The link below leads to a site that pretty much sums up the differences in finish systems and lists advantages and disadvantages of each. This is not SPAM and I have nothing to do with the company presenting this information on the internet. You need to discuss finish choices with persons you interview for the finishing part of your flooring experience. Good craftspeople will provide examples of their work and will also provide samples of available finishes. Ask for references and ask to see a portfolio. Choosing a company that has been around for a long time hedges your bets and contracting with the actual person who is going to do the work helps also. An owner who employs skilled and trained workers is OK, but check references. Here is a link that might be useful: Finish Descriptions

The acclimation you've been recommended to use is generally how we've done floors forever EXCEPT when using wider planks. As was noted above, have the plywood and wood checked. If they're too far apart the area can be dehumidified to bring the plywood moisture down and/or the wood will add moisture if it's particularly dry. Make sure the contractor is putting a vapor/moisture barrier (not retarder) between the concrete and the plywood. I don't recommend any barrier between the wood and plywood. Some pros have been burned using (probably cheap) water based finishes and refuse to use anything other than oil based. Others think you should use only the newest technology finishes and exclusively use water based. We use both. With a stained, hand-scraped White Oak, I would choose oil based polyurethane. No water based finish compares to the durability of oil modified. Considering the cost, it's a no-brainer unless you have special circumstances. As to staples vs. nails, we've used both and seen little difference in the performance. My preference would be for nails but the industry seems to have moved more toward staples.

Sorry but you either leave them alone or get them sanded and refinished. Do NOT add a 'polish' to them. You will ruin them for the next person...and if that person is a flooring person and they find out about it AFTER they take possession of the home, you could be liable for the 'fix'. Do you have photos of the floor? Are they solid with a site finish? Are they engineered? Are they able to be sanded/refinished? Please post a photo before you do ANYTHING. It is *possible you can look at a 'buff and coat' but we can't be sure until you show us some photos.

Looks good to me. It is detailed and includes demolition/removal of old and includes quote for subfloor prep. Be aware the subfloor prep ONLY includes 'screws' to tighten subfloor and a LITTLE bit of sanding of the plywood. There is NO filler added to the quote. That's fine...so long as the subfloor is good - decent. If carpet is being removed, I have concerns with the flatness of the subfloor. Plywood has a NASTY habit of being 'wonky' under carpets. That's why carpets are used. They hide the worst sins imaginable (some people have found old cigarette buts AND empty packs of food containers under their carpet. Weird but true. The only thing I would question - or ask them to 'add' would be a quote/suggestion for flattening the subfloor, if and where needed. That will add $1/sf onto the subfloor prep quote. That's about all I would look at. As for the Intense seal, it does add a snick of soft gold to a stain. Be aware that Jacobean is a powerful colour. It LOVES to sit IN THE GRAIN while leaving the rest of the wood only lightly enhanced (light compared to the almost black grain colour). Jacobean is a green based stain = does well at hiding the red/cinnamon colours of the red oak. You will ask for, and receive, a few colour patch options to view. You will then CHOOSE from them once you have looked at them for a day or two. For me, the ideal set up is this: 1. Remove and prep = day 1 2. Install 3. First sanding, second sanding/pass 4. Third/last sanding pass + colour patches/swatches + sealant + 1 coat finish over swatches 5. Saturday, Sunday make your colour choices after viewing all 5 daylight settings 6. Monday morning the finisher comes in and puts down customers choice of stain/sealant combo. In a perfect world, that's how it would happen. Notice how you have 2 DAYS with the colour swatches...and not 3 hours? Yep. Right. Because you want TIME to sit and view the colour through all 5 day light settings (morning, mid-morning, noon, afternoon, evening = artificial light)