The time it takes to refinish hardwood can vary depending on several factors, but typically ranges from 1 to 3 days for a professional refinishing job:
• Floor size and complexity.
Refinishing a small, simple living room will take less time than a large, multi-room home with stairs, landings and complex layouts. Rectangular rooms with few obstacles are fastest to work on.
• Condition of existing floor.
Floors that simply need sanding and re-coating in good condition will take less time than floors with severe damage, water damage or uneven/worn areas requiring patching, levelling or staining before re-finishing.
• Type of sanding/finishing.
Light sanding of floors in good shape takes less time than aggressive sanding to bare wood. Hand sanding takes longer than machine sanding. Multiple coats of finish take longer to apply and dry than a single coat.
• Additional services.
Time will be added for services like staining, patching/leveling damaged areas, paint touch-up, inspection/cleanup outside the room, door threshold/trim re-finishing, etc. Demolition/removal of old floors before re-finishing also greatly extends the timeline.
• Drying time between coats.
Professional hardwood floors require adequate drying time between light sanding/staining and finish coats to ensure an even, lint-free surface for best adhesion and appearance of new finish. This drying time can add significantly to the total timeline.
• Number of finish coats.
Two or more coats of high-quality urethane or polyurethane finish provide the best protection and shine. Multiple finish coats will add to total refinishing time vs. a single coat.
As a rough estimate for typical hardwood floor refinishing with medium to heavy sanding and two coats of top-quality urethane finish, you can expect:
• Sanding/rough sanding: 1-2 days
• Light one/touch-up sanding: 12-16 hours
• Staining (if needed): 4-8 hours
• Drying time (24-48 hours between coats): 2-4 days
• Applying 2 coats of finish: 2-3 days
• Curing/drying of finish before heavy use: 3-5 days
