I got a call from a custy who says her existing wood floor doesn't need sanded and refinished, it just needs a "brushing up".

Even though I've been installing floors for 22 years, I've never done any refinishing. I haven't seen the floor yet, and to tell you the truth, I have no idea on how to "brush up" a wood floor. Just guessing, do I just clean the floor and apply a coat of urethane??

If so, what do I clean it with and how? And what kind of urethane should I use, or does that depend on the finish?

Thanks,
James

What's a "custy"??
There's a whole lot to it my friend. You may want to consider teaming up with someone that knows that end of the business, and learn the ropes, before you get into trouble in a poor "custy's" home

My advice is to not do it. There is some risk involved because any kind of oil or soap or floor polish / wax can prevent the urethane from adhering.

if you want to take the risk , I recommend using a disc buffer with a maroon 3M pad and Bonakemi prep. Get in touch with the Bonakemi company

http://www.bona.com/

And their tech people can walk you through the process.You'll basically spritz the floor with the Prep and then abrade it with the buffer and 3M maroon pad. If the pad shows no signs of contamination ( grease or wax build up on it) then you thoroughly vacuum / tack the floor clean and apply a new coat of finish.

This is easier said than done if you aren't an experienced finisher.

"custy" = customer; presumably.
I wouldn't advise a recoat to an existing floor for anyone unfamiliar with the various techniques and potential pitfalls you can encounter. Sub the job out to someone with experience and work with him as his "grunt" to pick up a few tips.

My preference is to use the TYKOTE system from Basic Coatings, but follow the instructions to the letter, and if the floor is flat, you can supplement the system with buffing first, using a Maroon pad.

Buff the floor with a 150 grit sanding screen. Apply a coat of sanding sealer then a coat of oil poly or waterbased finish. The sanding sealer will help the finish bond.

Not to disagree with you Rhodes but that seems like a simple set of instructions that could cause a lot of problems for a diyer. Different parts of the continent use different products or have different products available to them so I would think that specific products would be helpful as I suspect that many products would specific requirements.


Keith

I am still trying to get my head around that sanding sealer Rhodes keeps referring to.
Please advise what it is, since the only sanding sealers I have worked with would not be appropriate for putting over top of an existing finish.