Chestnut Engineered Hardwood starts at $8.99 per square foot installed in Fort Myers — a handscraped American Hickory floor from LW Flooring’s Traditions collection with a rich walnut tone and medium variation that feels lived-in from day one. The 5-inch width and micro-beveled edges give each plank a defined, old-world character without reading as a novelty.
American Hickory is one of the harder domestic wood species, and that density matters in a Southwest Florida home where sandy foot traffic, pet claws, and high seasonal humidity are constant. The engineered construction — real wood bonded over a stable core — handles the humidity swings that would cause solid hardwood to cup or gap on a concrete slab.
This floor suits living rooms, dining rooms, primary bedrooms, and open-plan spaces where you want the warmth of real wood without fighting coastal moisture. The glue-down or nail-down installation options make it a natural fit for both slab-on-grade homes and wood-subfloor builds common in older Fort Myers neighborhoods.
| Plank Width | 5″ |
|---|---|
| Plank Length | 47-1/4″ Random Length |
| Thickness | 3/8″ |
| Wear Layer | 1.2 mm |
| Finish | Polyurethane with Aluminum Oxide |
| Species | American Hickory |
Flooring Queen installs Chestnut Engineered Hardwood at $8.99 per square foot. That price covers delivery to your home, removal of your existing floor covering, standard subfloor preparation, the installation itself, new baseboards, transition strips at doorways, and job-site cleanup with material haul-off.
Costs that fall outside the base price include significant subfloor leveling, stair nosing, diagonal or herringbone patterns, and custom border work — each adds labor time and will be itemized separately. Schedule a free in-home measure and you’ll receive a written quote scoped to your actual square footage and any site-specific conditions before any work begins.
The most natural cross-shop for Chestnut is solid hardwood — same species, same real-wood surface, but a fundamentally different construction. Solid hardwood is a single piece of wood all the way through, which means it can be sanded and refinished more times over a long life. That’s a real advantage in a home where you plan to stay 30-plus years.
The trade-off in Southwest Florida is stability. Solid hardwood moves with humidity, and our climate — concrete slabs, salt air, warm wet summers — accelerates that movement. Engineered construction resists seasonal cupping and gapping better, and the glue-down method used here works on slab foundations where floating solid hardwood is not recommended. For most SWFL homeowners, the stability gain outweighs the refinishing upside.
| Chestnut | Solid Hardwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Water resistance | Better — engineered core resists cupping | Lower — solid wood moves with humidity |
| Scratch resistance / wear layer | 1.2 mm polyurethane with aluminum oxide | Varies; thicker surface but no oxide layer |
| Comfort underfoot | Warm, real wood feel | Identical real-wood feel |
| Installed price | $8.99/sq ft installed | Typically $10–$14/sq ft installed |
| Best room | Living areas, bedrooms, slab-on-grade homes | Bedrooms, wood subfloors, stable climates |
Sweep or vacuum with a soft-bristle head regularly — grit is the main enemy of any hardwood finish. For damp mopping, use a hardwood-specific cleaner such as Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner or a comparable pH-neutral formula; avoid excessive water and never use a steam mop, which can force moisture through the micro-beveled seams. Steer clear of oil soaps, wax, or ammonia-based products, as these can break down the polyurethane-and-aluminum-oxide finish over time. Felt pads under furniture legs are inexpensive insurance against surface scratches. For technical guidance, see the National Wood Flooring Association consumer hardwood information.
In Southwest Florida’s humidity, plan on at least 48 to 72 hours of acclimation inside your conditioned space. Keep the boxes flat, the HVAC running at normal living temperature, and the packaging open so the planks can reach equilibrium with your home’s moisture level before installation begins.
Yes, Chestnut can be lightly refinished, but the 1.2 mm wear layer limits you to one careful screen-and-recoat rather than multiple deep sandings. A light buff and recoat — not a full sand — is the right approach if the finish dulls over time, and it will extend the floor’s life significantly.
Whether the existing tile stays or goes depends on height transitions, tile condition, and subfloor flatness — not a one-size-fits-all answer. Chestnut installs via glue-down or nail-down, so a loose, cracked, or significantly uneven tile surface typically needs to be removed first. We assess that during the site measure.
LW Flooring backs Chestnut with a lifetime residential warranty and a 5-year light commercial warranty. Warranties typically cover manufacturing defects and finish performance under normal use — they do not cover damage from flooding, improper installation, or neglect. Keep your purchase documentation and follow the care guidelines to keep coverage intact.
A three-to-four room installation typically runs two to three days once the floor has acclimated. Day one usually covers removal of the existing floor and any subfloor work; installation follows on day two, with trim and transitions wrapping up by day three. Larger open-plan homes or slab leveling work can add time.
Day-to-day upkeep costs almost nothing — a bottle of Bona or a similar hardwood cleaner runs about $10 and lasts months. There’s no annual sealing or waxing required. The main discretionary expense is a professional screen-and-recoat if the finish wears in high-traffic zones, which most homeowners won’t need for 10 to 15 years with normal care.
Flooring Queen has over 20 years of experience installing engineered hardwood across Southwest Florida — slab foundations, humidity, the realities Florida throws at real wood. We install everything ourselves. Free in-home measure: (239) 763-0770.
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Reviewed by Jack Maya, Lead Installer at Flooring Queen — 20+ years installing flooring in Southwest Florida.
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