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Green Hardwood

Sanding & Refinishing

Buff and recoat, before a full sand is needed

The existing finish abraded and a fresh coat applied, without sanding to bare wood — the right answer far more often than a full refinish.

When this is the job

A floor that looks tired but is not damaged: dull, micro-scratched in the traffic lanes, no grey, no black rings, no bare patches. Most homeowners in this position have been quoted a full refinish.

Also called: screen and recoat · hardwood floor refresh · recoat hardwood floors Toronto · do I need to refinish my floors

Published band

From $4.50–$8.50 / sq ft

HST extra. A range, not a quote — a firm number follows a moisture reading on site.

Worked example

$6,526 – $9,258

1,200 sq ft recoat, Mississauga · 4–6 days incl. cure window

Typical specification

  • Finish must be intact — any wear through to bare wood disqualifies a recoat
  • Contaminant test before scheduling; a waxed or oiled floor will reject the new coat
  • Compatible chemistry with the existing finish
  • One day in, one day out, in most homes

Sequence of work

  1. 1Inspect for wear-through, greying and black staining. Any of those and the honest answer is a full sand.
  2. 2Test for contamination in a discreet area and let it cure.
  3. 3Abrade the existing finish thoroughly and evenly.
  4. 4Apply the compatible coat and cut in by hand at the edges.

What goes wrong

The part of a hardwood job that costs money is rarely the part in the quote. These are the failures that produce a second invoice.

Recoating a floor with wear-through to bare wood

The bare areas absorb differently and stay visible under the new coat. The full sand still has to happen, and the recoat has been wasted.

Avoided by: Inspecting honestly and declining the recoat when the floor needs a sand.

Skipping the contaminant test on a floor that has been waxed or oiled

The new coat will not bond. It peels in sheets, and removing a failed coat costs more than the original job.

Avoided by: A test patch, left to cure, before anything is scheduled.

Selling a full refinish to a floor that only needed a recoat

Thousands of dollars spent, and a non-renewable millimetre of wear layer gone forever.

Avoided by: Recommending the smaller job when the smaller job is correct.

Is this your job?

City, service and size gives you a 2026 GTA band in about twenty seconds. We lock a number only after a moisture reading.

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