Darien Business Brings Wood From American Forests to American Homes

As a high school student in Berwyn, John James worked in automotive body shops. An opportunity to apply those skills in a different way led to a lifelong career and business ownership.

A family friend, Joe Blazis owned Blazis Hardwood Floor and hired James in 1982.

“My brother used to work for him in high school,” James said. “I came in as a temporary helper for my brother because I had sanding experience (in auto body shops). Some of the sanding fundamentals are the same. So it was a business that I was able to easily pick up and keep moving.”

By 1990, James had the experience and confidence needed to incorporate his own business—. He continued to subcontract with Blazis while his own business, and family, began to grow.

When his oldest son started kindergarten, the James family moved to Darien. The nearby expressways make it easy for him to reach clients in Chicago and the suburbs.

Much of James’ work involves sanding and refinishing floors, in both residential and commercial buildings. He cites the durability of hardwood floors as a real asset to owners.

“The initial sand, when I start, may be the thickness of your business card,” he explained. “I’m never taking away more than my first cut. I’m smoothing it from the first cut. An average floor can be sanded by a professional 10 or 15 times.”

James also installs new hardwood floors.

“The wood that I buy for installation is homegrown. (It) is from forests that are harvested but replanted. It’s not a clear-cut forest. The wood that I get is stamped on the back that it’s been inspected, and it’s got a harvest on it, where it came from. You know its origin," he said. "This wood is from a standard mill. It’s been kiln-dried. It’s been checked. It’s been milled to flooring, and it’s been harvested here in the United States.”

New technologies and environmental issues have brought changes to this industry. Many products used in construction, such as paints and varnishes, contain volatile organic compounds (VOC). New VOC-compliance regulations mean new formulations of these products.

“When I was a kid, we used to sand and stain floors every day, and we used a lot of wax for an Old World finish,” James said. “Toward the beginning of the ‘90s, the polyurethanes were coming. The problem with wax is it’s a maintenance floor, and in the ‘90s, people didn’t want to be tied to maintenance. Polyurethanes did very well, so the waxes got pushed to the side. Now, because of VOC-compliance rules and regulations in the State of Illinois, it’s changed the formula of the polyurethanes. Now the water-based products are excelling, and they’re the future.”

James is often asked for estimates over the phone. Before starting a job, whether a new installation or a refinishing project, he always walks through the area with the customer.

“I’ll walk through the house and give them a written estimate right then and there,” he said. “And I’ll let them know if it’s really worth it for them to do it. If it’s a point where I know there’s a problem, and it doesn’t look like they’re going to be happy, I’ll stop and tell them right away.”

James has a reply for people who tell him that he’s lucky to be his own boss, that he can do whatever he chooses. “Every house I go into is my new boss. Whoever my customer is, is my boss,” he said. “And I try to give my customers not just 100 percent, but 150 percent.”

And James clearly loves dealing with his many bosses.

“The thing I love the most about my job is the people I deal with. I’ve worked from houses that should have wheels on the sides of them to houses that should have moats around them. I’ve gone from the richest of rich to the poorest of poor. I’ve worked for just about everybody, and I love my customers,” he said. “I’m always there for them.”

All American Hardwood Floors is located at 3421 Brewer Road in Darien. For more information, call 630-910-3140 or visit their website.