Refinishing or Recoating?
Hardwood flooring brings timeless elegance to a home. The rich colors and varied textures of wood create a warm and inviting atmosphere in any room. As time goes by, hardwood flooring begins to age and look dull or discolored. You know it’s time to restore it, but how? You can either refinish it or recoat it. Both processes will leave your floors looking great, and one will even make them look new again.
What's the difference between refinishing and recoating hardwood floors? In this guide, we’ll highlight the differences and help you decide which process is best for your floors.
To understand the differences between the two, we’ll first look at the simpler of the two processes, recoating.
What is Recoating Hardwood Floors?
Recoating — also called screening and recoating, buff and coat, and resurfacing — is a process whereby a new layer of finish is applied over the existing hardwood floor finish. Recoating hardwood floors is a great option if your floors are structurally sound, but they just look a bit dull, worn or scratched. Recoating adds a fresh, protective layer of finish and helps extend the life of the floor while preventing future damage from everyday wear and tear. Recoating is well-suited as a do-it-yourself (DIY) project.
Recoating starts with
- removing the furniture, rugs, etc. from the floor
- a thorough cleaning of the floor, followed by vacuuming and mopping
- lightly scuffing the floor with a buffer or sanding screen so that the new coat adheres properly
- vacuuming again, then tack cloth the floor to remove any remaining particles
- applying the finish and allowing it to dry
- moving the furniture back once cured
To preserve the newly recoated floor, use felt pads on the bottom of the furniture to prevent scratching the finish.
What is Refinishing Hardwood Floors?
Now that you understand what recoating is, we’ll talk about refinishing.
Refinishing is the process of restoring hardwood floors to their original beauty by sanding down the floor’s top layer to expose the bare wood and its natural grain, applying a new stain (personal choice) and applying several coats of new finish. Refinish hardwood floors is something you do when your floors have significantly more wear and tear than they would if you were just going to recoat them. Sanding and refinishing hardwood flooring is also a more labor-intensive process than recoating, but the payoff in the end is worth the effort.
Signs that it's time to refinish a hardwood floor include deep scratches or dents in the wood, visible wear and tear, a dull finish or lackluster appearance, discoloration and fading from the sun or foot traffic, warped boards from moisture or spills and stains or other water damage.
Learn more about refinishing hardwood floors and how to care for them.
Refinishing has a higher risk of damaging the floor than recoating, which makes it less DIY-friendly. If you’re not certain this is the right DIY project for you, and to avoid damage to your floor, call a professional for installation.
What’s the Difference Between Refinishing and Recoating Hardwood Floors?
Refinishing and recoating are two different approaches to revitalizing hardwood floors with two different outcomes. The main difference is the extent of the work that goes into each process.
The refinishing process takes much longer to complete and is done in stages. From start to finish, including drying, can take three to five days, if using a water-based finish, and about five to seven if using an oil-based finish. Recoating is less invasive and takes 24 hours if using a water-based finish, and 48 to 72 hours when using an oil-based finish.
Refinishing drying times are estimates. Your time will vary based on number of rooms, room sizes, humidity levels and stain color (darker stains often require longer drying times).
Refinishing or Recoating: It’s a Win-Win
Whether you’re putting on your DIY hat and recoating your hardwood floors or calling in the professionals to refinish them for you, you’ll end up with floors that look refreshed and have the advantage of an extended life. Ready to start? Lowe’s has the tools to get the job done. Shop online or visit your local store and a Red Vest Associate will help you find everything you need.