Chrissy, I understand that people want to protect their floors and carpets - all of that - but I think we should be more concerned about *people* than about our floors...I had a friend who had to wear special inserts in her shoes to keep her knees from dislocating. When she was in a shoes off home, she had to walk on the sides of her feet to keep her knees in place. It looked *awfully* uncomfortable...I guess I don't see how people can do that - insist that shoes come off, even if it makes their guests uncomfortable...yes, I could take "indoor only" shoes when I go places, but I don't have a huge shoe wardrobe - to have indoor shoes only. My goodness. And since they are tie shoes (not slip on), they're a pain to switch.... Sorry. Perhaps this is a bit off topic, but it does relate to cleaning floors - doesn't it? :-P

UPDATE: I've just met with my GC and the lead floor guy (owner). The lead floor guy admits the patches were not what he directed, but his guys thought they were being helpful by patching. Both GC and floor guy agree the patches are visible. They said there are 3 possible courses: 1.) Try to touch up the patches to get a better match of the sheen. Risk is that it compounds the existing problem that they don't fully blend in with the rest. The floor guy also noted that each time they sand a piece, the grain on the wood is affected/sanded down, so that is not ideal. 2.) Let the patches go for now. The floor guy said in his experience, the finish actually gets a bit shinier over time -- and it's possible the patches would shine up a bit to better blend with the rest of the floors. My GC offered that if I go with this option, we could hold out $$$ and if in 6 months or so, I still see the patches, they would come back and fix (either patch and/or re-coat the whole area). Does anyone have thoughts on this idea that the floors will gain in shine over time? Obvious downside to this is that it's a bigger hassle to move everything out in 6 months, if that becomes necessary. Also a bummer (for me) to not start out with a fresh floor as I would have expected from this major addition. 3.) Go ahead and re-coat the affected rooms now. Plus is this gets done and over with, fresh start and no need to move things later. Downside to this, in addition to more time for the floor guys, is always the chance that new issues are introduced in the re-coat. I know it shouldn't be the case but I guess it's always possible. Thoughts welcome!

Choosing the right flooring type isn't enough for your living condition. You will have to consider the types of cut: flat sawn, rift and quarter sawn, quarter sawn or live sawn. Quarter sawn and rift & quarter sawn will be best choices, because expansion and contraction is along the thickness of the wood. You will need climate control all year round. 70 degrees at 40 % relative humidity is where you want to be throughout the year. The use of a humidifier/dehumidifier will be needed year round. Although, engineered flooring is more stable than solid. Using the wrong wood specie in your living condition can run the risk of de-laminating with engineered wood. If, the top veneer is more or less stable than it's core and backing. You will experience de-laminating in extreme humidity swings. Take in account of what the engineered flooring is constructed of: mdf or plywood. The width of the flooring will account for how much expansion and contracting also. 2 1/4" strips are the most stable. As you go wider, expect to see more wider seasonal gaps. Proper acclimating is critical, should be performed with a moisture meter. For 2 1/4" strip flooring , sub-floor and flooring moisture should be within 4%. For all other widths 2% moisture differentiation is allowed or should not be exceeded. Don't forget proper expansion gaps, which is the thickness of your flooring, example: 3/4" thick = 3/4" gap. Sub-floor type and condition will affect the performance of wood floors. All this needs to be considered for the proper and successful performance of your wood floors.

The stain pen IS the fix. It is literally some guy with a pen on his hands and knees putting blobs of colour over top the 'white' dots and then wiping away the stain to make it blend in. That's it. Nothing more. A stain pen can be purchased at any home depot. It can be matched to the stain you have on your floor. It is always nice to have one ready should a chip come out of a floor or some little accident happen that causes some discolouration. A stain pen (for the homeowner) is a great way to DIY a colour issue....like little drips of paint. Again, there is nothing 'wrong' with the floors. They are full protected and fully functional. The issue is little bubbles (issue #1) and they left in little paint spots that didn't come out when they did a quick buff and final coat of finish (issue #2). You can DIY your own stain pen touch up for $15 (for the pen) and 2 hours of your personal time on hands and knees ($0). I would NOT let these guys back on my floors. I would take the money and put it in the bank. It should be a nice chunk of change (much more than $15 + 2 hours of labour).