We installed Eterna engineered hardwood five years ago in a new home. This has a 2.5 mm wear layer. This floor has required significant maintenance for two reasons: the house has large windows so the reflective floor surface is very visible. Second, I have cats, and their paw prints are visible on the surface. After five years, there are a lot of lights scratches, which are also very apparent. My thought is to degloss the floor by having a satin finish applied. One refinisher says I have to sand and refinish the floor, which will involve using a new Minwax stain. The second will screen and recoat with the satin finish. Questions are: Will the satin finish solve or at least help to some extent on the reflectivity problem? What sounds like the best approach -- refinish or just recoat? Many thanks.

This shouldn't even be a debate.....recoat it. You're only complaint is light scratching and paw prints, so recoating with a lower gloss remedies both. The only reason to resand a floor should be to repair damage to the wood itself, or if you wanted to restain. Stay away from the first guy...he either doesn't know what he's talking about, or is figuring that you won't know any better.

Yes. Recoat the floor. The best current way to do this is to not just buff the floor with an abrasive but to also use Bonakemi prep. Re coating a prefinished (aluminum oxide) floor is not a walk in the park. I use a disc buffer, 3M maroon abrasive pad and mist the floor with the Bona prep.Bona prep causes the aluminum oxide finish to soften slightly and create a decent chemical and mechanical bond to the new layer of finish.

I've had the best results with Bonakemi Traffic finish.It is a waterborne 2 part finish and is extremely durable and lays out and levels better than any other water base finish i have used. Basic Coatings is also a good company but I prefer Bonakemi.Bona Traffic is available in Satin ,Semi Gloss and now in High Gloss. Go with the Satin.