Chardonnay Engineered Hardwood starts at $8.99 per square foot installed in Fort Myers — a wirebrushed European White Oak from LW Flooring’s Sonoma Valley collection that carries the warm, natural tones its name implies. Wide 7-1/2-inch planks and a medium color variation give rooms a relaxed, wine-country character without reading as overly rustic or formal.
With a 1/2-inch engineered construction, Chardonnay is built to perform over the concrete slab foundations common throughout Southwest Florida. Solid hardwood expands and contracts too much in our humidity swings; the layered plywood core here holds dimensionally far better, making it a practical choice for living rooms, dining areas, hallways, and primary bedrooms.
The polyurethane-with-aluminum-oxide finish and 2 mm wear layer handle the daily traffic that comes with coastal living — sandy floors, snowbird rental turnovers, and the salt-air humidity that shortens the life of lesser finishes. A lifetime residential warranty backs that claim.
| Plank Width | 7-1/2″ |
|---|---|
| Plank Length | 75-1/4″ Random Length |
| Thickness | 1/2″ |
| Wear Layer | 2 mm |
| Finish | Polyurethane with Aluminum Oxide |
| Species | European White Oak |
Flooring Queen installs Chardonnay at $8.99 per square foot, and that number covers the full project: material delivery, removal and disposal of your existing floor covering, routine subfloor preparation, installation using your choice of float, glue, or nail-down method, and all standard baseboards and transition strips.
Some jobs carry additional costs. Heavy subfloor leveling beyond minor corrections, stair nosing, intricate custom borders, or unusually shaped rooms will be quoted as line items before any work starts. Call or book online for a free in-home measurement and written estimate so you know the exact number for your space.
Shoppers who want real wood grain and refinishability often compare engineered planks like Chardonnay to solid hardwood. Solid hardwood is thicker and can be sanded more times over its life, which appeals to buyers who want a true heirloom floor. The trade-off is real: solid hardwood is highly sensitive to moisture and seasonal humidity shifts, and it’s not recommended for slab-on-grade installations — which describes most homes in Southwest Florida.
Chardonnay’s engineered core handles those conditions without voiding the warranty. You still get 2 mm of real European White Oak at the surface, which supports at least one careful refinish. Solid hardwood also tends to run higher installed. For SWFL homes, engineered is the more practical choice; solid hardwood makes more sense in climate-controlled, wood-subfloor construction.
| Chardonnay | Solid Hardwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Water resistance | Handles humidity; not waterproof | Moisture-sensitive; warps under humidity |
| Scratch resistance / wear layer | 2 mm real oak + aluminum oxide finish | Thicker veneer; finish varies by species |
| Comfort underfoot | Warm, natural wood feel | Same warm wood feel |
| Installed price | $8.99 per sq ft | Typically $10–$14+ per sq ft installed |
| Best room | Living areas, bedrooms, slab installs | Bedrooms, wood-subfloor construction only |
Sweep or vacuum daily with a soft-bristle attachment — avoid beater-bar settings, which can scuff the wirebrushed surface over time. For damp mopping, use a hardwood-specific cleaner such as Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner or WOCA Soap, both of which are pH-balanced and safe for polyurethane-coated oak. Avoid steam mops, wet-string mops, or any cleaner containing ammonia, bleach, or vinegar — these break down the aluminum oxide finish and cloud the wood’s natural tone. Wipe spills promptly; standing water will eventually work into the micro-beveled edges. With proper care, the finish should not need professional recoating for ten or more years. For technical guidance, see the National Wood Flooring Association consumer hardwood information.
LW Flooring recommends acclimating Chardonnay for at least 48–72 hours inside your home before installation. In Southwest Florida’s humidity, this step is not optional — it lets the planks reach equilibrium with your indoor climate so the floor doesn’t shift, gap, or buckle after it’s down.
Yes, Chardonnay can be refinished, though carefully — the wear layer is 2 mm of real European White Oak, which supports approximately one light refinish depending on how much material the sanding removes. It won’t take the four or five passes a thick solid hardwood plank can handle, so screen-and-recoat is preferable to full sanding when possible.
Real-wood floors — including engineered — consistently read as an upgrade to buyers in the Southwest Florida market and tend to support higher list prices compared to carpet or budget vinyl. The effect is real but not dramatic; condition, color, and overall home presentation matter more than the specific product line.
Ongoing costs are low. A bottle of Bona or WOCA hardwood cleaner runs $10–$15 and lasts months with routine use. No sealer reapplication is required under the polyurethane finish. The main occasional expense is a professional screen-and-recoat of the finish, typically every 7–12 years depending on traffic — a fraction of full replacement cost.
Engineered hardwood is built with a cross-layered plywood core that resists the expansion and contraction caused by humidity swings — a critical advantage in Southwest Florida, where indoor humidity fluctuates significantly season to season. Solid hardwood is not engineered for slab-on-grade installs; its solid core can cup, warp, or gap, and most manufacturers void the warranty in that application.
The aluminum oxide polyurethane finish adds meaningful scratch resistance for a wood floor, and the wirebrushed texture helps disguise minor surface marks between cleanings. That said, 2 mm of real oak is not impervious — large dogs with unclipped nails will eventually leave visible scratches. Cleanup of pet accidents is straightforward provided spills are wiped before moisture reaches the micro-beveled edges.
When you invest in hardwood, the install matters as much as the wood. Flooring Queen is licensed, insured, and family-run from a single Fort Myers showroom — no franchise, no national-chain shuffle. 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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