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Universal Floors Inc

About us

Since 1953, Universal Floors has been a family owned & operated company. Founded by WWII Veteran "Capt." South Lynn Sr., the Lynn family has been serving the floor needs of the government, architects, builders, contractors & homeowners in the DC metro area ever since. Additional email: [email protected]. License Numbers: DC HIC: #472, Maryland HIC: #2827, Commonwealth of Virginia: Class A 2705089633, Delaware: #2007603364, Fairfax County, VA: #200710, Arlington County VA: #063573603, Fairfax City, VA: #102876, Annapolis City, MD: #815-R.

Business highlights

72 years of experience

Services we offer

Custom Designs & Patterns. Cork & Bamboo Flooring., Historic Restoration, Repairs, Sanding & Refinishing, Wood Floor Installation

Amenities

Free Estimates

Yes

Accepted Payment Methods

  • CreditCard
Reviews
4.8104 Reviews
Number of StarsImage of DistributionNumber of Ratings
5
88%
4
7%
3
3%
2
2%
1
1%
Showing 1-25 of 104 reviews
Jeff S.
Dec 2021
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$5,000
I can't say enough good things about the quality of the work that Universal Floors did. This was the third time I've used them and each time the work has been flawless. They gave me a fair price, showed up on time, laid down a few samples after partial sanding so I could compare them with the previous finish, and completed the work when they said they would. The satin polyurethane finish over the Golden Brown stain looks perfect. Thank you, Universal!

Jeremy C.
Sep 2017
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,700
Universal did an amazing job of reviving an original parquet floor that had taken a beating over the years. Even though it was not included in the job, they patched several small holes in the floor in addition to staining the floor, sealing it, and putting two layers on top. They began the work on time, respected our space, and finished everything in a timely manner. A top-notch job, and I would highly recommend them to others.

Andrew L.
Sep 2017
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$9,600
A five-star job! They responded quickly to my request for an estimate. Kevin gave me an honest appraisal of the difference between a repair of the damage and a complete replacement of the whole floor. Costs were clearly explained. I chose the full replacement. The entire area was approximately 35'x15'. The crew of 3 arrived on time, and were very respectful of my home. Their workmanship was perfect, down to the smallest details, and they completed the project in less time than expected. The cost was not cheap, but, to me, the quality is worth the expense. I highly recommend Universal Floors.

David N.
Jul 2017
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Howard arrived on time and was courteous, personable and good-natured. He did the work in a timely and professional manner. He moved a heavy marble table by himself and manually polished the area around and under a sideboard that was too heavy to move.

Edwin M.
Jul 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$11,500
unknown

Ariella K.
Mar 2016
3.0
$850
We used Universal Floor almost 4 years ago to install hardwood floors in our apartment. We recently completed some renovations that revealed a small section of floor (wall was removed) that needed flooring pieced in to match the rest of the apartment. Overall I was very disappointed in my experience this time, compared to 4 years ago when I was very pleased. I had to call 3 times before anyone called me back, even though I was always told someone would call me back within a few hours and by 10am the next day at the latest. When I finally spoke with someone and got them to come give us an estimate, they did not follow up with me to give me the estimate so I had to call again several times to get the estimate. I then had to call several times to schedule a time and they told me and my contractor they could do it that week, then suddenly they couldn't do it until the following week. Overall I was just very disappointed in their customer service and would not recommend them again.

Karl J.
Oct 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,000
unknown

Doris S.
Sep 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$20,000
Original installation was Top Notch.  Very happy with their service and have referred them other many times.  I'm now in need of restoration on the floors due to flood damage and while they were willing to provide the work, my condo association is unwilling to pay them what their work is worth and now I'm stuck.  No fault of theirs by any means.

Timothy W.
Jul 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,100
So good that my wife wishes we had done more.

LAURENCE N.
Jan 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
They were very accomodating, and really did a great job.

Sharon A.
Jan 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$14,000
unknown

Eden S.
Jul 2014
2.0
$900
unknown

Kevin W.
Jun 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$15,000
Universal Floors exceeded our expectations on every level. Our main contact Tim Allen worked with us over the course of a couple months assessing if we could salvage our original floor with some patchwork and refinishing. After careful thought and lots of questions we decided replacing the floors would be the best option. Tim worked with us again helping us to find the perfect flooring to match the character of our home that was high quality and wouldn't stretch our budget. Once all the decisions were made Tim's crew showed up to our home on time and got straight to work. The workers showed up to our home early each day and worked hard through the afternoon with minimal disturbance to our neighbors who also had positive comments to make regarding their professionalism. The job was completed ahead of schedule, within budget and with a final result that far exceeded our expectations. The floor looks like it was installed by true professions and excellent craftsmen.

