definitely recommend Abeln! read more

I could not be happier with Abeln Floor Systems' restoration of my original hardwood floors in my 99-year-old home. There were multiple spots of damage and discoloration that now looks brand new! Jim Abeln worked with me to match boards for the replacements needed and fix a couple of transitions in the home as well. He was very responsive, detailed and communicative through the whole process. He texted me with daily updates including photos of the progress throughout the process as I was out of town. Highly recommend Abeln Floor Systems! read more

We recently moved into a home built in 1914. We were searching for a contractor to refinish our hardwood floors. We called Jim Abeln to give us a bid for this work. Little did we know what an education Jim would impart to us. Our flooring was quarter sawn pine flooring 3.25'' wide. Jim educated us about our pine flooring and explained the summer and winter growth patterns. Jim could explain to us where radiators probably were and where original oil cloth rugs were and why they were positioned as such. We felt Jim was a craftsman and extremely knowledgeable about old St. Louis homes and their flooring. Jim warned us about some dark spots in the flooring and also where closets had been and how our landing was amended. These spots would possibly not sand out but would add character to the flooring. Needless to say, the floors are amazing. At the end of the job Jim inspected all areas of the job, every room, every closet, every step, the landing, and the hallway. Kenny, the craftsman who repaired, sanded and applied the finish coats on the wood was also very experienced and easy to talk with about our 100+ year old flooring. The repairs Kenny made do not look repaired; they look original. Kenny is amazingly talented and we were very blessed to have him work on our project. I would definitely recommend Abeln Floor Systems especially if you have old pine or hardwood flooring. They are caring, knowledgeable craftsmen who will care about your floors like they are theirs. read more

I contacted Jim a year ago to buy some reclaimed hardwood flooring for a basement project I was working on. I purchased some heart of the pine flooring he reclaimed from a one hundred year old barn in Southern Illinois and installed it in my basement. I could tell his passion for reclaimed flooring and told him I would contact him when i was ready to have it finished. I contacted Jim six weeks ago to schedule an appointment, and he came out to see my project. My flooring project combined reclaimed flooring purchased from him, with pine flooring from a seventy year old farm house and pine flooring from a textile mill built in North Carolina after the civil war. After a hour conversation with him explaining how his crew would sand and finish my floors, I knew I had the right guy. Jim's crew of Matt, Blake and Mike have years of flooring experience, take great pride in their work, and ensure the customer is satisfied. They made sure they minimized the dust and cleaned up their workspace at the end of each day. I was so comfortable with Jim and his crew, my wife and I went out of town for the rest of the project, and left a key with his crew. Jim informed me every day of their progess and sent me pictures. Once completed, he sent me pictures of the finished floors, and we couldn't wait to get back home to see them in person. Pictures didn't do justice, they turned out beautiful. Jim has a life time customer. Dennis read more

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We were very satisfied with Jim and his team and how they refinished, patched and laid our kitchen/dinning room floor. Our house is 90+yrs old and when they were finished with our floors they look exactly like the rest of the house... only cleaner :) Their stain matching was exact and and the workmanship flawless. We would defiantly recommend them as well as have them back for any additional flooring job on our house. read more

Jim is a down to earth guy that knows his stuff! I purchased a house in mid December and he worked with me to get the floors done for a January 16th move in date. He kept in contact with us over the whole process and worked with us in our budget range. The floors in my newly purchased house were covered with carpet and had a lot of pet stains and wear and tear. Jim recommended a darker color finish to hide the stains. I was worried it would be too dark but it turned out perfectly. You can still see a few darker pet stains but overall the color is rich and you can still see the grain of the wood. I would definitely recommend Jim and his team! read more

Abeln Floor Systems - Before: old carpet glue, paint, pet stains. After: Rich, smooth coffee colored hardwood! - Flooring Near Me - Maplewood, Missouri

We recently moved in to a house in St Louis from out of state. The house we bought had carpeting in 3 bedrooms and the dining room over the hardwoods. We were provided Jim's contact info and scheduled an appointment in our tight time window. Jim accommodated our schedule and quoted the job. After closing, Jim came down and removed the carpeting and found 2 of the bedrooms had damaged flooring. One room had damage from pets. The other was damaged as the owner attempted to eliminate squeaks by driving nails/screws throughout the floor! We worked with Jim to determine which boards to replace. Jim's crew replaced/repaired the flooring and it matched 100%. They were able to prep/stain and apply the 1st finish coat in a day. He came back on a regular schedule to complete the finishing. The floors look amazing. Everyone who sees them complements the floors. We highly recommend Jim. read more

