Anise Engineered Hardwood starts at $8.99 per square foot installed in Fort Myers — a warm beige oak-look floor from LW Flooring’s Riverside collection. Its wide 9-inch planks and embossed-in-register texture give it the character of real oak grain without the fragility of solid wood. If you want a floor that reads as natural and lived-in, Anise is a straightforward choice.
Anise is built for the rooms that take the most punishment: open-plan living areas, busy kitchens, and family rooms where foot traffic, pet claws, and dropped items are daily realities. The 7.8mm construction and 20 mil wear layer give it real durability, not just surface protection.
Southwest Florida’s high humidity and concrete slab foundations make engineered hardwood a smarter call than solid wood. Anise’s 5G locking system floats cleanly over slab, handles the moisture fluctuations coastal homes see year-round, and holds up well in seasonal or rental properties where maintenance between tenants needs to stay simple.
| Plank Width | 9” |
|---|---|
| Plank Length | 59” |
| Thickness | 7.8mm |
| Wear Layer | 20 mil |
| Finish | Polyurethane |
| Species | Look |
Flooring Queen installs Anise at $8.99 per square foot, and that price covers the full scope of a standard job: delivery to your home, removal of the existing floor covering, routine subfloor cleaning and prep, the installation itself, baseboard reinstallation, transition strips between rooms, and debris removal when the crew leaves.
Some situations cost more — significant subfloor leveling, stair nosing, or diagonal and herringbone layouts all carry an upcharge and will be itemized before any work begins. Call or book online for a no-cost in-home measurement; you’ll receive a written quote with a fixed installed price before you commit.
Solid hardwood and Anise share the same oak look and similar warmth underfoot, but they respond to moisture very differently. Solid planks expand and contract with humidity swings, which makes them a poor fit for Florida’s coastal air and concrete slab floors — gapping, cupping, and squeaking are common complaints. Anise’s engineered construction — real wood layers bonded in opposing grain directions — resists those movements.
Where solid hardwood wins: it can be sanded and refinished more times over its lifetime, so a well-maintained solid floor can outlast an engineered one by decades. Anise’s 20 mil wear layer does allow light refinishing, but it isn’t unlimited. For most Fort Myers homeowners on slab, engineered is the practical call; solid hardwood makes more sense on wood subfloors in climate-controlled homes.
| Anise | Solid Hardwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Water resistance | Moisture-resistant surface; not waterproof | Susceptible to moisture; warps on slab |
| Scratch resistance / wear layer | 20 mil polyurethane finish | Varies; thicker stock allows deeper sanding |
| Comfort underfoot | Warm, real wood feel | Warm, real wood feel |
| Installed price | $8.99/sq ft installed | Typically $10–$14/sq ft installed |
| Best room | Living areas, bedrooms, slab installs | Bedrooms, wood subfloors, dry climates |
Sweep or dry-mop Anise regularly to keep sand and grit from grinding into the polyurethane finish — this is the number one cause of premature wear in Southwest Florida homes where sandy shoes are the norm. For damp cleaning, use a well-wrung mop and a hardwood-safe cleaner such as Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner; avoid anything acidic, oil-based, or ammonia-heavy. Never use a steam mop — sustained heat and moisture will work into the seams over time and can compromise the locking system. Wipe up standing spills immediately rather than letting them sit. For technical guidance, see the National Wood Flooring Association consumer hardwood information.
Yes — LW Flooring recommends acclimating Anise in the installation space for at least 48 to 72 hours before the crew begins work. Southwest Florida’s humidity levels are higher than most production warehouses, so giving the planks time to adjust prevents minor dimensional changes after the floor is locked in place.
Anise can be lightly refinished, though not as many times as a thick solid hardwood plank. The 20 mil wear layer is substantial enough to allow one careful light sanding if the surface develops scratches or dullness over time — beyond that, you’re into the wood core, and refinishing is no longer an option.
Flooring Queen installs Anise throughout the Fort Myers area and surrounding communities, including Cape Coral and Naples. If you’re outside the immediate metro — Bonita Springs, Estero, or further out — call the showroom and we can confirm your address is on a current install route.
The polyurethane finish on Anise resists surface moisture well, but this is not a waterproof floor — the core is wood-based, not rigid vinyl. A quick spill wiped up within minutes is not a problem; water that sits in seams or pools near a dishwasher or pet station for an extended period can cause swelling at the joints.
Engineered hardwood is the standard recommendation for Southwest Florida because most homes here sit on concrete slab, and solid hardwood is not a stable choice directly over slab. Engineered planks are built with cross-directional wood layers that resist the expansion and contraction that humidity swings cause — Anise’s 5G floating system works especially well in this environment.
A single room typically runs one day; a full home of 1,200 to 1,800 square feet generally takes two to three days depending on layout complexity and any subfloor work needed. Anise’s 5G locking system installs efficiently, which helps keep multi-room projects on schedule. Your written quote will include a projected timeline specific to your floor plan.
Engineered hardwood is the only wood we recommend over SWFL slabs, and we install it every week. Our team handles substrate moisture testing, layout, install, and trim from one source. Written installed 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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