Havana Engineered Hardwood starts at $8.99 per square foot installed in Fort Myers — a natural-toned oak-look floor from LW Flooring’s Riverstone collection. The 7-inch wide planks and embossed-in-register texture bring out the grain character you’d expect from real oak, without the maintenance headaches. Flooring Queen installs it across Southwest Florida for homeowners who want hardwood appeal grounded in practical construction.
Havana is built for the rooms you actually live in — open-plan main floors, dining areas, home offices, and bedrooms where real hardwood character matters. The click-lock construction and 5.5mm engineered profile make it compatible with the concrete slab foundations common throughout Southwest Florida, where solid hardwood tends to shift and cup over time.
Southwest Florida’s humidity swings can be hard on wood floors, but engineered construction handles seasonal movement better than solid planks. Coastal homes, snowbird properties, and full-time residences all benefit from a floor that isn’t trying to fight the climate.
| Plank Width | 7″ |
|---|---|
| Plank Length | 60″ |
| Thickness | 5.5mm |
| Wear Layer | 20 mil |
| Finish | Polyurethane |
| Species | Look |
Flooring Queen installs Havana at $8.99 per square foot, and that price covers the full scope of a standard job: delivery to your home, removal of your existing floor covering, subfloor preparation within normal tolerances, installation, new baseboards, and transition strips between rooms. Old flooring debris is taken away at the end of the project.
Costs outside the standard scope include heavy leveling work on significantly uneven slabs, stair nosing installations, and any custom layouts such as diagonal runs or feature borders. Call us or book a free in-home measure — we’ll put everything in writing before work begins.
The most common question shoppers have when considering Havana is whether to go with solid hardwood instead. Solid hardwood is a legitimate flooring option — it can be sanded and refinished many more times over its life, and some buyers find added resale value in it. But in Southwest Florida, solid hardwood over a concrete slab is a genuine gamble. Slabs don’t breathe the way wood subfloors do, and the combination of moisture vapor and humidity cycling causes cupping, gapping, and warping that voids most solid hardwood warranties.
Havana’s engineered construction is built specifically for this kind of environment. You get a real oak veneer on the surface — the look is identical — with a layered core underneath that resists the movement solid wood can’t. It’s the practical choice for SWFL slab homes, not a compromise.
| Havana | Solid Hardwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Water resistance | Engineered core resists moisture vapor | Vulnerable to moisture; voids warranty over slab |
| Scratch resistance / wear layer | 20 mil polyurethane wear layer | Varies; depends on finish thickness and species |
| Comfort underfoot | Warm, natural wood feel | Warm, natural wood feel |
| Installed price | $8.99/sq ft installed | Typically $10–$14/sq ft installed |
| Best room | Main floors, bedrooms, living areas over slab | Above-grade rooms with wood subfloor |
Sweep or vacuum with a soft-brush attachment regularly — grit left on hardwood floors causes surface scratches over time. For mopping, use a barely damp mop and a hardwood-specific cleaner such as Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner; avoid saturating the planks or letting water pool near seams and edges. Stay away from steam mops, which can push moisture into the wear layer and damage the finish. Avoid harsh or acidic cleaners — pH-neutral products formulated for polyurethane-finished hardwood are the right call. Felt pads under furniture legs go a long way toward keeping the surface looking new. For technical guidance, see the National Wood Flooring Association consumer hardwood information.
Yes, Havana should acclimate inside your home for at least 48–72 hours before installation. In Southwest Florida’s humidity, this step matters more than in drier climates. Boxes should be stored flat in the room where the floor will be installed, with your HVAC running at normal living conditions throughout the acclimation period.
Havana can be lightly refinished, though the number of times is limited by its 5.5mm total thickness and the engineered construction. As a general rule, engineered planks at this profile can typically handle one careful sand-and-refinish, depending on how much material remains above the core. A professional assessment is recommended before any refinishing work is scheduled.
Engineered hardwood has a real wood veneer bonded over a layered core, while solid hardwood is one piece of wood all the way through. In Florida, that distinction matters because solid hardwood expands and contracts with humidity changes in ways that cause cupping and gapping over concrete slabs — the most common foundation type in Southwest Florida. Engineered construction resists that movement significantly better.
A single room typically takes one day to install; a whole-home project covering 1,000–1,500 square feet generally runs two to three days. Havana’s click-lock system keeps the installation straightforward, though room count, furniture moving, and any subfloor work needed can add time. Your written quote will include a project timeline specific to your home.
Surface spills wiped up promptly won’t damage Havana, but standing water is a risk for any wood-based product. The polyurethane finish resists moisture at the surface level, but prolonged exposure allows water to work into seams and reach the wood veneer or core. This is not a waterproof floor — treat it as water-resistant with responsible cleanup habits.
Engineered hardwood handles seasonal vacancy better than solid wood, but the key is keeping your HVAC running at a stable setting while you’re away — typically 75–78°F with humidity around 45–55%. Wide temperature and humidity swings in an uncontrolled home cause movement in any wood product. A programmable thermostat set to a steady range protects the floor year-round.
When you invest in hardwood, the install matters as much as the wood. Flooring Queen is licensed, insured, and family-run from a single Fort Myers showroom — no franchise, no national-chain shuffle. 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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