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Universal Floors The Lynn brothers served in the US Navy in World War II and returned home to start a business that has employed thousands and served tens of thousands. Companies come and go. When we started in 1953 there were nearly as many companies doing floor work as there are today. Pricing the job correctly by being fair to the customer and the company, we have outlasted them all.

We still carry on our 1950's values for good work and the best customer service. We look forward to working with you. Internationally recognized for our dedication to the preservation and majesty of greatness.
Services
UNIVERSAL FLOORS is a local, family-owned, full-service wood floor company. The majority of our work is in our community. Visit our showroom in upper NW Washington. We would love to meet you and discuss your options. Local basic wood floor work is very reasonably priced and can be started and finished in a short period of time.
UNIVERSAL FLOORS offers hardwood floor refinishing services for residential, commercial, and historic sites. Universal Floors Inc. is the most knowledgeable company in the Washington area when it comes to sanding wood floors.
UNIVERSAL FLOORS has been servicing our Nation's Capital since 1953. We are a family owned full-service wood floor company based in Washington, DC. Our certification number is 25V74815102019. Universal Floors Historic Restoration, Government Support and Preservation Division is led by our principal Sprigg Lynn who is a hands-on leader certified as an advanced master craftsman.
UNIVERSAL FLOORS has mastered the ins and outs of condo and apartment wood flooring. Many of the hard to find floors and parquets are stocked in our Washington location. Universal Floors can reproduce any parquet in our woodworking shop. We take a good, better, best approach when pricing your floor needs. This approach is assured to fit all budgets.
Reviews (37)
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Stanley Hallet
Jun 21, 2022
I am pleased to recommend Universal Floors Inc. They have just completed for me restoration work consisting of light sanding, sealing and the application of two coats of clear oil polyurethane finish to our Canadian white maple floors. I most appreciated the high quality of work performed by the father and son team on site as well as the close overseeing of the work from Michael Behrens who followed the work from beginning to end.

The work was of high quality and professional. I am an architect and our house has been published in journals here and abroad. Only today I have recommended this company to an equally demanding graphic designer preparing his Georgetown apartment for sale.
Christina McDonald
May 20, 2022
Universal Floors refinished my parquet floors, and my floors look wonderful! The team at Universal Floors was a pleasure to work with. Everyone was friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. I worked particularly with Michael. He did a great job at keeping me updated about progress, he was patient with my many questions, and he was responsive to every issue I raised. He went over and above on several occasions. I highly recommend Universal Floors!
Anthony Palatta
May 15, 2022
Universal Floors repaired a section of our bedroom oak floor that had become damaged after using it as gym during COVID. They removed the minimum amount of wood necessary, improved the support under the floor, matched the wood panels perfectly, and finally, stained the floor to a perfect match. Looks better than ever and no one will ever know! Nice folks to work with as well. Highly recommend.
M. S.
Apr 28, 2022
We most certainly DO NOT recommend! AVOID at all costs. Screwed up our job & then ghosted us. We're going to have to find somebody else to fix the mess they made. STAY AWAY!
Molly Chiron
Apr 27, 2022
Universal Floors were wonderful to work with. Tim was easy to communicate with and the work they did was fantastic. Our friends had warned us to expect a dusty mess once we returned home, but that wasn't the case at all! Very little residual dust and the outcome of the floors is exactly what I wanted! We highly recommend Tim and his team!
Madeline Wilczewski
Apr 21, 2022
Tim and the team at Universal Floors are truly the best. I purchased a town home in DC and they refinished the existing oak floors, installed new oak in the rooms that had carpet, and installed engineered hardwood over the ugly tile on the entry level. Everything came out absolutely beautiful and I would work with them on every flooring project in the future.

They also came back ~7 months later when an appliance delivery damaged the engineered wood on the first floor. It looks just as perfect now as they say they first installed it! So lucky to have worked with them.
Judy Buckley
Apr 15, 2022
I contacted Universal Floors and had an introductory meeting with Tim Allen. Tim was knowledgeable, thorough, professional and courteous. Having been involved in the flooring business for a number of years, Tim was able to answer all questions and provided excellent recommendations on what flooring to consider as well as what the process involved to replace my flooring.

