Shallow Sanding & Finishing

Shallow Sanding & Finishing in the Madison Area

Refresh the protective finish on eligible hardwood floors without sanding down to bare wood.

Shallow Sanding, Screen and Recoat, or Buff and Coat?

You may hear this service called screen and recoat, buff and coat, hardwood floor recoating or a maintenance coat. These terms generally describe refreshing an existing finish through appropriate surface preparation and a compatible new finish coat. The exact method depends on the floor’s condition and existing finish.

When a Maintenance Coat May Be Enough.

Shallow sanding and finishing may be a good option when your hardwood floors look dull or have light surface wear, but the existing finish is still suitable for recoating. It is not intended to remove deep scratches, change the wood’s color or repair finish that has worn through. Imperial Wood Floors can evaluate whether a maintenance coat is appropriate.

How Shallow Sanding & Finishing Works.

Our process uses professional equipment to lightly abrade the surface, prepare the floor and apply a new protective finish.

Shallow Sanding vs Complete Refinishing

ot sure which service is right for your floors? Here’s a simple comparison.

Feature

Shallow Sanding & Finish (Screen & Recoat)

Complete Refinishing (Sanding & Finishing)

Best for

Light surface wear, dull finish, minor scratches

Deep scratches, heavy wear, staining, color changes

Removes deep scratches

Yes

Changes wood color or stain

Yes

Sands down to bare wood

No (light surface abrasion only)

Yes

Adds a new protective finish

Yes

Typical downtime

Shorter

Longer

Ideal for

Maintaining and refreshing eligible floors

Restoring floors with significant wear or damage

Common Questions About Shallow Sanding & Finishing

What Our Clients Say

      EXCELLENT  
   Based on 120 reviews 
    
 
 
 
   
 
 
       Posted on Google  
   
   Igor Steinberg 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Imperial Wood Floors recently refinished ~1,000 sq ft of quarter sawn oak floors in our home, and the results are gorgeous — a natural water-based Bona finish that brought out grain and ray fleck we had forgotten was there. While sanding, they found several boards near our kitchen downdraft ductwork with serious oil damage soaked into the wood; Jeremy replaced them so cleanly you can't find the repair, and fixed a few squeaks while he was at it. Three days start to finish, final charge matched the estimate, dust was a non-issue, and the house was spotless when we returned. Jeff Shunk runs a family business that clearly takes pride in their work.  Highly recommend!
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Connor Lyons 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Jeff and his crew did an amazing job with refinishing our hardwood floors. The dust-free sanding kept the house clean. Stayed on schedule. Responsive to questions and gave regular updates along the way. Our floors look better than they ever have!
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Ginny 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Jeff and his crew did a fantastic job installing a new hardwood floor in our 100+ year house. Their creative problem solving and gentle care for our property illustrated the high quality of their work. The fact that they finished ahead of schedule and left our living space clean and dust - free (even inside cupboards and book shelves) were a much appreciated bonus!  Thank you to the folks at Imperial Wood Floors!!
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Nicholas Haun 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. They did a great job restoring 1000 sqft of wood floors!  We were on a tight schedule, and they were able to get the work done when we needed it.  Would definitely work with them again.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Alex James 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Jeff and his crew do great work. Installed a maple floor for me and it turned out fantastic even after running into a few challenges.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Joe Mead 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Imperial partially replaced and refinished our entire main story wood floors. The floors look great and they were very easy to work with. I definitely recommend working with Jeff and team.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Ramiro Rodriguez 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Jeff its Very professional, attention to details, very responsible and respectful.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Brian M Towns 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Our floors turned out great. Imperial refinished the floors throughout our house before we moved in. They were friendly, responsive, and efficient. We really appreciated the fast turnaround and late hours so the floors would be ready for moving day! We're happy with the results, and the process.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Miranda Merkes 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. They did an amazing job!! Original 1950s flooring looks brand new. They even covered up an area where a wall was. You would never know it wasn't all one flush flooring. They had incredible dust free sanding so no icky particles floating around. Jeff also gave perfect instructions on when to walk on, set furniture and rugs and also when and what to clean the floors with. I will follow the instructions meticulously to kept them looking as perfect as they made them.