Hilke E.
Jun 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$15,000
I highly recommend Universal Floors. The quality of the work was superb! They are friendly, fast, efficient, responsive and on time. I am planning on using them in the future again. They are definitely worth the price. Tim is great to work with!

Laurel S.
May 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,000
This was our second experience with Universal Floors and it was just as good as the first. The price was very reasonable, and the outcome was outstanding. They went above and beyond by rescheduling by a day when there was a snafu with keys. I just cannot say how great the floors and stairs look. I wouldn't have thought it was possible.
They sanded down two rooms, an entryway and the staircase, and used a nice finish to bring them to a beautiful sheen. We are really enjoying the floors and can't believe the price was so low.
These guys are the best.


Arthur B.
Mar 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
We are very pleased with the job - the final result exceeded our expectations. South Lynn was a true pro and a pleasure to deal with. The job was done to a very high standard and I would certainly use Universal again

Ned M.
Feb 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$9,000
We love the floors! The job involved saving 100 year old floors plus matching several areas where walls and radiators had been removed and adding completely new, matching flooring to an addition. It was a difficult job and several other flooring companies, including some highly rated on Angie's list, came out and then never provided a quote. One that did give us a quote was approximately 5K more. The only negative is that sometimes they were less than prompt getting quotes back and they had to come back to repair one area that was overlooked during the initial repairs. I don't really feel that this area was given the attention of the entire floor so it doesn't match exactly, but overall I am OK with it. The most important part is, I can't say enough about the quality of the work. If you are passionate about saving your old floors, this is the place to go.


JUDITH G.
Oct 2013
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,718
When I moved into my condo eight years ago, Universal Floors installed bamboo floor in my living/dining room and hallway. Universal was recommended to me by a friend, for whom they had installed an oak floor. She had hired them after seeing the floor they'd installed for the family of one of her students. I checked out the Universal website and was impressed with the high-profile jobs they had done, then I went to the showroom, where they were very helpful and friendly. I was delighted to find that I could afford them. Universal did a fabulous job for me, and after seeing my floors, three other people in my building had Universal install bamboo for them.
Stupidly, I didn't have the floor extended through from the living room to my small home office in the initial installation, so now that I am doing a complete office remodel, I decided to remedy that. Once again, Universal did an outstanding job. The brand of bamboo originally used is not longer available, so Tim Allen researched the currently available options to find a match. He found a color match, but only in planks that are one quarter inch wider than the original ones. Fortunately, the installer did a highly professional job in compensating -- a better job that I am probably going to do explaining how he did it.
Instead of starting to lay the planks at the wall, the installer began at the middle of the doorway and worked out from there. This involved trimming the plank closest to the wall to a very narrow strip. If he had simply begun at the wall with a full plank and worked over, there would have been a very noticeable discrepancy between the plank edges in the living room and those in the office as you look through the doorway. Then the installer put a horizontal threshold across the door way as a visual punctuation mark that serves to reinforce the illusion that it's a continuous sweep. The result is that as you look through the open door from the living room, you are not aware of the slight difference in width between the planks in the living room and the office.
My first experience with Universal was for a medium-size job and my second for a very small job. Both times they were equally responsive and professional. The installers are expert and they clean up after installation so that the only way you know they've been there is that you have a beautiful new floor.

