Floor Care · Guide
Pick the wrong one and you either overpay for a full strip you did not need, or you recoat a floor that was too far gone and watch it fail in weeks. The choice is not complicated once you know what each does and what your floor is telling you.
| Scrub & recoat | Strip & wax | |
|---|---|---|
| Removes | Soiled top layer only | All finish, down to the tile |
| Adds | 1 to 2 coats | Sealer plus 4 to 5 coats |
| Fixes yellowing? | No | Yes |
| Relative cost | $0.20 to $0.90 / sq ft | $0.50 to $3.00 / sq ft |
| Downtime | Less | Most |
| Use when | Finish dull but sound | Finish failed: yellow, worn, built up |
A recoat costs a fraction of a strip and disrupts far less, because it skips the stripping, neutralizing, and full rebuild. More importantly, recoating before the finish wears through means you rarely need the expensive full strip. That is the entire economic logic of a maintenance program: lots of cheap refreshes, few costly resets.
| Frequency | Service |
|---|---|
| Weekly to monthly | Burnish to hold gloss |
| Quarterly (traffic-based) | Scrub and recoat |
| 1 to 2 times a year | Full strip and wax |
Run this cadence and the full strip becomes an occasional reset rather than an annual scramble.
Related: scrub and recoat, strip and wax, how often to strip and wax, and cost guide.
Not sure which your floor needs? Get a free assessment and we will tell you straight.
A recoat removes only the worn top layer of finish and adds one to two coats; a strip removes all the finish to the tile and rebuilds it with a sealer plus several coats.
Yes, much. Recoat runs about $0.20 to $0.90 per square foot versus $0.50 to $3.00 for a full strip, because it skips the stripping and rebuilds only the top layer.
No. Yellowing lives in the lower finish layers, so it takes a full strip to remove. Recoating refreshes a finish that is dull but still clear and sound.
Recoat if the finish is dull but clear and intact; strip if it is yellowed, worn through to tile, built up thick, or powdering.
Often quarterly in standard commercial space, with full strips once or twice a year. Recoating on a cadence is what keeps strips infrequent.
No. Eventually finish yellows, builds up, or fails and must be stripped. Recoating delays that, it does not replace it forever.
Tell us your facility, floor types, and square footage. We'll scope the work and send a written quote. Not sure what you have? Send a photo and we'll tell you.