Hawea Engineered Hardwood starts at $8.99 per square foot installed in Fort Myers — a wide-plank European White Oak floor in a warm walnut tone, wirebrushed for natural texture. From LW Flooring’s Paradise Island collection, it pairs the dimensional look of real hardwood with the structural stability that Southwest Florida homes actually need.
The 5/8″ thickness and 4 mm wear layer give Hawea real durability under daily foot traffic — kids, pets, furniture. The three installation methods (float, glue, nail) make it practical over the concrete slab foundations common throughout Lee and Collier counties, where solid hardwood would be a risky choice.
The high color variation in this walnut tone is a practical advantage in coastal homes: natural character and tonal shifts help hide fine scratches and the sandy grit that comes with Fort Myers living. It holds up well in seasonally occupied homes and light-commercial settings under its 5-year commercial warranty.
| Plank Width | 10-1/9″ |
|---|---|
| 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 Hawea at $8.99 per square foot, and that price covers more than just the boards going down. It includes removal of your existing floor covering, standard subfloor prep work, full installation, new baseboards, transition strips between rooms, and cleanup and disposal of the old material.
Some situations carry additional cost: significant subfloor leveling beyond routine prep, stair nosing on staircases, decorative inlays, or custom border work. Call us or schedule a free in-home measure — we’ll walk the space, confirm what prep is needed, and hand you a written quote before any work begins.
Shoppers drawn to the look of Hawea often ask whether they should just buy solid hardwood instead. The honest answer depends on your subfloor and your tolerance for movement. Solid hardwood cannot be glued or floated directly over a concrete slab — which rules it out for most Fort Myers homes built on slab foundations. Engineered hardwood like Hawea uses a multi-ply core that resists the expansion and contraction that humidity causes, making it far more stable in Southwest Florida’s climate.
Where solid hardwood has an edge: a thick solid board can be sanded and refinished more times over its life. Hawea’s 4 mm wear layer does allow refinishing, but not as many passes as a 3/4″ solid board. If you’re on slab, engineered is the practical choice here.
| Hawea | Solid Hardwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Water resistance | Surface-resistant; not waterproof core | No water resistance; warps on slab |
| Scratch resistance / wear layer | 4 mm wear layer, wirebrushed finish | Thicker wear; more refinish passes |
| Comfort underfoot | Warm, solid wood feel | Identical wood feel underfoot |
| Installed price | $8.99 / sq ft installed | Typically $10–$14 / sq ft installed |
| Best room | On-grade slab; living, dining, bedroom | Above-grade wood subfloor only |
Sweep or vacuum with a soft-bristle attachment regularly — fine sand and grit act like sandpaper on a wirebrushed finish over time. For damp mopping, use a hardwood-specific cleaner such as Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner or WOCA Wood Floor Cleaner; avoid anything acidic, wax-based, or oil-soap formulas, which can cloud the polyurethane-aluminum-oxide finish. Never use a steam mop — the heat and moisture will work into the seams and stress the wear layer. Wipe up standing water or spills promptly; while the finish offers surface protection, the wood core is not waterproof. For technical guidance, see the National Wood Flooring Association consumer hardwood information.
Engineered hardwood from LW Flooring’s Paradise Island collection should acclimate in the installation space for at least 48 to 72 hours before install. In Southwest Florida’s humidity, longer is better — keep the home’s HVAC running at normal living conditions during that window so the boards stabilize to the actual environment they’ll live in.
Yes, Hawea can be refinished — the 4 mm wear layer is thick enough to allow light sanding. In practical terms, a careful refinish typically removes around 1 mm, so you can expect two to three refinishes over the floor’s life before you’d approach the wear layer limit. Professional refinishing is recommended to avoid sanding through.
A single room generally takes one day once the floor has acclimated; a whole home usually runs two to four days depending on square footage, room count, and how much subfloor work is needed. The 10-1/9″ wide planks and multiple install methods (float, glue, nail) give our crew flexibility to keep the schedule moving.
It depends on the height and condition of the existing surface, not just the material type. Hawea can be floated, glued, or nailed, which gives options — but any loose, cracked, or uneven substrate needs to be corrected first. We measure the height differential during the site visit and will tell you upfront whether the old floor needs to come up.
Hawea is not a waterproof floor. The polyurethane-aluminum-oxide finish resists surface moisture and ordinary spills when wiped up promptly, but the European White Oak core will absorb standing water over time and can swell or warp. It’s appropriate for kitchens and dining rooms with normal spill exposure — not bathrooms or laundry rooms where water sits.
Hawea works well in living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and home offices — on-grade slab or above — because all three install methods are available. Avoid wet rooms like bathrooms, laundry rooms, and enclosed lanais with moisture exposure. It’s also rated for light commercial use under a 5-year warranty, so a home office or boutique retail space is a reasonable fit.
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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