🪵 Screen and Recoat vs. Hardwood Floor Refinishing: What’s the Difference?

Hardwood floors are one of the most beautiful features in a home—but over time, they can start to look dull, scratched, or worn. If you’re wondering how to bring them back to life, you’ve probably come across two popular options: a screen and recoat (also known as buff and coat) or hardwood floor refinishing.

So what’s the difference? And how do you know which one your floors really need?

Let’s break it down.

🔄 What is a Screen and Recoat?

A screen and recoat is a maintenance process that helps revive your hardwood floors without sanding them down to bare wood.

We lightly buff the top layer of the floor using a special screen (like fine sandpaper), which helps the new coat of finish adhere. Then we apply a fresh layer of polyurethane to protect the wood and restore its shine.

After 15 years of wear and tear, the floors were dull and had a lot minor scratches with very little polyurethane. This process will add the needed protection.

✔️ Ideal For:

• Floors that are dull or have light surface scratches

• Homeowners who want to refresh the look without changing color

• Floors that are still in good structural condition

After buffing and coating these red oak hardwood floors, we applied 2 coats of satin polyurethane.

✅ Benefits:

• Fast turnaround (usually 1–2 days)

• Much less expensive than a full refinish

• No heavy sanding = less dust and mess

• Extends the life of your existing floor

🪚 What is Hardwood Floor Refinishing?

Refinishing is a full restoration process. We sand your floors all the way down to the bare wood, removing the old finish, scratches, stains, and damage. Then we apply a new stain (if desired) and multiple coats of finish to seal and protect the wood.

✔️ Ideal For:

• Floors with deep scratches, discoloration, or water damage

• If you want to change the color of your floors

• When over 75% of the finish is worn or gone

The client wanted to change the color of her floors to lighter stain color. We are sanding the floors down to bare would and was going to do a stain display. After seeing this she opted for a natural look. Final photo below.

✅ Benefits:

• Restores your floor to like-new condition

• Lets you choose a new stain color

• Eliminates deep imperfections

White Oak hardwood floors with a natural look and 2 coats of matte polyurethane. No stain was applied. We later UV Cured these floors... see the UV machine on the left side of the picture.

🆚 Screen & Recoat vs. Refinishing: Side-by-Side

Feature	Screen & Recoat	Hardwood Refinishing
Time to complete	1–2 days	3–5+ days
Mess level	Minimal	Dusty (we contain the mess)
Cost	Lower	Higher
Removes deep scratches	No	Yes
Changes floor color	No	Yes
Best for	Light wear & dull finish	Heavy damage or color change

🤔 Still Not Sure What You Need?

At ProScout Hardwood Floor Restoration, we offer both services—and we’re here to help you make the smartest choice for your floors and your budget.

We’ll inspect your floor, explain what we see, and recommend the best option to bring them back to life.

📞 Let's Talk About Your Floors

Call us today at 980.205.3337 or contact us at https://www.wecleandirtyfloors.com/contact-us schedule an in-home consultation. Whether it’s a quick refresh or a complete makeover, we’ll make your floors look their absolute best.

ProScout Hardwood Floor Restoration Where Floors Find New Life.