Alimia Engineered Hardwood starts at $8.99/sq ft installed in Fort Myers — a wide-plank European White Oak from LW Flooring’s Paradise Island collection finished in a natural tone with a wirebrushed texture that reads warm and relaxed rather than formal.
At 10-1/4″ wide and 5/8″ thick with a 4 mm wear layer, Alimia is built for the way Southwest Florida homes are actually constructed. The three installation options — float, glue, or nail — make it well-suited for concrete slab foundations common in the region, where a glue-down method keeps wide planks stable through seasonal humidity swings.
The polyurethane finish with aluminum oxide adds real surface hardness for busy households. It handles foot traffic, pet movement, and sandy floors that come with coastal living. The medium variation in the wood grain keeps the floor from looking monotonous across large open-plan spaces, and the micro-beveled edge gives each plank a clean, defined look.
| Plank Width | 10-1/4″ |
|---|---|
| Plank Length | 86-5/8″ Random Length |
| Thickness | 5/8″ |
| Wear Layer | 4 mm |
| Finish | Polyurethane with Aluminum Oxide |
| Species | European White Oak |
Flooring Queen installs Alimia at $8.99 per square foot, covering material, labor, delivery to your home, removal of your existing floor covering, standard subfloor preparation, baseboards, and transition strips. Debris is cleared from the job site before the crew leaves.
Certain work falls outside that flat rate: significant subfloor leveling, stair nosing, intricate inlays or custom borders, and unusually complex room configurations. The best way to get a locked-in number is to schedule a free in-home measurement — we measure the space, note any prep concerns, and hand you a written quote before any work begins.
Alimia is engineered hardwood, which means it has a real European White Oak face bonded to a layered core. That construction gives it meaningful dimensional stability compared to solid hardwood — important in Southwest Florida, where high humidity and concrete slabs can cause solid wood to expand, cup, or gap over time. Solid hardwood can be refinished more times over its life, but Alimia’s 4 mm wear layer is thick enough to support at least one or two refinishes, which is more than most homeowners ever need.
Where solid hardwood has the edge: maximum refinishing potential and a slightly more traditional character in formal settings. Where Alimia wins: slab-safe glue-down installation, better moisture tolerance, and comparable visual depth at the same installed price range.
| Alimia | Solid Hardwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Water resistance | Better — stable on slabs with humidity | Poor — cups and gaps in high humidity |
| Scratch resistance / wear layer | 4 mm oak wear layer, aluminum oxide finish | Full-thickness wood, no separate wear layer |
| Comfort underfoot | Warm, solid feel | Warm, solid feel |
| Installed price | $8.99/sq ft installed | Typically $10–$14/sq ft installed |
| Best room | Main living areas, bedrooms, on-slab installs | Above-grade rooms with wood subfloors only |
Sweep or vacuum on a hard-floor setting daily — avoid a rotating beater bar, which can scratch the wirebrushed oak surface over time. For damp mopping, use a hardwood-specific cleaner like Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner or a product recommended by LW Flooring; avoid steam mops, vinegar-based cleaners, or anything with harsh solvents, as these degrade the polyurethane finish. Because Alimia has a 4 mm wear layer, light sanding and refinishing is an option down the road if the surface shows significant wear — consult a professional before proceeding. For technical guidance, see the National Wood Flooring Association consumer hardwood information.
Yes — Alimia should acclimate in your home for at least 48 to 72 hours before installation, and in Southwest Florida’s humidity that step matters more than in dryer climates. Leave the boxes in the room where the floor will be installed, with the HVAC running at normal occupancy settings, so the planks adjust to your home’s actual conditions.
Alimia’s 4 mm European White Oak wear layer is thick enough to support at least one full sand-and-refinish, and possibly a second light refinish depending on how much material is removed the first time. That’s more than enough for most homeowners over a 20–30 year ownership period. Have a flooring professional assess the surface before any sanding begins.
It depends on the installation method and the condition of what’s already down. Alimia supports float, glue, or nail installation — a float installation may go over a sound existing surface, but glue-down on a slab requires a clean, flat substrate. Our crew evaluates the existing floor during the measure appointment and tells you exactly what prep is needed.
Alimia is well-suited for main living areas, dining rooms, hallways, and bedrooms — anywhere you want the warmth of real oak. It is not recommended for full bathrooms or laundry rooms where standing water is routine. The float and glue-down options make it practical on concrete slab construction, which covers most Fort Myers homes.
A single room typically wraps in one day. A whole-home installation of 1,000–1,500 square feet generally runs two to three days, accounting for acclimation time, any subfloor prep, and the wider 10-1/4″ plank format, which requires careful layout planning. We map out the project schedule during the measure visit so you know exactly what to expect before we start.
Day-to-day care requires nothing more than a hardwood-specific cleaner — a bottle of Bona or a comparable product runs $10–$15 and lasts months. No resealing schedule, no annual treatments. If the finish dulls significantly over many years, a professional screen-and-recoat (not a full sand) can refresh it for a few hundred dollars without removing the wear layer.
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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