Recoating Hardwood Floors

Over time, it is inevitable that your hardwood floor will become scratched and dull from general wear and tear.  If your hardwood floor ahs a polyurethane finish, it can usually be recoated without having to sand the entire floor first.  Recoating if suitable if the floor is only mildly scratched and worn, the finish has not worn through and it does not have a build up of wax or other chemicals - these will create adhesion problems and cause the floor to reject the new finish, resulting in peeling and flaking.

A recoat is a simple process that involves a thorough cleaning and scuffing (light sanding) to the wood floor's last applied layer of finish.  Then a enw fresh coat of finish is applied.  Recoating will revitalize the shine and get rid of any mild discolorations that haven't penetrated the wood.  It rejuvenates your wood floor and and extends the life of its protective finish layers.  It is best to recoat your floor while it still looks good.  This will prolong the life of your floor and reduce the number of times it has to be refinished.

Recoating a hardwood floor should not be confused with refinishing a hardwood floor.  Refinishing ahrdwood floors involves extensively sanding the floor to expose the wood - necessary when there are deep scratches, damage, or if the floor has been waxed. 

To determine whether a floor can be recoated, a small patch is tested to ensure that the new coating won't flake and whether the floor has a wax coating.  Otherwise the floor will require complete sanding and refinishing.

To recoat a hardwood floor, it first needs to be lightly sanded using a screen disk.  Screening disks are open mesh abrasive screens that are used on rotarty 300 rpm rotary buffing machines.  Floors in good condition can be screened with 120 grit screens.  If the floor is in poorer shape, 100 or 80 grit screens are used.  If one of these mroe aggressive screens if used, the floor should be re-screened with a 120 grit screen to remove some of the swirl marks.  This will ensure a nice smooth surface.  After sanding the floor is swept and vacuumed to remove wood dust and dirt.  Next, the floor is mopped to pick up any fine dust and oily residue.   

When applying the finish, it is best to use the same finish that was previously applied to ensure compatibility.  If an existing coating is not compatible with the new coating, problems such as peeling can occur.  The finish is first applied to the edges of the floor wtih a brush, then the rest of the floor with a foam or lamb's wool applicator.  The finish must be applied in the direction of the grain in an area that is well ventilated.  The floor is ready for use in a few hours, and by committing to the proper care and maintenance of your hardwood floor you can give your floor a life of 100 years or more.