I am a homeowner and just had maple floor stain and refinished. They cut out some of the existing wood floor to install ceramic tile in my foyer. The cut was not exact and he put wood filler in a couple places between the existing floor and the trim board he put in that the tile will butt up to. This filled part measures 1/8" in parts (the cut is about 12 feet long).Some if it has no filler. Am I asking too much that this straight cut on existing floor could be 100% exact?
Also he put 2 coats of oil based poly on after the stain. Is the stain considered a sealer? The finish look kinda blotchy and there are small bumps. Do I need another coat? Should any "pimples" be acceptable? This is an upscale house and I have to put it on the market soon - competing with new homes.

depends really, if you hired a reputable company or the cheap guy off craigs list. stain is not a coat of finish or sealer , it does have some sealing properties but its a stain not a sealer. The blotchy stain on maple is normal it doesnt take stain well at all, some guys wont even attempt to stain a maple floor on-site. Talk with your finisher tell him your concerns and see what he says. Some debris is normal/expected but it should be limited to a few small areas and not the entire floor. If you paid for three coats of finish then yes if you paid for two coats then its probally time to get the wallet back out.

Yes, I agree that maple is tricky to stain and it does come out blotchy. That's because it doesn't absorb stain well. It's more noticeable with darker stains. Regarding cutting the wood, that is challenging to do once it's installed. However, they may be able to add a wood saddle or t-molding (pending the height) to cover this area.

Regarding the bubbles that can usually be fixed w/ a screening an extra coat of poly. sometimes that happens due to air bubbles when the poly is mixed or from poor application.

I agree w/ the comment on it depends on the quality of who you hired. A reputable place usually avoids this and/or if it happens will come back and address it.

Debbie Gartner, aka The Flooring Girl
http://TheFlooringGirl.com
Westchester County, NY