Bradbury Hickory Engineered Hardwood starts at $8.99 per square foot installed in Fort Myers — a naturally worn brown hickory floor from Hallmark Floors’ Novella Collection. The light sculpted texture and microbevel edges give each plank a handcrafted character without the fuss of a truly rustic floor. It’s a versatile choice that reads warm and grounded in nearly any room.
Hickory is one of the harder domestic wood species, and the Novella Collection’s engineered construction makes it a practical fit for Southwest Florida homes built on concrete slab. The multi-layer core resists the expansion and contraction that solid hardwood undergoes when humidity swings — and in Fort Myers, it swings plenty. That stability matters most in open-plan living areas, dining rooms, and master bedrooms where solid wood tends to gap or cup over time.
The TrueMark Glaze Tek finish adds a layer of surface protection that holds up against sandy foot traffic and the kind of daily wear that comes with coastal living, seasonal rentals, or households where the back door gets a workout.
| Construction | Engineered Hardwood |
|---|---|
| Plank Width | 6″ (152.4mm) |
| Plank Length | Up to 6’2″ RL (1879.6mm) |
| Thickness | 7/16th” nominal (10.5mm overall thickness; 1.5mm wear layer) |
| Edges | MicroBevel |
| Finish | TrueMark Glaze Tek |
| Species | Hickory |
| Warranty | Limited Lifetime Structural & Residential Finish + 5 years Commercial Finish (Red Oak & Hickory) OR 3 years Commercial Finish (Oak) & 10 years Commercial Structural |
Flooring Queen installs Bradbury Hickory at $8.99 per square foot, and that price covers the full scope of a standard job: delivery to your home, removal of your old flooring, floor prep for a reasonably level surface, installation, and new baseboards and transition strips. Once the work is done, we haul off the old material and leave the space clean.
Some situations carry an upcharge — significant subfloor leveling, stair nosing, intricate herringbone or diagonal patterns, or custom inlay borders. Every project starts with a free in-home measurement and a written, itemized quote so you know the number before any work begins.
Bradbury Hickory is engineered, meaning a real hickory wear layer sits over a dimensionally stable plywood core. Solid hardwood is milled from a single piece of wood all the way through — there’s nothing synthetic about it, and that appeals to buyers who want the most authentic product possible. But solid hardwood moves with moisture. On a Florida slab, that movement can mean cupping, gapping, or crowning as the seasons shift humidity levels indoors and out.
Engineered hardwood gives up very little visually — the surface is genuine hickory either way. Where it falls short is refinishing: solid hardwood can be sanded down many more times over decades. Engineered hardwood offers limited refinishing potential depending on wear-layer thickness. For most Southwest Florida homes on slab, engineered is simply the more stable long-term choice.
| Bradbury Hickory | Solid Hardwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Water resistance | Better; stable core resists moisture movement | Poor on slab; cups and gaps in humidity |
| Scratch resistance / wear layer | 1.5mm real hickory wear layer + finish | Full-depth hardwood; varies by finish |
| Comfort underfoot | Warm, solid feel | Warm, solid feel |
| Installed price | $8.99/sq ft installed | Typically $10–$15+/sq ft installed |
| Best room | Living areas, bedrooms, over slab | Above-grade rooms with wood subfloor |
Sweep or dust-mop Bradbury Hickory regularly to keep sand and grit from working into the finish — in Southwest Florida, that fine coastal sand is the number-one culprit for surface scratches. For wet cleaning, use one of the approved cleaners: WOCA Hardwood Floor Cleaner, Bona Pro Series Hardwood Floor Cleaner, or LOBA Universal Floor Cleaner. Avoid steam mops entirely — the heat and moisture can penetrate the wear layer and damage the core. Never use vinegar, ammonia-based products, or anything acidic, as these strip the TrueMark Glaze Tek finish over time and leave the wood vulnerable. For technical guidance, see the National Wood Flooring Association consumer hardwood information.
Yes — Bradbury Hickory should acclimate inside your home for at least 48 to 72 hours before installation. In Southwest Florida, where indoor humidity can run high even with AC, proper acclimation lets the planks stabilize to your specific environment and reduces the risk of gapping or buckling after install.
Bradbury Hickory has a 1.5mm real hickory wear layer, which allows for light refinishing — typically one, possibly two careful passes depending on how much material each sanding removes. It’s not as refinish-friendly as a thick solid hardwood floor, so protecting the finish with proper cleaning habits extends the time between any refinishing work.
Engineered hardwood bonds a genuine hardwood surface over a stable plywood core, while solid hardwood is one solid piece of wood throughout. On Florida’s concrete slab foundations, solid hardwood is prone to cupping and gapping as humidity shifts seasonally. Engineered construction resists that movement, making it the practical choice for most Southwest Florida homes.
Ongoing care costs are modest. A bottle of an approved cleaner — Bona, WOCA, or LOBA — runs $15 to $30 and lasts for months of regular use. No sealing or waxing is required. If the finish eventually dulls from heavy traffic, a professional screen-and-recoat is less expensive than a full refinish and can restore the surface.
In most cases, existing tile should be removed before installing engineered hardwood, because tile height and any loose or uneven pieces create subfloor prep challenges. Our team assesses the condition of your current floor during the in-home measurement — if removal is needed, that work is included in the standard installed price.
Bradbury Hickory is a strong fit for living rooms, dining rooms, hallways, and bedrooms — especially above-grade or on slab with good moisture control. Avoid installing it in wet areas like bathrooms or laundry rooms, and use caution in below-grade spaces where ground moisture may be present, as even engineered hardwood has limits.
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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