He was there every step of the way and visited my residence several times throughout the 2 week process to ensure things were running smoothly. The team that replaced the floors was outstanding! They, too, were knowledgeable, thorough, polite and always arrived on time. These men were extremely capable and knew what they were doing which was a tremendous relief to me. Replacing flooring is a laborious and complicated process and they made it seem "effortless." I would recommend Universal Floors, Inc. and would definitely use them again. Thank you!
Robin G.
Mar 10, 2022
Mike and the team were wonderful to work with. We recently purchased a condo with original 100+ year old original pine floors, which needed some TLC. After an assessment and estimate, we chose to have the floors deep cleaned and buff waxed. They look fantastic. The work was done on budget, and on time. We look forward to using Universal Floors for our next flooring project. They really know their stuff and we appreciate their approach to providing us with options. An excellent experience all the way around. Thank you!
Tublet O.
Feb 08, 2022
We needed the oak floors in our entire house refinished. Tim quoted us a fair price, which they never sought to raise. They did the work on schedule and it is beautiful. I highly recommend them.
Stephen West
Jan 23, 2022
I highly recommend Universal Floors. Out of all the tradesmen i worked with throughout the construction of my home, the team at Universal was by far the best and easiest to work with. Their pricing was fair, they followed through on everything they said they would do, but above all else the quality of their work was unmatched. They installed roughly 2000 sqft of white oak in my home and over the course of that I met about 6 different Universal employees.

Everyone of them was kind and respectful of my home and went the extra mile to make sure i was completely satisfied. Something I found especially telling, each one of their employees has work for Universal for decades. That is rare in the building and trades industry and it tells you something about the quality of the compony.
Big M.
Dec 27, 2021
These guys must have phd's in floors! could not be happier with my floor, our salesman kevin was super duper helpful and our workers jorge and carlos felt like family by the end of the job! we spent all covid at home looking at our dingy floors and now they are shiny! we even had a special kind of old pine that no longer grows and kevin found some to match the old floors! other companies said we needed to replace it all but kevin saved us thousands by finding it! can you beleive this guy? also shout out to the secretary guy for making payment easy and smooth!
Jeff Shane
Dec 27, 2021
Flawless refinishing of oak flooring damaged by tenants' flower pots and other mishaps. Replaced shoe moulding as well, perfectly matched. On time, responsive, and highly professional. I couldn't be more pleased with the experience. Services: Sanding, Coating, Staining
Janelle Brassel
Dec 18, 2021
I contacted Universal Floors to install hardwood in 2 rooms of my home and restore and refinish the original 1924 hardwood in 3 other rooms and had a great experience. Kevin was very responsive, friendly, and professional. He and his crew worked quickly and efficiently, and were more than willing to address minor "fixes" where the stain appeared uneven due to different boards absorbing the color differently. The end result is beautiful! I also love the added bonus of supporting a small, family owned business in the DC area. Highly recommend
Charles Potts
Dec 07, 2021
We hired Universal Floors to remove and replace an existing engineered wood floor in our condo. Their expertise and ability to manage each step of the process was extraordinary and second to none. They provide the highest quality products and services. Their employees are professional, experienced and skilled. Universal Floors is not just a flooring contractor.

They are expert master craftsmen who know their trade extremely well. The return on investment is obvious without any doubt. Universal Floors is one of the best, if not the best, wood flooring contractors in the country.
Brenda Bishop
Dec 07, 2021
Tim, Guy and the staff of Universal Floors did an absolutely amazing job repairing our oak parquet flooring. They were professional, thoughtful and went above and beyond. Not only did they match the stain on our 40 year old flooring that had been stained 11 years prior to their repair, they took great care in preparing the work area and covered everything in plastic.

There was never any mess, they even replaced the base boards. Once completed, you couldn't even tell that there was ever any damage. Just perfect! I would highly recommend Universal Floors!
Gretchen Yahn
Dec 05, 2021
Santos and Team were truly professional and timely. They worked to insure that the end product was truly a "work of art". I have been a GC for many years and have not experienced such great service and quality. Services: Sanding, Coating, Staining
Connie Tipton
Nov 30, 2021
Universal Floors transformed my penthouse condo with the installation of white oak flooring throughout. Materials, craftsmanship and attention to detail combined for a spectacular result. They have highly skilled installers - artists really - who can create unique patterns and make your floors truly unique. If you're looking for the best, Universal Floors is the right place for you!
Adil K.
Nov 12, 2021
Contacted Universal Floors for a high end new build residential project in Washington, DC. Over 1300 SF of hardwood floor installation and finish (I already have the hardwood from a manufacturer directly). The owner Sprigg Lynn gave me a back of the envelope estimate over email and said they need to see the work to price out the details (staircase, glue assist, moisture barrier etc).

Once the timeline gets close, I gave them a call for a site visit. He returned my call after 2 phone calls ad 3 days. He says he rather sees the hardwood during the site visit to measure moisture. Ok that's reasonable. When I told him time is an essence, I reached out to three companies and gathering bids, he interrupts me to tell me he declines to bid if I reached out to other companies.

