Java Engineered Hardwood starts at $8.99 per square foot installed in Fort Myers — a handscraped American Hickory floor in a rich walnut tone from LW Flooring’s Traditions collection. The hand-distressed surface texture reads as genuinely aged wood, not a printed pattern. Medium color variation across the 5-inch planks keeps the floor interesting without looking busy.
Java is built for the rooms that get used hard — main living areas, dining rooms, home offices, and open-plan spaces where real wood character matters. The 3/8-inch engineered construction, designed for glue-down or nail installation, makes it well-suited to the concrete slab foundations common across Southwest Florida. Where solid hardwood can cup and gap in high-humidity coastal air, the cross-ply core in engineered wood holds its shape through the wet season.
The aluminum oxide-reinforced polyurethane finish stands up to the sandy grit that gets tracked in from the beach and lanai. With a lifetime residential warranty and a 5-year light commercial rating, it also holds up well in rental properties and seasonal homes that see a lot of guest turnover.
| Plank Width | 5″ |
|---|---|
| Plank Length | 47-1/4″ Random Length |
| Thickness | 3/8″ |
| Wear Layer | 1.2 mm |
| Finish | Polyurethane with Aluminum Oxide |
| Species | American Hickory |
At $8.99 per square foot installed, Java is priced to include the full scope of a standard job: delivery to your home, removal of the old flooring, a standard floor prep pass, the installation itself, baseboards, and transition strips between rooms. When the job is done, we remove all job-site debris.
Some situations add cost — significant subfloor leveling, stair nosing, herringbone or custom pattern layouts, and decorative borders are each quoted separately. The best way to get a firm number is to schedule a free in-home measure. One of our estimators will assess the space and hand you a written quote before any work is scheduled.
Java and solid hardwood are both real wood floors, but they’re built differently, and that difference matters in Southwest Florida. Solid hardwood is milled from a single piece of wood, which means it reacts more dramatically to humidity swings — expanding in rainy season, shrinking in dry winter months. On a concrete slab, solid hardwood can’t be nailed down the conventional way and must be glued, which still leaves it vulnerable to moisture migrating up from the slab. Engineered construction handles that movement better.
Where solid hardwood wins: it typically has a thicker wear layer and can be sanded and refinished more times over its life. Java’s 1.2 mm wear layer allows light refinishing, but you get fewer passes than you would with a 3/4-inch solid board. Both are real American Hickory; the construction just differs.
| Java | Solid Hardwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Water resistance | Moderate — slab-stable engineered core | Lower — solid wood moves with humidity |
| Scratch resistance / wear layer | 1.2 mm aluminum oxide finish | Thicker layer; more refinish passes |
| Comfort underfoot | Warm, real wood feel | Warm, real wood feel |
| Installed price | $8.99 / sq ft installed | Typically higher, varies by species |
| Best room | Living areas, slab-on-grade homes | Raised wood subfloor applications |
Sweep or dry-mop Java regularly — fine quartz sand from Southwest Florida yards is abrasive and will dull the finish over time if left on the surface. For routine cleaning, use a hardwood-specific cleaner such as Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner or WOCA Wood Floor Cleaner applied with a damp (not wet) mop. Avoid steam mops entirely; the concentrated heat and moisture can push past the finish and into the wood core. Never use oil soaps, wax-based products, or acidic household cleaners, as these leave residue that clouds the polyurethane finish and can void the warranty. For technical guidance, see the National Wood Flooring Association consumer hardwood information.
Engineered hardwood should acclimate in the installation space for at least 48 to 72 hours before going down. In Southwest Florida, where indoor humidity can climb quickly during rainy season, giving the planks time to stabilize to your home’s actual conditions helps prevent gapping or movement after installation. Keep the HVAC running at normal living temperatures during acclimation.
Yes, Java can be lightly refinished — the 1.2 mm wear layer supports one, possibly two, careful screen-and-recoat passes by a professional. That’s less refinishing life than a thick solid board, so it’s worth protecting the finish with felt pads on furniture and consistent cleaning rather than relying on refinishing as a frequent fix.
Engineered hardwood is the right call for most Southwest Florida homes because the cross-ply core resists the expansion and contraction that humidity swings cause in solid wood. The bigger factor is the slab foundation — nearly every home in the region is built on concrete, and engineered construction handles the glue-down installation required on slab far better than solid hardwood does over the long term.
It depends on the condition and height of the existing surface. Java installs via glue-down or nail methods, so a firmly bonded, flat tile floor can sometimes stay in place — but any loose tiles, height transitions at doorways, or uneven areas need to be addressed first. Our estimator will check all of that during the measure and tell you exactly what prep the subfloor requires before pricing the job.
Flooring Queen installs Java throughout the region, including Cape Coral, Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero, Lehigh Acres, and the greater Fort Myers area. If you’re not sure whether your address falls within our service zone, call the showroom or request a measure online — we cover most of Lee and Collier counties and can confirm availability when you reach out.
LW Flooring backs Java with a lifetime residential warranty and a 5-year light commercial warranty. The residential coverage is manufacturer-level protection against defects in the finish and construction under normal living conditions. Warranty terms typically require that the floor be installed and maintained per LW Flooring’s guidelines, so keep your installation records and follow the recommended care instructions.
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.
Continue exploring:
Considering a different material?
Reviewed by Jack Maya, Lead Installer at Flooring Queen — 20+ years installing flooring in Southwest Florida.
Let’s Discuss Your Flooring Project Today
