As you’re probably aware, virtually every hardwood floor is coated with a polyurethane finish on top of it. This finish is similar to laminating a sheet of plastic over your floor and helps prevent it from damage, absorbing moisture, and from wearing poorly. However, over time and with regular use this polyurethane layer can get worn and discolored, making the floor look darker and worn.
Some people believe that the only way to remedy this is to completely sand off the old finish and some of the wood and recoat the floor with a new finish. This process requires that your room be closed for a number of days and can be dusty and smelly, not to mention expensive.
But there is an alternative available to a full sanding of the floor, referred to as a “screening”. In this process, just the top layer of finish is removed and the lower layers are roughed up to allow for good adhesion of a new coat of finish to be applied. The process simply involves taking a flooring buffer and putting a sanding screen under it, and buffing the entire floor, which can be done pretty quickly. Then a new coat of finish is applied and allowed to dry. The process typically takes less than 24 hours, as opposed to several days with a complete resanding of the floor, and is considerably less expensive.
Unless your floor has a lot of denting, or has been water damaged, or is cracked in spots, take a look at sprucing it up with a good screening. The results are well worth a much smaller expense.