Your wood floors are looking tired, but the idea of refinishing them is just too daunting. Not to worry: There are a number of ways to bring dated, dull or damaged floors back to life – without the long and arduous process of sanding, restaining and resealing.

•THE PROBLEM You like the color of your floors, but the finish is scratched and worn.

THE SOLUTION Screen and recoat.

Screening, also known as buffing, is a quick, relatively inexpensive method of shining wood floors, which involves lightly abrading the top coat of polyurethane, then applying a new coat of finish. This works best when the finish has been damaged, but the wood hasn’t. “It’s a fast way to revive a floor that is in decent condition,” said Oliver Keeley, the owner of Woodlawn Floor Supplies in the Bronx.

Screening and recoating a 700-square-foot living room floor, he said, typically takes a day and starts at about $1,000. (By contrast, refinishing a floor of the same size can cost double that amount and take two or three days for the same size area.)

One caveat: If your floor has been waxed, screening won’t work. In that case, your best bet is to hire a handyman to rewax and polish the floors using a buffing machine with a steel wool pad, which will cost about $300 or $400. A reputable floor refinisher will be able to determine your floor’s finish. Or, if you want to experiment, Mr. Keeley said, clean an inconspicuous spot, like behind a door, then apply a small amount of paint thinner or mineral spirits to a white rag and wipe the floor. If the rag turns yellow or brown, the finish is likely wax.