Oak hardwood floor just buffed and recoated, an even fresh satin sheen with the original wood tone unchanged

Screen & recoat

Screen & Recoat (Buff & Coat) in Lexington, KY

If your finish looks tired but the wood underneath is sound, we buff the old finish and lay a fresh coat — about half the price of a full refinish, done in a single day.

One day, furniture back the next
About half a full refinish
Fully insured

Free estimate

Recoat, or full refinish?

Name and number — we call you back the same day and tell you honestly which one you need, even when it's the cheaper one.

What's included

Done right, start to finish.

Done in a single day — minimal disruption, no staying elsewhere
About half the price of a full sand-and-refinish
Erases surface scratches and dullness, renews protection
Buys your floors years before they need a full sand
If you actually need more (or less), we'll say so at the estimate

From $1.50–2.50 / sq ft usually a single day

Not sure a recoat is enough? See screen & recoat vs. full refinish, and the 2026 cost guide for Lexington for what each runs.

Oak floor mid recoat: fresh clear coat on one side, the older dull finish on the other

Fresh coat meeting the tired finish it replaces.

See the difference

One day, and the dullness is gone.

Illustrative example: oak floor after a screen and recoat, an even fresh satin sheen — Screen & recoatIllustrative example

Illustrative example: the same oak floor before recoating, dull and scuffed in the traffic path — Screen & recoatIllustrative example

Quick & easy

Three steps to floors you'll love.

Free estimate, in writing

Call, text a photo, or fill the form. We measure, explain your options in plain English, and hand you a firm, itemized quote — no pressure.

Colors proven, then the work

Stain samples tested on your actual floor first. Then dust-contained sanding, low-odor finishes, and the same careful craftsman start to finish.

You sign off

Walk every board with us at the end. The balance isn't due until you've approved the floor in person.

The details

What a screen & recoat actually does.

The honest version

A screen & recoat doesn't touch the wood at all — that's the point. We abrade the existing finish with a fine screening pad, clean thoroughly, and lay a fresh protective coat over it. The scratches that live in the finish disappear; the wood underneath is never exposed.

One day at $1.50–2.50 / sq ft instead of a multi-day sanding at $4–6.

When it works — and when it can't

It works when the finish is dull, lightly scratched, or worn thin but still intact. It cannot fix gray or black boards where water or urine has reached bare wood, deep gouges, cupping, or sun fade — those live below the finish, and only a full refinish reaches them. One more honest caveat: floors that have been treated with certain polishes, waxes, or “refresher” products can reject a new coat, so tell us what's been used on the floor and we'll test adhesion first rather than find out later.

The smartest money in floor care

Finish wears gradually, then suddenly: once traffic paths break through to bare wood, a $1.50/sq ft refresh becomes a $4–6/sq ft refinish. A recoat every few years — sooner for busy households and dogs, later for gentle ones — keeps the wear layer ahead of the damage indefinitely. It's the maintenance schedule we'd run in our own homes, and we'll tell you plainly if your floor doesn't need it yet.

Floor buffer with a screening pad and a dust hose standing on a freshly screened oak floor

One machine, one day, and the wood is never exposed.

Good to know

Questions, answered honestly.

What's the difference between screen & recoat and a full refinish?

A screen & recoat lightly buffs the existing finish and adds a fresh coat in a day — ideal when the wood is sound but the surface looks tired or lightly scratched. A full refinish sands to bare wood to erase deep scratches, gray areas, and stains, and lets you change color.

How do I know which one I need?

A quick test: if scratches are only in the finish (they look white or shallow), a recoat usually handles them; if you see gray or bare wood, you likely need the full sand. We'll tell you honestly at the free estimate — even when the cheaper option is all your floors need.

I've been using a shine or polish product — does that matter?

It can. Products like acrylic polishes build up a layer new finish can't bond to, and they sometimes force a full sand instead of a cheap recoat. Stop using them, and let us test a spot — the sooner we look, the more likely we can save you the difference.