Hardwood Floor Recoating

Are your hardwood floors looking a little down from the daily grind?

The phrases ‘screen and coat’, or ‘buff and coat’ describe the process of enhancing the polyurethane finish of an existing hardwood floor by top-coating it.  This process should be part of a regular maintenance program to ensure long life from hardwood floors before the protective coating has become too thin to avoid damaging the hardwood floor beneath.

We continually invest in our business by training our workforce, keeping our vehicles, tools and machines updated, and building relationships with the wood suppliers who in turn provide only the highest quality wood floor products for our customers.

“We believe in quality and customer satisfaction over profit.”  -George, Owner of Real Hardwood Floors

Note:  Be careful as some floors look like they can be recoated, but they cannot.  For example, floors that have been finished with waxes or modern aluminum oxide coatings should often be left to a professional.

What does ‘screen’ mean?

Screening is a process that lightly sands the existing top coat of polyurethane on a wood floor before applying the new coating.  The screening process is vital because it allows the new coating to adhere to the old one.

How often should I recoat my hardwood floors?

You should recoat your hardwood floors every few years to replenish the urethane topcoat, well before the protective coat has grown too then.  This keeps your wood floor from becoming damaged (see below).

Can any hardwood floor be recoated?

Unfortunately, no.  Some floors are simply too far gone to be saved by a simple recoat.  If there is damage to the wood on any part of the floor, deeper refinishing or repair is needed.

Why can’t I just sand the damaged areas?

The repair will be highly visible and unsightly.