We live in SE Oklahoma in a very rural area and the closest large city is Tulsa which is 2 hours away. This would be a 4 hour round trip drive plus installation and finishing and refinishing time. With the exceptions of electrical, mechanical, and plumbing, Oklahoma does NOT require licenses. We don't even need permits. I am looking for wood flooring installers and refinishers with experience and good reviews.

I know the 30+ year old oak already installed will look different from new oak. 30+ year old trees had a different environment than today's. The old oak flooring is in the open concept living/dining/kitchen and a short hallway which leads to two downstairs bedrooms. The old flooring will be refinished.

I need help with:

1. questions to ask the installers and refinishers. Should it be the same person?

2. help finding where to buy the 2.25" red oak flooring. Should the installer buy it?

3. help deciding between pre-finished oak vs unfinished oak. Differences in longevity? Problems with matching the new factory finished wood with the old, freshly sanded floor?

4. help finding an actual flooring professional installer/refinisher.

Finding an ACTUAL professional is very difficult in my area. We have had trouble with electrical and plumbing contractors who have fake contractor license numbers on their trucks. We check every time. Living in this extremely rural area is challenging.

Flooring dealers within a half hour from us: Lowe's and Mill Creek Carpet and Tile.

Flooring dealers within an hour from us: Lowe's and Mill Creek Carpet and Tile.

Flooring dealers 2 hours from us: Lowe's, Home Depot, Lumber Liquidators, Floor and Decor, Bert Henry Carpet, Carpet One, Mill Creek Carpet, and Grigsby's Carpet. They have installers.

I would only use Lowe's or Home Depot as a last resort. Floor and Decor's 2.25" oak flooring looked really bad>

Sorry< but my PC"s keyboard gives me trouble on only two forums and HOUZZ is one of them> no numbers or periods< etc> It just started on the previous sentence> SORRY!

Have I left any questions out? Advice from professionals would be very helpful or from homeowners who have recently had a wood floor installed or refinished> ~THANK YOU>