Sanding, depending on how vigorous, will either scuff the sealing top-coats or remove them to bare wood. If the floor guy only sanded, there is a reason it looked dingy. Seems to me the flooring guy was responsible for properly fixing his damage; it sounds as if he did not. Can you post a picture so we can see what you have to work with? You will definitely have to re-stain and apply coats to seal/top-coat (varnish, poly, etc.). The question is whether you can just stain and then apply sealing coats to repair what you have sanded. Do you have any idea what was used to seal/ttop-coat after the flooring guy stained? Different product will age differently and have different sheens. If you cannot figure out the original products used (including the original manufactror and formula for the stain), I would sand every tread or at least the part that will be exposed (once away from the spindles, you should be able to use an electric finish sander), stain again, and put on uniform sealing top-coats of something like water-based flooring poly to all the treads. Researching the best products to refinish stairs will provide name brands for the final, protective finish coats. I do not think that something like Rejuvinate will work since you have probably taken off the stain and protective top-coats.

I'd carefully restain the stair treads. Know that where there is already/still stain, it'll darken some so wipe that part off immediately. Any rejuvenation product is going to effect the actual color of the wood that isn't stained already. You'll just make that another, different color. So stain them, but wipe the undamaged area first and right away. Let it dry completely before you decide if that area needs a 2nd treatment. Oh, shoot. What did the installer use as a sealer? Because that'll determine if the stain actually changes the OK area. I admit I'm sorry you paid the guy before he took the steps you're taking. It should have been 1) no charge, 2) a no-brainer and 3) a problem a pro wouldn't have created for himself. Someone will probably jump in with better suggestions.

I would let this one go. In the pictures, at least, the difference is subtle and doesn't bother me at all. It looks like the flooring was factory-finished, the stairs finished on site. If the processes and materials are not identical, so you shouldn't expect their appearance to be identical. Your contractor might manage to satisfy part of your preference, i.e. make the stairway less reddish, but cause some other problem in the process such as making the stairs noticeably darker. The risks and costs of futzing with this are real, and the potential benefits seem small. Unless the photos are misleading, I'd focus my energies elsewhere.

Hi what color should I stain this basement staircase handrail? I have “golden oak” through the rest of my home but she’s nice this is a basement, I wanted to go slightly darker in stain. Advice on a min wax stain? Stairs will be grey carpet and newel post painted white.