Glossary
Sheen
Sheen is how much light a floor finish reflects, from flat matte to shiny gloss. A worn finish loses its sheen in the busy spots, which is why traffic lanes look dull.
What is sheen?
Floor finishes are made in different sheens. Matte is the flattest and reflects the least light. Satin has a soft glow. Semi-gloss and gloss are shinier and reflect the most.
Sheen changes how a floor looks day to day. A lower sheen hides small scratches, dust and footprints better. A higher sheen looks shinier but shows those things more. That is one reason some homeowners pick a lower sheen.
Sheen also tells you how worn a floor is. A new finish has an even sheen across the whole room. As shoes and pets wear it down, the busiest paths turn dull while the edges of the room still shine. Those dull paths are the traffic lanes.
A screen and recoat brings back an even sheen. The buffer scuffs the whole floor the same way, and a fresh coat goes on over all of it, so the worn paths match the rest of the room again. That is often the biggest change a homeowner sees.
Sheen is not the same as color. A recoat can bring back the shine, but it cannot change the color of the wood or the old finish. A homeowner who wants a different color needs a full sand and refinish.
Related terms
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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.