It typically takes us around 12 hours to refinish a hardwood floor with a fresh coat of stain. As soon as it dries, you can walk on the floor, although we recommend to clients that they wait a week before putting rugs back. The finish will last between three and five years, depending on wear and tear. For natural woods, we use a coat of sealer and two coats of polyurethane. If the wood is stained, it gets a fresh coat of stain before the polyurethane is applied.