Tell your contractor what you want to see as an end result. Ask if he or she can achieve it. Then, get it in writing with your expectations spelled out clearly.

Floor finishers will have techniques and products that work for them. Some of us use waterpopping as a technique to achieve a rich and consistent look when using a dark stain...but that is just one of many tools of the trade we use to do this.

Thanks so much. Exactly the information I needed!

And just for fun, the GRADE of white oak will also determine whether or not an even, uniform colour is easily achieved. A high-grade oak will have a very clean look with a uniform colour. You will see very few colour variations between planks. No knots. The grain is also as low profile as it gets. This is the grade of wood that will help you achieve the most uniform colour. This is the highest PRICED grade possible.

Character grade products are the opposite. They have heavy grain and massive colour variations between planks (we call this movement). These floors are quite tricky to work with if you are looking for a uniform colour with very few variations. The price for these lower grade products is significantly LOWER. To be blunt, they are cheap. Cheap, cheap, cheap. And some are stupid cheap. Personally I have no problem with heavy movement in a character grade floor. I like it. To me a stupid-cheap solid oak floor is still a solid oak floor. There is nothing wrong with these lower grades of wood.

A serious amount of this desired uniformity will come from your choice of material (your budget). The success of the refinisher will rely HEAVILY on what you purchase for him to stain. If colour uniformity is top priority, then your choice of material will need to be top quality with a top price tag.

Ask yourself: Did I pay $2.99/sf or did I pay $12.99/sf? The answer will tell you how likely the uniformity of colour will be to achieve.