Daryoush M.
Sep 2013
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$39,649
I had used Universal Floors on a much smaller project many years ago at my previous home in DC, and based on that positive experience, called them up again when I moved to my new house in Virginia. I was amazed that the gentleman I spoke with (JP Hurley) actually remembered me and that job from years ago.
Prior to calling Universal, I had contacted a number of other flooring contractors, and the whole experience was incredibly frustrating. They either never called me back or never showed up when they said they would, or they never followed up with quotes after coming to look at the job site. Working with Universal was completely the opposite. They ALWAYS (and I mean ALWAYS) picked up the phone within 2 rings, scheduled appointments right away, and actually kept to their promises. After their first site visit, I received their quote, which was more or less in line with other quotes I'd gotten from a few different contractors, but whereas the others wanted comparable money for installing pre-finished or engineered products, Universal was offering a far superior product. We visited their showroom to look at some flooring samples and a portfolio of previous work. That was what sealed the deal for us. These guys are real professionals. The showroom is spotless and well-stocked. I explained to JP that we were in a major time crunch, as we in between houses and had a move scheduled for a specific date that could not be changed. He said it would not be a problem, and sure enough, they came through in a major way, even working through 2 weekends to get the job done on time.
The work itself is amazing. JP helped us select the right product for our house, and we couldn't be happier with how it turned out. The wood has exactly the character we were looking for, the stain color is spot-on, and the finish coat of poly is flawless. Every mitered joint in the moulding is absolutely airtight and there are no gaps in the planks or moulding anywhere. These guys are pros and no shortcuts were taken. We have received a constant stream of compliments on the work from every visitor to our house.
I can't say this enough: JP Hurley was an absolute pleasure to work with. At every point in the process, he was readily accessible and returned my emails, phone calls and text messages immediately. He answered all our questions patiently, made numerous site visits (even though our house is pretty inconveniently located from their office) and generally helped us make the right decisions. Universal does a lot of high-end work in the homes of celebrities, Washington power players, and restorations in historically significant residences and businesses. They treated us with the same care and attention as their rich and famous customers. They made us feel like our comparatively tiny job was just as important as their much bigger projects.

BRUCE M.
Aug 2013
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$3,500
Bob, their sales person, was terrific. Very responsive. He came over or dropped samples on several occasions. He provided several pricing options associated with various materials and installation possibilities. On the day of the service, the installers arrived first thing in the morning, and lickety split, there were probably done in four hours. I checked the worked and it was excellent. I also asked them a favor, to trim my closet doors so they would move free of the carpet; they did that without a moment's hesitation. Further, I decided to change something a few months later. I called Bob, because I needed another bamboo plank. He gave it to me, free of charge, and even offered to cut it. In short, I recommend this company, and have no complaints. Use them. Your floors will look beautiful.

Joanne K.
May 2013
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$3,757
Universal Floors did a beautiful job and I am more than pleased. I highly recommend the company. On every level the workers were responsive, respectful, hardworking, and fair. It took one day longer than originally anticipated but well worth it.

Denice L.
Mar 2013
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$400
I fired the people I had lined up to do this job because the day before they came I read negative reviews about them on AL. This was a Sunday. On Monday morning I called this company and by 10:00 they had somebody out to give me an estimate. They got started on the job later that day. Because this job was followed by painting, crown moulding, etc., and because we wanted it finished before guests arrived, the timing was critical. They made it happen and did a great job. Mark Amero is the person who came out, gave the estimate, and made it happen.

Edward S.
Feb 2013
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$5,000
Universal Floors sanded and stained hardwood floors for us. They did this over the course of 4 days. The work that they performed was well done; there were several cases after the job was done where some corrections needed to be made and they performed those corrections punctually and until we were satisfied. The crew was neat, professional, punctual, and communicative. They knew their business and did a very nice job.

Margret J.
Feb 2013
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$5,000
I found them very easy to work with. They came recommended and I wanted the job done quickly (before our shipment arrived), so I didn't get any other quotes. They were able to start within a few weeks and finished in three or four days. We had to sleep outside the house two nights because of the intense smell of the varnish, but they advised us ahead of time, so we were prepared.

Christopher B.
Jan 2013
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$5,000
Before moving into a new house we had Universal Floors refinish the floors on our 1st and 2nd floors. Before this project the floors were in OK condition. Not terrible, not great. The workmanship, stain color, and quality of work completed is excellent. My only issue was there was a discrepancy in the timeline on when the job would be finished told to us by the salesperson vs. the guy doing the work. One said one thing, the other said a few days later. Not a huge deal but we were about to move so the job being finished mucked up the timing of our move. Just give yourself some extra cushion in the timeline they tell you it will take. Other than that they did a great job. There was some confusion over the color stain we wanted and they put in over the top effort (at no additional cost to us) to get the stain color exactly as we wanted it. I would definitely use them again.
Showing 1-25 of 104

Licensing

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FAQ

Universal Floors Inc is currently rated 4.8 overall out of 5.

Universal Floors Inc accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard

Yes, Universal Floors Inc offers free project estimates.

No, Universal Floors Inc does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.

No, Universal Floors Inc does not offer a senior discount.

No, Universal Floors Inc does not offer emergency services.

No, Universal Floors Inc does not offer warranties.