What to Expect When Getting Your Hardwood Floors Refinished

If you’ve never had hardwood floors refinished, the process can feel like a black box. How long does it take? Do you need to leave? What about your furniture, your pets, your kitchen? What does “dust-free” actually mean in practice?

Here’s a day-by-day breakdown of what happens when Southern Woods handles your hardwood floor refinishing, so you know exactly what to expect.

Before We Arrive

Clear the space. Remove all furniture, area rugs, and anything sitting on the floor in the rooms being refinished. We can move heavy pieces if needed — just ask during the proposal.

Plan for access. We’ll need a clear path from our truck to the work area. If we’re refinishing the main level, plan to use back doors or garage entry while we’re working.

Pets and kids. Keep them out of the work area during the process. Our dust containment system keeps the air clean, but sanding equipment is loud and the wet finish is off-limits until it cures.

Stain selection. If you’re changing the stain color, you’ll have picked your color before we start (we can do sample stains on your floor if you’re undecided). If you’re keeping the existing color or going natural, no stain decision needed.

Day 1: Sanding

We arrive, set up our Bona Atomic Dust Containment System, and begin sanding.

The dust containment system connects directly to our sanding equipment. As the sander removes the old finish, the dust is vacuumed into a containment unit before it becomes airborne. Bona’s lab testing shows 99.8% dust reduction compared to traditional sanding — in real-world conditions, we consistently see 95–97% containment. That means your kitchen cabinets, air ducts, and furniture in adjacent rooms stay clean.

You’ll hear the sanders running — they’re not quiet. But you won’t see clouds of dust rolling through your house, which is what traditional sanding looks like.

We sand with progressively finer grits — starting coarse to remove the old finish and level the surface, then moving to fine grits for a smooth result. After sanding, we fill any gaps, cracks, or nail holes with matching wood filler.

By the end of day 1, your floors are sanded to bare wood and prepped for stain and finish.

Day 2: Staining (If Applicable)

If you’re changing the stain color or adding stain to previously natural floors, this happens on day 2. We apply the stain by hand, working it into the wood grain and wiping off the excess for an even, consistent color.

Staining adds a day to the process. If you’re keeping a natural look (clear finish, no stain), we skip this day and go directly to finish coats.

The stain needs to dry before we can apply finish — typically overnight.

Days 2-3 (or 3-4 with stain): Finish Coats

We apply three coats of professional-grade polyurethane finish. Each coat needs to dry before the next one goes on — typically 2-4 hours between coats in good conditions, though Georgia humidity can extend dry times.

We use water-based polyurethane for most residential projects. It dries faster, has lower odor, doesn’t yellow over time, and is more environmentally friendly than oil-based. Oil-based is available if you prefer the slightly warmer amber tone it gives the wood.

Between coats, we lightly abrade the surface to ensure proper adhesion between layers. The final coat gets extra attention — this is the surface you’ll walk on for the next 5-10 years.

Final Inspection

When the last coat is cured, we check every detail: even color, consistent sheen, smooth finish, clean edges, proper transitions. If anything isn’t right, we address it before we pack up.

After We Leave

Walking: You can walk on the floors in clean socks within 24 hours of the final coat.

Furniture: Wait 48-72 hours before moving furniture back. Use felt pads under all furniture legs — this is critical for protecting your new finish.

Area rugs: Wait at least two weeks. The finish needs time to fully cure, and trapping moisture under a rug during that period can cause problems.

Shoes: No shoes on the floors for at least one week. Socks or bare feet only.

Cleaning: Wait one week before cleaning. When you do clean, use a Bona-approved hardwood floor cleaner. No vinegar, no Murphy’s Oil, no steam mops — these can damage the finish.

The Complete Timeline

Step	Duration	Notes
Sanding	Day 1	Dust-free with Bona system
Staining (if needed)	Day 2	Add 1 day if changing color
Finish coat 1	Day 2 or 3	Dry time between coats
Finish coat 2	Day 2 or 3	Same day if dry time allows
Finish coat 3	Day 3 or 4	Final coat
Final inspection	Day 3 or 4	Before we pack up
Light foot traffic	24 hours after final coat	Socks only
Furniture back	48-72 hours	Felt pads on all legs
Area rugs	2 weeks	Let finish fully cure
Normal use	1 week	Shoes, cleaning, normal life

Total: 2-4 days on-site depending on whether stain is involved, plus 1-2 weeks of gentle use while the finish fully hardens.

FAQ

Do I need to leave my house during refinishing?

No. With our Bona Atomic Dust Containment System, you can stay in your home. The air stays clean enough that you don’t need to evacuate. You will hear sander noise during the day, and there will be mild odor during finish application (water-based poly has much less odor than oil-based). Some homeowners choose to stay elsewhere during finish days for comfort, but it’s not required.

How much does hardwood refinishing cost?

Full sand-and-refinish in NE Georgia typically costs $3.50-6.00 per square foot. A screen-and-recoat (lighter process for floors in decent shape) costs $1.50-3.00 per square foot. We provide exact pricing during a free in-home proposal.

Can you refinish just one room?

Yes. We refinish individual rooms all the time. We’ll discuss transition areas — where the refinished room meets the adjacent room — to make sure the color and finish match as closely as possible.

Ready to refinish? Get a free proposal and we’ll walk your floors, tell you what they need, and give you a price. 770-554-1555.