Original oak, brought back
Hardwood flooring in Des Peres, MO
Many Des Peres homes were built with solid oak under the carpet, and bringing it back is usually cheaper and better looking than starting over.
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Why hardwood suits Des Peres homes
The ranches and colonials built here through the 1960s and 1970s went down with solid oak strip flooring as standard practice, and decades of carpet on top have often protected it better than owners realize. Pulling that carpet up during a remodel and finding intact oak underneath is one of the most common surprises we run into on Des Peres jobs.
Newer construction and additions built more recently tend to run on plywood subfloor rather than the original wood decking, which makes engineered hardwood the more practical choice there. Open-concept remodels connecting kitchens to living rooms are a frequent reason for new hardwood, since matching the wood across the whole main level ties the space together visually.
Picking species, width and finish
Red and white oak remain the most requested species because they take stain evenly and match the existing wood in most Des Peres homes without a jarring transition. Wider plank widths, from five to seven inches, are popular in newer remodels for a more modern look, while narrower strip flooring matches the original character in older sections of a house.
Site-finished floors let you choose a stain color that matches trim or cabinetry exactly, while prefinished engineered boards install faster with less dust and downtime. Matte and satin finishes are outselling high-gloss right now because they hide dust and small scratches better in busy family homes.
Subfloor prep and what we check first
Before any new hardwood goes down, we check the subfloor for flatness and moisture, especially in additions where the framing may have settled differently than the original structure. Squeaks get addressed by screwing the subfloor to the joists rather than covering the problem up with new flooring on top.
For refinishing jobs, we assess how many times a floor has already been sanded, since oak strip only has so many sandings left in it before the tongue and groove get too thin. We pull up a small section during the estimate whenever carpet is covering the wood, so you know exactly what condition it is in before committing to the job.
What hardwood costs in Des Peres
New solid hardwood installed runs $9 to $16 per square foot, while engineered hardwood runs $8 to $14 per square foot depending on species, width, and finish. The difference in price usually comes down to material grade and whether the job is site-finished or prefinished.
Refinishing existing hardwood costs $3.50 to $6 per square foot, covering sanding, staining, and two to three coats of finish. That range makes refinishing the original oak in a Des Peres ranch one of the most cost-effective upgrades a homeowner can make to a main living area.
How a hardwood project moves from start to finish
Our sales team measures the space, checks subfloor conditions, and for refinishing jobs, tests stain samples directly on your existing boards so you see the real result before committing. Every quote is written out with a single price covering material, labor, and any subfloor repair identified during the measure.
New installation typically takes two to four days depending on square footage, while refinishing runs three to five days to allow for sanding, staining, and finish coats to cure properly. Dust containment equipment keeps sanding jobs cleaner than older methods, and we walk the finished floor with you before calling the job done.
Why homeowners in Des Peres trust Veteran Flooring
Hardwood is unforgiving of shortcuts, and a rushed sanding job or mismatched stain shows up immediately under natural light. Our crews take the time to test and match before committing to a full room, which is part of why we carry a 4.9-star Google rating built on repeat referrals across west St. Louis County.
Veteran Flooring has operated as a veteran-owned business since 2015, founded by Marine veteran Dale Wyatt. Our showroom at 149 Weldon Pkwy in Maryland Heights is about 20 to 25 minutes from Des Peres, open weekdays 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with financing available through Hearth and Synchrony. Call (314) 897-4383 to set up your free in-home measure.
Financing Through Hearth And Synchrony*
*Subject to credit approval. Applying takes a few minutes and does not commit you to a project. Ask about our veteran and first responder discounts when you schedule.
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Hardwood flooring questions in Des Peres, MO
The best way is to have us pull back a corner during the free estimate. Most Des Peres homes from the 1960s and 1970s have solid oak strip underneath that has plenty of sanding life left, even after years of neglect. If the boards show heavy water damage or have already been sanded several times, we will tell you honestly rather than push a job that will not hold up.
Solid hardwood is a single piece of wood through and through, and it can be sanded and refinished many times over its life. Engineered hardwood has a real wood veneer over layered plywood, which makes it more stable over slab or in additions with variable moisture. Both look identical once installed and finished.
Most refinishing jobs in Des Peres homes take three to five days from sanding through the final coat. You typically need to stay off the floor in socks only for a day or two after the final coat, and full furniture weight should wait about a week. We plan the schedule around your household's needs during the estimate.
In most cases, yes. We bring samples to the measure and can often match species, stain color, and plank width closely enough that the transition is seamless. For older existing floors with years of sun fading, an exact match sometimes requires refinishing the old section alongside the new installation.
From the first call to the final sweep
Working with Veteran Flooring
Tell us what you have
Call (314) 897-4383 or send us the rooms and square footage. We will set a time at your place, or you can stop by the showroom.
View, measure, and quote
You can send rooms and square footage to get started, but we always view the job in person before bidding. One of our sales team members measures, checks the subfloor, and writes one price for the whole project back to you within one business day.
Install with coordinated oversight
We protect the house, prep the subfloor, and lay the floor. Your project manager coordinates the crew, checks progress, and keeps you updated throughout the work.
Walk it and stand behind it
We clean up, walk every room with you, and back our labor for a full year on top of the manufacturer warranty.
Proudly serving Des Peres, MO
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