Equipment you need
What equipment you need to recoat floors
Last updated · FloorIt
To recoat hardwood floors you need a floor buffer, screens and pads, a shop vac, a roller on an extension pole and a two-part, water-based urethane finish. You can rent the buffer for about $40 a day, so the list of things to buy is short. Here is each piece, what it does, and what FloorIt sends you.
The equipment list
| Item | What it does | Rent or buy |
|---|---|---|
| Floor buffer | Spins the screen to dull the old finish so the new coat grips | Rent for about $40 a day, or buy later |
| Screens and pads | The abrasive screens and the driver and trim pads under the buffer | Buy, they wear out |
| Shop vac | Pulls up every bit of dust after screening | Buy, most people own one |
| Roller and extension pole | Rolls the finish on evenly while you stand | Buy |
| Microfiber roller covers | A clean cover for each job | Buy |
| Two-part finish | The new protective coat | Buy, about 2 gallons a coat on an average floor |
Why the finish matters most
The finish is what the homeowner is paying for. A two-part, water-based urethane has a finish (Part A) and a hardener (Part B) that you mix on the job. It hardens chemically and bonds to the screened floor, so it becomes part of the old finish instead of sitting on top. It goes on clear and stays clear.
Store products are different. Polish is a film that sits on top of the floor. It softens, scuffs and peels, and has to be stripped off later. One-part poly has no hardener, so it stays softer and chips.
Rent or buy the buffer?
Rent it at first. At about $40 a day, the rental is a small part of each job, and it's the number we use in our job example. You don't tie up money in a machine before you know your schedule.
Once you're doing jobs every week, buying your own can make sense. You skip the trip to the rental counter, and the machine is ready when you are. Make that choice when the jobs are steady, not before.
Other things worth having
- A vehicle that can carry a rented buffer and your kit
- Knee pads and gloves
- Painter's tape for marking and protecting edges
- Shoe covers, so you respect the homeowner's house
- A phone for before and after photos
What FloorIt ships you
- 12 gallons
- Of finish, about 3 planned per job
- 1 kit
- Roller, pole, covers, screens and pads
- 3
- Buffer rentals covered
- 12 gallons of FloorIt finish, a two-part, water-based urethane. We plan on about 3 per job
- The applicator kit: roller and extension pole, microfiber roller covers, screens, driver and trim pads
- Your first 3 buffer rentals, covered
Everything ships to your door. When you run low on finish, you reorder it through us. Our incentives are directly aligned to help you get more jobs. When you get more jobs, you use more finish. When you use more finish, you order more from us, and that is where we profit. We partnered with a manufacturer to get you a high-quality, professional finish.
Bring your own shop vac, or pick one up at any hardware store.
Keep reading
- The service: A buff and recoat brings back a dull, scratched hardwood floor in about 3 hours, without sanding. What it is, what it fixes, what it doesn't, and what it costs.
- How to start a recoat business: How to start a hardwood floor recoat business: learn the job, get the equipment, check insurance and licensing, price jobs and find customers. An honest guide.
- No experience needed: No, you don't need flooring experience to start a recoat business with FloorIt. What the training covers, what the job takes, and the floors to walk away from.
- What we build: Everything FloorIt builds for you: LLC, brand, website, Google profile, phone and CRM, equipment, finish, the full course, weekly calls and your first 50 leads.