Screen & Recoat in Scottsdale, AZ

Screen and recoat, also called buffing and recoating, renews only the top of a floor's finish. A buffer with a fine abrasive screen or pad scuffs the existing coating, the dust is removed, and one or more fresh coats go on. Nothing is sanded down to raw wood, so the job is quicker, quieter and less costly than a full refinish. It works only when the wear is still in the finish layer.

Is your floor a candidate?

• The finish is dull or has light surface scratches, but the wood is not gray, bare or stained.
• The floor has a polyurethane-type finish, not wax. Fixr limits this method to polyurethane-type coatings; waxed floors are out.
• The floor has not been cleaned with products that leave silicone or polish residue, which can stop new finish from bonding, unless that residue can be removed first.
• Prefinished factory floors with aluminum oxide finishes can be harder to bond to and may need a special prep or bonding product.

The adhesion test

Before committing, we test a small hidden area: clean, abrade and coat it, then check whether the new finish bonds. If it peels or beads, a recoat is not a safe choice and we will explain other options. This step avoids a whole floor of peeling finish a week later.

Timing it right

A recoat every few years on high-traffic floors can push back the need for a full sanding. The best time is when the finish looks worn in traffic paths but the wood has not started to gray. In Scottsdale's dry air, many water-based finishes dry fast, so we keep rooms cool and avoid working in direct afternoon sun to prevent lap marks.

What it will not fix

A recoat does not remove deep scratches, pet stains, gray wear, sun-faded patches or dated stain color. If you have those, a full sand and refinish is the right repair. We tell you honestly which one your floor needs.

Living with the job

Most homes can stay occupied. Furniture moves out of the rooms, the floor is screened and coated, and light foot traffic is usually possible within a day with many water-based finishes. Rugs and heavy furniture wait longer; cure times for the exact product are written on your quote.

Seasonal homes

Plenty of Scottsdale-area owners spend summers elsewhere. A recoat scheduled just before you leave, or right after you return, lets the finish cure fully while the house is quiet. Tell us your travel dates at the estimate and we will plan the work around them.