Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - Newly Stained Oak Floor, Uneven Color

A floor pro sub-contractor sanded oak floors, added 2 coats of red oak stain, and finished with satin varnish. Along a few walls there is a band of about 15" in lighter color than most of the floor. The bands appear across the grain and boards in very even lines. (One band forms a quarter circle around the end of a marble floor in front of a fireplace but there is no band around the other end.) In some cases there are 2 narrower bands: the lightest one nearest walls and then a band whose color is about half way between the lighter band and the predominant color (together, these bands are also about 15" wide). One room originally was covered by wall-to-wall carpet, another not so, but both show this banding and are otherwise the same color. Closets in the carpeted room were not carpeted and show no difference in color from the main floor. So I presume that the banding has nothing to do with whether or not the floors were carpeted.

I think contractor did not stain evenly. He says moisture in wood changes its absorbing ability, but band crosses in straight lines different boards with different grains and appears without regard to nearness of windows or outer walls. Genl contractor says additional varnish over lighter areas may eliminate or at least reduce lighter bands.

Help! Is there a way to darken the bands without starting over (resanding, restaining, etc)? I'm afraid that if we make him start over, the sub-contractor might just do the same thing again to prove his point that the banding is not his fault. Also, because he did not do a hallway at the same time as one of the bedrooms, the colors are not the same (this, I understand). But where the colors meet is very uneven and extends about 10" into the hall. Is there a way to touch up this area to make the color change less obvious?

Thanks to all of you who have helpful ideas. My wife (!) particularly appreciates your consideration.

Uneven stain in refinishing jobs can be a result of wax products and other unknown substances that have been absorbed into the wood, as wood is unable to absorb stain as well as in affected areas. If stain was evenly applied and wiped and lighter areas remain, then perhaps, as the refinisher states, perhaps going with another coat of varnish (perhaps one with a little color) will lessen the color differences. Most floor refinishers these days use a clear water based polyurethane for a finish (2-3 coats, 3 better). In addition, no two boards will absorb the same amount of stain due to variations in grain and density. Thus not every board will be the same. There will be darker and lighter boards. Best regards.

Dear Twelvepole:
Thank you for your prompt reply. I'm glad my thinking was on target.
Today, they sanded two more rooms and the banding appears even before any staining begins. I think I now know the cause of the banding: the middle of the rooms are sanded by a large heavy machine, the sides and corners by a smaller and lighter machine, resulting in a lighter sanded band closer to the walls and corners. The contractor does not know how to make the two machines sand with a matching result; consequently, two different surfaces which (I presume) will absorb stain differently. We intend to NOT let the contractor stain the floors until we see no bands in the sanded floors...