BACKGROUND: On Sunday, a pipe burst under master tub. The water ran for about an hour before we discovered it. The kitchen is under the master bath. Water went down the interior of the wall and under the red oak hardwood floor. There was no visible water on top. On Monday (next day), I discovered the floor had cupped badly in that area. Because of the volume of similar incidents in my area, the water disaster recovery company couldn't get out to us until today (Friday-6th day from the burst). Their moisture meters detected water in the floor. They've got a couple of fans and a dehumidifier in the area (as well as other parts of the house that suffered damage).

Also today (Friday), the flooring contractor came out to see the damage. His preliminary recommendation is to replace the most damaged boards, remove "good" boards from other areas and mix them in with the new boards. Then he'll restain and finish.

The house was built about 4 years ago. The entire first floor is hardwood, sanded and stained in place. The main entryways from room to room are about 8ft wide. The boards run side-to-side across the house vs front-to-back. It's a very open floorplan. The house is shaped like a square within a square. The interior square is where the staircases, bathrooms, closets, etc. are. You can see from one end of the house to the other along the perimeter of the house. We get sunlight all day from side-to-side. My stain is a custom blend. Of course, I don't have the formula. There are 3 coats of satin poly.

ISSUE: This flooring guy (who comes highly recommended from the insurance company...and from other folks) feels pretty strongly the entire first floor needs to be stripped and refinished. The main reason he suggests doing the whole floor is because there is no clear/clean place to make a break between the repair and the "old" floor. If he repairs just the affected area, it's about 200 sq ft. The entire first floor is about 3,000 sq ft.

He's very concerned about my floorplan, the natural light, and where and how to do a repair in just the kitchen area without it being visible from more than one vantage point.

UGH! I have no estimates or anything yet. I don't know what the insurance company will say. They will probably balk at the prospect of having to do the entire first floor. I haven't the slightest idea of the going rate for refinishing hardwood. If the insurance only covers the kitchen area, we'd have to consider the cost/benefit of doing the whole first floor.

I just need to talk it out with people who can give me some perspective and things to think about. I do know physical the undertaking that would be involved if the whole first floor is done (as in having to move out, removing furniture and draperies, tarping the cabinets, etc, etc...a lot of which will have to happen irrespective of the size of the repair).

Is it possible to repair the area (let's assume for discussion's sake that this guy is highly skilled) and not be able to detect it? Will I be able to detect it over time as the different areas age? I'm really concerned about our wide open areas and the amount of sunlight and artificial light that hits this general area. I'd be fine with repairing just the kitchen area if I could feel comfortable about how it would all blend together.

Advice? Comments? Points to consider? Thank you in advance.