Not having worked with these folks before, I can tell you the level of professionalism leaves something to be desired. Universal Floors: If you expect your prospective clients to give you a $20k job without collecting any other offers you either live in LaLa land or having difficult time digesting your ego. I build two high end homes a year and needless to say, I will staying as far away from this company as possible. UPDATE: Within 5 minutes of writing the initial review, the owner Sprigg Lynn gives me two calls to "explain" and throw lies.

He claims that we have spoken multiple times for over 30 min each time (not true), and he claims he sent me numerous emails with detailed information (not true either). All I received from Universal Floors was "one sentence email responses" after literally DIGGING information out of them. To summarize: I consider myself lucky not to work with Sprigg Lynn and Universal Floors and I still recommend staying as far away as possible from this company.
Michael Madden
Nov 03, 2021
We used this company 45 years ago to refinish the floors in our first house. We were pleased that this same company still exists and continues to offer the same high quality, professionalism and honesty these many years later. We were having them refinish the oak floors in the sitting room and dining area of our kitchen as well as the hallway that runs from this same area to the front door of our near 90 year old house.

We were concerned that these floors would blend with the floors from the other rooms that enter the hallway. The men doing the job, as well as, Kevin talked with us and advised us on how they would look as well as the strong water base finish to help protect the floors in high traffic areas and from our golden retriever running through the house. The floors turned out beautifully!

And we are very pleased to have connected with this company so many years later. Afterwards, Kevin even provided us with instructions on how to clean our floors in the future and the type of product to use.
Nancy Markowitz
Nov 02, 2021
They did a lovely job on my kitchen and den floors - they look new. I love them so much I decided to do the entire first floor. Very professional from my initial contact (Tim Allen) to the two men that did the work. I highly recommend this company. Services: Sanding, Oak wood, Staining
Mimi Steinberg
Oct 14, 2021
My wood floors had bad water damage and Universal Floors installed the new wood flooring, on recommendation from a neighbor. They were great to work with- Tim came over and gave us a couple options on how we could replace the floors. We got on their schedule (a few weeks out, they're busy because they're so good), and their guys who came out were on time, very nice to talk to, professional, and left without leaving a trace that showed any work had been done that day.

Great experience overall! This was my second time working with Universal Floors and I would call them again for any flooring needs (hopefully not for more water damage though).
Beth
Sep 18, 2021
I used Universal Flooring to remove the old tile floor in my kitchen entry and install red oak flooring. They did an outstanding job from start to finish. They kept to the schedule, answered all of my questions, and everyone was very professional and kind. They matched my existing wood floor with no problem. I love the new floor. My kitchen feels warmer and much quieter. In the evening now, when I have the lights on, the floor provides a beautiful warm glow on my light cabinets. Thank you Universal Flooring!
Ken D.
Jun 17, 2021
The estimator missed the first meeting with no real excuse. Fine, stuff happens. Then he leaves me waiting what would have been 40 minutes for the rescheduled meeting, after first calling to say he would be a few minutes late. If a company can't even figure out how to get somebody in front of a client in time for an estimate, I wouldn't trust them with your floors.
Flo P.
Jan 27, 2021
Universal floors know what they are doing when it comes to flooring. They re-did 4 levels of our floors in our 1892 house. 2 floors of original hardwood repair and refinishing, one floor of new hardwood installation, and new synthetic flooring in our English basement. Not cheep but you get what you pay for. Tim has been outstanding all along and a pleasure to work with.
Lydia P.
Aug 25, 2020
I love my floors. Universal floors did a great job. There were some snafus here and there but they were always resolved. The installers were hard-working, knowledgeable, and efficient. Kudos to Kevin, who was always accommodating, professional, and kind. He gave me options, discussed the layout, and brought in samples. Since I wanted my floors in a herringbone pattern he brought in the specialist from the company to check out the layout. Hire Universal and buy the floors from Kevin. I'm not in San Francisco. I'm in Washington, DC
Kathy P.
Jun 04, 2020
I am leaving a 5-star review for Universal Floors, not for work done, but for work that was not done. Kevin of Universal came by today to give me an estimate for the replacement of original floorboards in my 108-year old home. After inspecting the floor, he assured me that what I thought was a problem was not a problem at all, and told me that no work needed to be done.

