NWFA CERTIFIED INSPECTOR • SPECIFYING CONSULTANT • METRO DETROIT
Michigan's Master Crafted Hardwood Floors
Installation Refinishing & Custom Design
From dustless refinishing to custom-manufactured wide plank, we bring 30 years of mastery to every surface. Whether your home sits on a lakefront, a crawl space, or features radiant heat, we provide the forensic insight and technical specification required to engineer a flooring system built for a lifetime of performance in the Michigan climate.
Family Owned & Locally Rooted
From Our Family
to Your Home.
Our heart is in Livonia, but our work reaches across Michigan's most cherished homes. From restoring the historic gems of Detroit's Indian Village and Sherwood Forest, to crafting custom estates in Plymouth, Northville, Ann Arbor, and Brighton.
For our Northern Michigan clients, our family cottage in Bellaire serves as home base. This allows us to personally supervise projects from Traverse City to Bay Harbor, wrapping up installations before the summer season begins.
We raised our kids right here in this community. Our son is currently serving in the United States Navy. For us, this isn't just business. It's deeply personal. When you partner with 1 Wood Floors, you're not hiring a contractor. You're gaining a relationship with a local family.
Most homeowners don't realize there's a difference between a flooring salesman and a flooring authority. Not until something goes wrong. We're the people you call when it does. And the people you should have called first.
About 1 Wood Floors
Michigan's most credentialed flooring team.
Ed Malaski founded 1 Wood Floors on a simple conviction: every client deserves the same attention to detail, whether it's a starter home in Canton or a lakefront estate in Harbor Springs. Over 30 years, that belief built Michigan's most decorated wood flooring operation. Manufacturer, retailer, and NWFA authority, all under one roof.
We're not a big box retailer. We're a family owned Livonia business with manufacturing roots, inspector credentials, and a licensed builder's structural understanding. That combination simply doesn't exist anywhere else in the state.
Our Services
Every phase, done properly.
We treat every project like it's our own home. Our team brings three decades of NWFA-certified expertise to every phase, from specification to final finish.
How We Work
Three ways to work
with 1 Wood Floors.
Whether you need materials only, the full white glove experience, or expert service on existing floors we tailor the partnership to you.
Supply Only
We hand-select and ship premium hardwood, engineered planks, and luxury vinyl from our curated catalog or we'll commission a bespoke floor from our Custom Line, delivered anywhere in Michigan.
Supply + Install
The complete experience. We consult on species and specification, engineer the subfloor, and install to strict NWFA standards so you never have to coordinate between separate trades.
Service Only
Already have floors that need attention? We offer dust-controlled refinishing, independent NWFA inspections for disputes, and precision subfloor correction.
Licensed Michigan Residential Builder
Full-Service Project Management — From Subfloor to Final Trim
We are hardwood flooring specialists first. But as a Licensed Michigan Residential Builder, we can handle everything a complete flooring project requires — without you coordinating a single vendor.
What that means in practice:
- Licensed plumbers for all appliance disconnections and reconnections — gas lines, water lines, valve repair. We never let floor installers handle plumbing.
- A professional moving company clears your furniture and appliances completely before we start. No shoveling furniture around. No dust blown through a half-cleared room.
- POD storage coordination if you need temporary offsite storage during the project.
- Piano moving specialists — we have vetted vendors for the moves no one else wants to handle.
- Painting and renovation contractors — when a flooring project reveals a larger scope, we have trusted partners ready.
Especially Valuable For
- Out-of-state buyers relocating to Michigan
- Homeowners managing a renovation remotely
- New construction clients who need turnkey completion
Flooring Types
Explore by floor type.
Premium Hardwood Flooring Catalog
Inspector Approved Brands for Michigan Homes.
We don't carry everything we carry the right things. After 30 years and a decade in manufacturing, we've curated a portfolio of brands we'd proudly install in our own homes.
Mercier
Premium Solid & Engineered Collections
Explore Mercier →
Lauzon
The Expert Series: Solid & Engineered
Explore Lauzon →
Viking
European Engineered Wide Plank White Oak
Explore Viking →
Indusparquet
Rare Species & High Janka Durability
Explore Indusparquet →
Cali Floors
High Performance Luxury Vinyl (LVP)
Explore Cali Floors →
Olde Wood Limited
Authentic Reclaimed Hardwood & Beams
Explore Olde Wood Limited →
Quick-Step
Waterproof Laminate with Lifetime Warranty
Explore Quick-Step →
Bamboo Flooring
High Density Strand Woven Bamboo & Eucalyptus
Explore Bamboo Flooring →
Armstrong Alterna
Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT)
Explore Armstrong Alterna →
Michigan Plank Flooring
Custom Wide-Plank European White Oak
Explore Michigan Plank Flooring →
Dreamweaver Carpet
Premium Stain Resistant Carpet & Stair Runners
Explore Dreamweaver Carpet →Recent Projects
Work we're proud of.
For Architects & Interior Designers
Your Technical Specification Partner for Custom Wood.
