Casita Hickory Engineered Hardwood starts at $8.99 per square foot installed in Fort Myers — a dark-brown hickory floor from Hallmark Floors’ Monterey Collection, wire-brushed and light-sculpted to read like a century-old European farmhouse plank. Available in 4″, 6″, and 8″ widths, it brings genuine wood character without the dimensional instability that makes solid hickory a poor bet in Southwest Florida’s humidity.
Hickory is one of the hardest domestic wood species, and the wire-brushed, light-sculpted surface on this floor hides the small scuffs and dust that come with everyday life in a busy household. The engineered construction — a 2mm wear layer over a stable multi-ply core — is designed to move with seasonal humidity swings rather than fight them, making it a practical choice for homes built on concrete slabs.
That same dimensional stability matters along the Gulf Coast, where salt air and afternoon downpours push interior humidity higher than the national average. It works well in main living areas, dining rooms, bedrooms, and open-plan spaces where you want real wood underfoot without constant worry about cupping or gapping.
| Construction | Engineered Hardwood |
|---|---|
| Plank Width | 4″, 6″ & 8″ (101.6mm, 152.4mm, 203.2mm) |
| Plank Length | Up to 6′ RL (1828.8mm) |
| Thickness | 1/2″ (2mm wear layer) |
| Edges | MicroBevel |
| Finish | TrueMark Glaze Tek |
| Species | Hickory |
| Warranty | Limited Lifetime Structural & Residential Finish + 5 years Commercial Finish and 10 years Commercial Structural |
Flooring Queen installs Casita Hickory at $8.99 per square foot throughout Southwest Florida. That price covers delivery to the job site, removal and disposal of your existing floor covering, standard subfloor preparation, the full installation, baseboard reinstallation, and transition strips between rooms.
Some projects carry upcharges: significant subfloor leveling beyond routine prep, stair nosing, herringbone or diagonal layouts, and custom inlays or borders all add to the base price. The square footage estimate, any known subfloor concerns, and the final written quote are all worked out at the free in-home measurement — no surprises on invoice day.
Casita Hickory is engineered hardwood, not solid, and that distinction matters more in Southwest Florida than in most parts of the country. Solid hickory boards — typically ¾” thick — expand and contract with humidity in ways that can cause cupping, crowning, or gapping when installed over a concrete slab or in a coastal home. Engineered construction keeps the real hickory surface while using a cross-ply core that resists that movement.
Solid hardwood has one clear advantage: thicker wear layers allow more refinishing cycles over a long lifetime. If your home is climate-controlled year-round and sits on a wood-frame subfloor, solid is a reasonable option. On a slab, or in a home with seasonal vacancy, engineered is the more reliable choice.
| Casita Hickory | Solid Hardwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Water resistance | Moisture-resistant core, not waterproof | Low — expands with humidity, no core protection |
| Scratch resistance / wear layer | 2mm wear layer, wire-brushed hides marks | Thicker wear layer, more refinish passes possible |
| Comfort underfoot | Real wood feel, natural warmth | Real wood feel, slightly more solid feedback |
| Installed price | $8.99 / sq ft installed | Typically $10–$14 / sq ft installed |
| Best room | Main living areas over slab or seasonal homes | Dry rooms on wood-frame subfloor, stable climate |
Sweep or vacuum weekly — use a hard-floor setting without a beater bar to protect the wire-brushed surface. For damp cleaning, Hallmark specifies WOCA Hardwood Floor Cleaner, Bona Pro Series Hardwood Floor Cleaner, or LOBA Universal Floor Cleaner; all three are pH-balanced for finished wood and safe on the TrueMark Glaze Tek finish. Avoid steam mops entirely — sustained heat and moisture can raise wood grain and compromise the finish over time. Never use ammonia-based or acidic household cleaners, and wipe up standing water promptly rather than letting it pool at seams. For technical guidance, see the National Wood Flooring Association consumer hardwood information.
Engineered hardwood should acclimate in the installation space for at least 72 hours before work begins. In Southwest Florida’s humidity, that window lets the planks stabilize to your home’s actual moisture conditions. Store cartons flat, off the slab, with HVAC running at normal occupancy levels — not on a bare concrete floor in a vacant house.
A 2mm wear layer can support one light screen-and-recoat refinishing, though it does not allow the deeper sanding passes that a thicker solid-wood floor would. If the surface finish dulls over many years, a professional screen-and-recoat can refresh the appearance — just don’t expect multiple full sandings the way you might with ¾” solid hickory.
Engineered hardwood handles seasonal vacancy better than solid wood, but it still needs a stable indoor climate to stay flat. Keep your HVAC or a dehumidifier running to hold interior humidity between roughly 35–55% while you’re away. Extended periods of uncontrolled heat and humidity can cause even engineered boards to cup or gap at the seams.
Casita Hickory is moisture-resistant at the surface but is not a waterproof floor — standing water that sits at seams or edges will eventually work into the core and cause damage. Wipe up spills promptly and use a lightly dampened mop rather than a wet one. It is not a suitable choice for bathrooms or laundry rooms where water pooling is likely.
Engineered hardwood is the standard recommendation over concrete slabs in Southwest Florida because its cross-ply core resists the expansion and contraction that solid boards go through with humidity changes. Solid hardwood glued or nailed directly to a slab in a coastal climate is at real risk of cupping, especially in homes that sit unoccupied part of the year.
Day-to-day maintenance costs are low: a bottle of an approved cleaner like Bona Pro Series or WOCA runs roughly $15–$25 and lasts several months of routine use. No annual resealing or professional servicing is required under normal residential conditions. The main longer-term cost to budget for is an eventual screen-and-recoat, which a flooring professional typically charges by the square foot.
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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