He did, however, offer to drop off a small amount of material, free of charge, for me to take care of an unrelated problem with another floorboard. How is that for customer service?!
K. H.
Jan 01, 2020
They did a great job refinishing and staining our bedroom floors. We'll use them again!
Kay S.
Apr 17, 2019
The work looked fine at first, but started crumbling (literally) a year later. I called with concerns. The salesman who was sent to my home inspected the problem areas and told me there was nothing wrong with the work. He was rude, unhelpful, and accusatory. He said he would have the manager call, but I received no call. I called myself and was told the manager would of course call back right away.

No return call. I called back, received an apology that no one had called, was told he would call right away. no call. And another time. And another time after that. Poor work, terrible service. I very much regret giving them my business.
Melissa C.
Jan 24, 2019
Very happy with the outcome of our floors being that they are super old but after a sand, refinish and stain my floors look brand new. The crew was great to work with, very professional and completed the job in three days. A very quick turnaround, excellent communication and seamless transition.
Lea D.
Dec 13, 2018
We were very happy with the work done years ago (a big job in an old house). They have a lot of expertise in historic interiors. But recently we returned with a smaller job and could not have felt less valued. Waited forever for return calls, every conversation felt like the bum's rush, and follow-up happened maybe half the time. If you're not a VIP with a big job, they just don't seem to want to give you the time of day. Very disappointed this time.
Brian M.
May 24, 2018
Live in AU Park DC. Just had my hardwood floors redone by Universal Floors. Great work. Really tidy crew- all the furniture moved, surfaces taped and covered- all the shoe molding removed and replaced, staining, sanding, topcoat, resanding, second topcoat. No blemishes, super clean look all round. Far superior to work I had done in the past. I'm a handy guy, I've even done floors- but well worth bringing in real pros for work to last 20 years. Thanks Kevin and crew
Scott K.
Apr 19, 2018
I just had my floors done by them, and they were absolutely incredible. A year ago, I pulled up my carpet to reveal almost mint condition parquet floors, but had a few scratches and damaged tiles. I decided to inquire about work, and these folks were highly recommended by friends in the building. Teddy and Efrain were fast, fair, and knowledgeable.

They led me to make a the right decision for my place, and it's turned out looking very good. They had to replace a few tiles, and you can barely tell the difference. The only thing I'd recommend- which is totally a me problem- is to get a hotel or something while they work if you live in a small place like me. They work fast and efficient, but the stuff takes some time to dry (which my ding dong self didn't realize). Great work men!
Holly S.
Mar 02, 2018
Many, many thanks to the team at Universal Floors for their responsiveness, professionalism, excellent work and expertise. From start to finish we had an amazing experience, and this mulit-generational, family-owned company demonstrates that there is nothing like working with total pros. Universal did the floors for our entire house when we did a gut renovation, and the prices, timelines, quality of wood and craftsmanship far surpassed our expectations and all the quotes from other highly-rated businesses. I cannot recommend them highly enough!
Dj S.
Nov 13, 2015
After speaking directly with the manager by phone twice about a followup call from an estimator, I never received any calls -- not even from the manager to ask if things were OK. Also, in both cases my contact info was confirmed on their end to be correct. I'd go elsewhere if you value your time and want people who follow-through on promises.
M. B.
Jun 05, 2015
I had Tim from Universal come and look at restoring the old wood floors in my rowhouse. After looking at them, he helpfully suggested that we install new hardwood on top of what we had -- the damage was too great to restore in a cost effective way. We ended up going with another company to do the work, but had a good experience in our interactions with Universal.

They were a bit slow in providing quotes, but otherwise were very responsive and helpful. They are also more high-end than other companies we talked to -- they're probably the best in the area, but the work was a bit out of our price range.
Steve S.
Feb 14, 2015
The team at Universal floors do an exceptional job. I've been using them since 1988 and will not use anyone else for my hardwood floors. They have completed numerous projects for me and I am always satisfied with the results. If an issue comes up, they always step up and offer suggestions on how to resolve it. They are also one of the few flooring contractors who have the skills to work with reclaimed wood as well as patching damaged areas. Giving them a 5 star review is a no brainer!
S. B.
Aug 22, 2011
I had a very nice experience with Universal Floors. My upstairs bedrooms had some ugly carpeting in them and they did a great job taking it out and putting down gorgeous (solid maple) hardwood floors. They even clued me into the fact that I could donate my carpeting (because it was in pristine condition) to charity! AND, they went a step further by rolling it neatly for the charity folks to come pick it all up. Sure, the prices here are a little higher than Lumber Liquidators & Empire Today, but the quality you're getting is much better.

A lot of those places sell really poor quality wood, so buyer beware. Plus, buying local and supporting a neighborhood business will give you that warm, fuzzy feeling once you see what a great job they do! I'll be hiring them for future flooring needs, hands down!