We have now finished part two of our project, refinishing old pine floors in two bedrooms and closets and a hall, and a steep set of stairs. The bid included removing old wall-to-wall carpet and tacks, moving furniture, sanding, and varnishing. Jim and his crew came in and sanded the floors. This involved one especially difficult room where adhesive had been used over an entire room--that had to be removed by a diamond sander. The floors had been cut into in various places by previous rehabbers, and there was a large part of one bedroom where a dormer had been added. These areas were all covered with subflooring only. Jim brought in beautiful reclaimed pine salvaged from an old store in Illinois--he even brought me a picture of the store. He patched the floors with this, and laid the reclaimed wood over the subfloor where the dormer was put in. It's beautiful and a great match. Then, they applied three coats of glossy oil-based varnish over the bare wood, sanding between coats. Last, he installed kitchen shoe molding around all baseboards to finish the look.The attention to detail by his crew is superb. He visited the site daily. Having floors restored was a big project--it's disruptive and then there's the expense--but it was really, really worth it. The floors are warm and inviting, and don't need any more than a Swiffering once a week. Tips: 1) If you need to paint walls and trim, do that first. 2) Leave town if you can during the bulk of the project. 3) I highly recommend the oil-based gloss varnish, for durability and looks. 4) Remember, you are probably going to need some area rugs when the job is done. We're using Abeln Flooring for part III of our renovation in a few months. I can't recommend this company highly enough--it was a pleasure to have them in our home and the floors look sublime. read more

When I contacted him, communication was good and he seemed very professional (he even had an impressive website). However, when I asked him to email the estimate a few days after he came out, he ghosted me. I shouldn't be surprised -- ghosting is typical of contractors these days. It seems no one wants to work. Contractors don't care how much time customers spend getting recommendations, contacting them, setting up appointments, etc. Then they make us do the legwork by trying to get them to follow up. Customer service is truly dead. read more

EXTREMELY rude!!! I called to get a quote, and was told he does not give quotes over the phone!!! OK, well, can you come out and give me a bid? YES!! Then he asks , the size of the room or rooms, I tell him, he said, NO, Im not going to do a job that small!!!!!!! It was not a huge job, BUT, I did want to have more work done at a later time and was looking to find someone that was interested in working, I feel the company was not interested in my business, I would NOT recommend them at all. read more

Jim and his crew were great to work with! He loved my pine floors and took a real interest in making them come to life again. He was easy to contact and very professional. My floors turned out amazing and I would recommend working with Abeln Floor Systems in a heartbeat!! read more

We recently had the carpet in our 100 year old St Louis condo removed and replaced with hardwood flooring. Before contacting Jim Abeln, we had two other flooring companies tell us that our only option would be to re-carpet due to the leveling issues in the home. Jim was our last resort and we hoped he could make it work! We were impressed that he spent so much time at the initial bid determining what could/could not be done in our home and with our budget. He spent quite a bit of time assessing our floors and the structure of the home, as well as measuring and asking questions. This attention to detail sold us on his skills and knowledge of the trade. He worked with us through the entire process, communicated effectively and provided a wealth of information. His crew are professional, courteous and hard-working. When they ran into issues, we were immediately contacted and given options. In the end, we could not be happier with our floors. They are absolutely beautiful and will last a lifetime. I highly recommend Jim and his team for any job, but particularly older homes where there may be tricky angles and leveling issues. It is evident that Jim and his team know what they are doing and have worked with many challenging spaces. Thank you Abeln Floors for helping make our home beautiful! read more

They may do good work, as they seem to be very busy. BUT, Jim set an appointment with me for 10am today and then did a NO show, NO call. Bad business practice read more

Abeln floor systems was great! We had a challenging job with a couple curve balls and Jim performed and made everything right. They made some repairs to some damaged portions of the floor and around some return air vents, looks really sharp, blends right in. We're very happy with how the project turned out. The crew(Matt, Blake and Brad) was top notch, very passionate about flooring and extremely trustworthy. read more

I pulled up the carpet and there was a beat up old hardwood floor in my living room and bedrooms. It was discolored, had spots, nail holes and stains. I was pretty certain it could not be restored or resurfaced but i thought I would let ABELN look at it. ABELN flooring systems was able to make my old hardwood floors look great again. They were very professional and the results were truly amazing. My house is my largest investment and I was a bit apprehensive at first because of the cost. The results speak for themselves. Talk is cheap. Results is what matters to me. The results were FANTASTIC. Thank you ABELN flooring. read more

Recently we decided to remove our carpeting in several rooms and replace it with hardwood floors. After researching flooring companies, we choose Abeln Floor Systems for our project. Jim Abeln was very knowledgeable and patient while we constantly researched hardwoods choosing the correct one for our style. Once the installation began his employees were very professional, pleasant, punctual and hardworking. I was comfortable leaving them in the house when we were not home. The project took about 6 days. Once they were finished, the clean-up was very thorough, inclusive of the garage where all of the cutting was done! I would definitely recommend Abeln Floor Systems to anyone who wants beautiful, correctly installed floors! Thank you Jim. We love our floors! read more

JIm did an excellent job refinishing and repairing my hardwood floors. He and his crew were honest, hardworking, and able to complete the job on a compressed timeline. Jim said that our floors were the worst he had seen in 30 years of working on hardwood floors but was able to restore them to beautiful condition. Jim even turned down work when he saw the condition of our staircase saying it wasn't worth finishing because of its condition. Honesty and hardwork at the same time is a rare treat. I will definitely use them in future. read more

Abeln Floor Systems has refinished/repaired wood flooring in our home and my mother's home. In both situations, the job has required boards to be replaced. He also installed new wood flooring in our attic space (see website, under photos). I like the fact that he reuses old flooring to keep the natural look of the project. His crew are very efficient and conscientious of the house, they did a wonderful job of cleaning up. You will have some dust with this kind of project, but they do their best to keep it a minimum. He is honest and upfront with pricing and always tries to work within the quoted price. read more