For a fraction of the cost and time of a full refinishing, you can clean and re-coat your hardwood floors and increase your home’s value.
Cleaning and re-coating are also sometimes called a “buff and coat”. It removes short-term finishes that cloud and haze wood floors. Products like mop & glow, and murphy oil soap, cause clouding and hazing that can only be removed by professionally cleaning the hardwood, and re-coating it.
While not removing scratches in the wood, or changing color, cleaning and re-coating is a cost-effective way to refresh your hardwood floors without the hassle, expense, and time, of a full refinishing. During the cleaning our expert craftsmen perform a light abrading of the top layer of your finish without touching the actual wood. This repairs fading and fine scratches in the surface of the finish only. It also allows you to improve your current finish with a higher quality and more durable one, that lasts longer and better protects your floors.
Cleaning and re-coating should be performed every 2-3 years to extend the life of your hardwood floor.
For rental properties, we offer hardwood floor cleaning and maintenance designed for fast turnovers and consistent results across units.
Hardwood Floor Cleaning & Recoating FAQs
Cleaning & recoating (sometimes called “buff and coat” or “screen and recoat”) involves gently abrading or scuffing the existing finish layer—not sanding down to bare wood—and then applying a fresh coat of finish. It refreshes the look and restores protection without the time, cost, or disruption of a full refinishing. It does not change the color or remove deep scratches.
Under normal conditions, you’ll want to do a cleaning & recoating every 2 to 3 years to maintain protection and appearance (assuming moderate traffic). However, heavy foot traffic, pets, or children might require more frequent touch-ups.
Yes. You can remain in the home while we work, though we’ll seal off work areas with plastic to contain dust and use fans to manage air flow. We’ll coordinate with you so the areas you need access to remain available until we begin coating.
That depends on the type of finish used:
Water-based polyurethane: you can often walk on the floors in 2 hours, though full curing may take several days.
Oil-based polyurethane: typically dries enough to walk on in 8 hours, but full curing (for liquids, rugs, etc.) may take longer.
We’ll give you a detailed “do’s and don’ts” sheet at the end of the job so you know exactly how to protect the new surface while it cures.
Yes, clearing the furniture allows us to do the job cleanly, efficiently, and with fewer disruptions. If you can’t move everything, we can do a phased approach—move furniture to one side, do half the floor, then switch sides—but it will take more time and cost more.
For a standard room (no major repairs, furniture cleared), recoating can often be done in one day. If there are repairs, tight spaces, or logistical challenges (moving furniture, overlapping coats), the timeline may extend accordingly. We’ll provide a project schedule before we start.
Some finishes may slightly deepen or amber over time (especially certain oil-based finishes). Water-based finishes tend to maintain the wood’s natural color and resist yellowing. We’ll show you sample swatches and explain how each finish behaves long term.
With good maintenance (regular cleaning using recommended products, felt pads on furniture legs, preventing grit and dirt, etc.), a high-quality recoated finish can last 3 to 5 years or more before needing another touch-up or full refinishing.