You hold the creative vision. We provide the engineering to bring it to life. We serve as your dedicated product specifiers for custom hardwood, engineered planks, architectural walls, wood ceilings, and reclaimed beams.
Our role is simple: we collaborate with your design team to ensure every aesthetic choice performs flawlessly in the real world. The ultimate blank canvas without the technical liability.
Where We Work
Where we call home
Livonia, Northville & Plymouth
Extensive project history in Livonia, Northville, Plymouth and surrounding communities
Service for Livonia, Northville & Plymouth →
Birmingham, Bloomfield & Troy
Extensive project history in Birmingham, Bloomfield, Troy and surrounding communities
Service for Birmingham, Bloomfield & Troy →
Ann Arbor, Dexter & Brighton
Extensive project history in Ann Arbor, Dexter, Brighton and surrounding communities
Service for Ann Arbor, Dexter & Brighton →
Petoskey, Harbor Springs & Traverse City
Extensive project history in Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Traverse City and surrounding communities
Service for Petoskey, Harbor Springs & Traverse City →Serving Beyond Our Hubs
We frequently deploy senior crews nationwide for high-value residential and commercial projects
Common Questions
Frequently asked questions.
Not necessarily and this is one of the most common misconceptions we correct. Both solid and engineered hardwood are exceptional when specified for the right environment. The key difference? Solid wood naturally expands and contracts with Michigan's dramatic humidity swings. A premium engineered floor one built on a marine-grade core with a thick sawn face is constructed to restrict that movement, making it far more dimensionally stable. That stability makes engineered the ideal choice for below-grade basements and a much safer option for ultra-wide planks. Read our Solid vs. Engineered Guide →
Here's the truth: acclimation isn't about time it's about measurement. The goal is for the wood to reach an Equilibrium Moisture Content that matches your home's normal living conditions. We don't guess. We use species-calibrated meters with specific gravity adjustments and insulated pin probes to test both the surface and core of every plank. Only when the precise moisture difference between the wood and your subfloor falls within strict NWFA tolerances do we begin. Learn the science behind acclimation →
Absolutely. Most premature flooring failures squeaks, hollow spots, cracked locking systems trace back to an uneven subfloor. We engineer your foundation using laser topography and premium self-leveling compounds to meet strict NWFA flatness tolerances. It's the invisible work that makes everything above it last. See our subfloor correction projects →
Any plank 4 inches or wider demands more than nails alone. To prevent shifting and cupping, we use either a nail with glue assist method or a full trowel glue down with moisture cured urethanes. This is where experience matters the wrong method on a wide plank can ruin a beautiful floor within a single season. Explore our installation methods →
We coordinate furniture logistics as part of your project plan. For most homes, we ask you to clear smaller items while we handle the heavy lifting literally.
Yes as long as the wear layer is 2mm or greater, most engineered floors can be refinished one to three times. We always assess the wear layer thickness before recommending any sanding, because once it's gone, it's gone.
We do. Every brand we carry Mercier, Lauzon, Viking, Cali Floors, Olde Wood Limited, and our own Custom Line ships to any Michigan address.
It's the structural leveling and repair of the surface beneath your finished floor. Think of it as the foundation of your entire investment. An improperly prepared subfloor is the single leading cause of hardwood floor failures and it's the step most contractors skip.
Google Reviews
What your neighbors are saying
"Great experience working with 1 Wood Floors installing our new solid wood floor. Megan helped us select the perfect species and Aaron's installation was flawless. The attention to detail from start to finish was exceptional."
"We had a great experience with our flooring install. Our installer Aaron was very professional, he set the standard by which everyone will be judged against. He cleaned up everyday and the way he put the extra effort in to level and prep our floor the right way made us very glad that we got our flooring here. They make the floors themselves and the product speaks for itself. We looked around at many places and couldn't find anything comparable to their product."
"We recently replaced our family room carpet with custom stained hickory. The whole team from 1 Wood Floors, Ed, Megan and Aaron were great to work with. The floor looks incredible and the color match was perfect."
"1 Wood Floors did an excellent job on my wood floor refinishing project. I highly recommend their services. They expertly replaced damaged planks and the dust control was remarkable. My home stayed clean throughout the process."
"Just can't say enough how beautiful my floors look and the awesome and professional people that I had the pleasure of dealing with. The refinishing brought our 30 year old floors back to life. Thank you Ed and team."
"Outstanding! From my first contact with 1 Wood Floors to the completion of the floors it was a wonderful experience. The quality of the work exceeded my expectations and Ed's knowledge of wood flooring is unmatched."
Reclaimed Barnwood, Rubio Monocoat White 2C Oil
Farmington Hills, Michigan
🏆 National Recognition 2017
NWFA Wood Floor of the Year. Renovation & Restoration.
Our founder, Ed Malaski, was named the national winner. Chosen from submissions across the entire country for this reclaimed barnwood floor and custom stair set. Recognized by Wood Floor Business Magazine, the NWFA, and Rubio Monocoat USA, this project represents the standard we bring to every home we touch.
Explore Reclaimed Barnwood Products →