Palermo Engineered Hardwood starts at $8.99/sq ft installed in Fort Myers — a wirebrushed European White Oak floor with a warm natural tone that reads honest and grounded rather than glossy or overdone. From LW Flooring’s Renaissance collection, it pairs a 9/16″ construction with a 7-1/2″ wide plank and random lengths up to 75-1/4″, giving rooms the scale and character of traditional hardwood without the limitations of a solid board.
Palermo suits living rooms, dining rooms, home offices, and main-floor bedrooms — anywhere you want real wood underfoot without worrying that Southwest Florida’s humidity will work against you. The engineered construction is inherently more stable than solid hardwood across concrete slab foundations, and the micro-beveled edge hides the minor movement that comes with SWFL’s seasonal swings.
For snowbird households or rental properties, the lifetime residential warranty and durable polyurethane-with-aluminum-oxide finish mean the floor holds up during months of air-conditioned vacancy just as well as during peak season. The medium variation in the natural color reads consistently across open-plan spaces without looking repetitive.
| Plank Width | 7-1/2″ |
|---|---|
| Plank Length | 75-1/4″ Random Length |
| Thickness | 9/16″ |
| Wear Layer | 3 mm |
| Finish | Polyurethane with Aluminum Oxide |
| Species | European White Oak |
Flooring Queen’s installed price for Palermo is $8.99 per square foot. That rate covers delivery to your home, removal of your existing floor covering, standard subfloor preparation, installation, new baseboards, and transition strips — plus cleanup and material haul-off when the crew wraps up.
Certain situations add cost: significant subfloor leveling beyond routine prep, stair nosing, intricate room layouts, or custom border work. The best way to get an accurate number is a free in-home measure with one of our project consultants — you leave with a written quote broken down by room before any commitment is made.
Palermo is engineered, meaning its core layers are cross-stacked for dimensional stability — a real advantage on the concrete slabs that dominate Southwest Florida construction. Solid hardwood expands and contracts more aggressively with humidity swings, which makes it a riskier choice below-grade or in homes where the AC cycles off for months at a time.
Where solid hardwood has an edge: it can typically be sanded and refinished more times over its life. Palermo’s 3 mm wear layer does allow light refinishing, but not indefinitely. For homeowners who want a floor they can restore every decade for generations, solid oak is worth the conversation. For everyone dealing with slabs and seasonal humidity, engineered wins on stability alone.
| Palermo | Solid Hardwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Water resistance | Better — stable on concrete slabs | Lower — expands more with moisture |
| Scratch resistance / wear layer | 3 mm wear layer, aluminum oxide finish | Full solid wear layer, thicker overall |
| Comfort underfoot | Firm, real wood feel | Firm, identical real wood feel |
| Installed price | $8.99/sq ft installed | Typically $10–$14/sq ft installed |
| Best room | Main floor, on slab, open plan | Above-grade, wood subfloor, stable humidity |
Sweep or vacuum Palermo regularly — a soft-bristle attachment keeps grit from acting like sandpaper on the finish. For damp cleaning, use a well-wrung mop with a hardwood-specific cleaner such as Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner or LOBA Clean; avoid soaking the floor or letting water pool near seams. Skip steam mops entirely, as prolonged heat and moisture can push through the micro-beveled edges and loosen the plank core. Never use vinegar, ammonia-based products, or abrasive scrubbers — they strip polyurethane finishes faster than normal wear ever would. For technical guidance, see the National Wood Flooring Association consumer hardwood information.
Palermo should acclimate inside your home for at least 48–72 hours before installation. In Southwest Florida’s high ambient humidity, this step matters more than it does in drier climates — it lets the planks adjust to your home’s specific moisture conditions before the installer locks everything in place.
Yes, Palermo can be lightly refinished thanks to its 3 mm wear layer. That’s substantial enough to allow one or two careful sand-and-recoat cycles over the floor’s life. It won’t support the repeated deep sanding a solid hardwood might, but most homeowners never need more than a single refinish in a decade.
Palermo can be installed using float, glue, or nail-down methods, so going over existing tile or vinyl is often possible with a float install. The critical factor is whether the existing surface is flat enough — any high spots or loose tiles need to be addressed first. A site visit confirms whether your floor qualifies for overlay or needs to come up.
Flooring Queen installs Palermo throughout Southwest Florida, including Cape Coral and Naples, along with the surrounding communities we serve daily. If you’re unsure whether your address falls within our service area, a quick call or the online quote form will confirm coverage before you schedule anything.
Palermo’s engineered construction handles seasonal vacancy better than solid hardwood does. As long as your HVAC maintains a reasonably stable temperature and humidity — even a setback setting, not full off — the floor should cycle through the off-season without gapping or cupping. Leaving the AC off entirely in a SWFL home for months is hard on any wood product.
Palermo works well in living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and home offices — any main-floor, above-slab space with controlled humidity. Steer clear of full bathrooms and laundry rooms where standing water is a routine risk. Garages and outdoor spaces are out of scope for any engineered hardwood regardless of installation method.
Real hardwood in Florida needs an installer who’s worked through every season here. Our crew knows how to acclimate, fasten, and finish wood floors so they don’t gap in January or cup in August. Free written quote: (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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