The Missing Link: Are You Skipping a Step in Your Recoats?

This article was originally published in Hardwood Floors.

Recoating wood floors is a great option for finishes going through a midlife crisis. Quick and clean, it is still gaining in popularity and acceptance with homeowners. Those of us who have been in the industry for awhile have seen a noticeable spike in interest since a couple of manufacturers of waterborne finishes started promoting it, as they saw an expanding recoating market and started putting products out there to support it. These products include liquid cleaners, synthetic pads, test kits for acrylic waxes, auto scrubbers and bonding agents needed to prep an old finish and promote adhesion. The process has evolved dramatically over the last 10 years.

However, recoating has an identity problem that needs to be faced. Contractors, decorators, real estate agents, designers, etc., don’t talk about “recoating” a wood floor. They talk about “screen and recoat.” The term “screen” refers to using a screen-backed disc (worn, in most cases) to prep the floor prior to applying a fresh coat of finish. That’s an option if the finish is new. However, if the finish has years of use and layers of dirt and grime, just screening old finish without cleaning it first will increase the potential for problems and even failure. In essence, if all you’re doing is screening a floor without a deep cleaning prior to recoating, your chances for failure skyrocket.

Read the full article here to learn more about recoating wood floors.