Maui Engineered Hardwood starts at $8.99 per square foot installed in Fort Myers — a wirebrushed European White Oak floor with a natural tone that reads warm and honest without trying too hard. It’s part of LW Flooring’s Paradise Island collection, built around wide 10-1/4″ planks and a low-variation grain that holds together visually across large rooms.
At 5/8″ thick with a 4 mm wear layer, Maui is built for the kind of homes Fort Myers and Cape Coral are full of: concrete slab construction, salt-tinged air, and humidity that doesn’t quit. The three-installation-method flexibility — float, glue, or nail — means your installer can match the technique to your slab conditions rather than forcing a workaround.
The wirebrushed texture hides the fine scratches that come with beach sand tracked across a floor, and a lifetime residential warranty backs the finish. For seasonal owners who lock up a home for months at a time, the engineered core holds its shape better than solid wood through those humidity swings.
| Plank Width | 10-1/4″ |
|---|---|
| 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 Maui at $8.99 per square foot, and that price covers the full scope of a standard job: pulling up what’s there now, hauling it off the property, prepping the subfloor to normal tolerances, laying the planks, setting baseboards, and fitting transition strips at doorways.
Some conditions cost more — if your slab has significant low spots or humps requiring extensive leveling compound, or if the layout calls for stair nosing or a custom border pattern, those are quoted as line items. Call or book online for a free in-home measure; you’ll leave with a written price before any commitment is made.
Solid hardwood and Maui share the same European White Oak species, but the construction is fundamentally different. Solid planks are milled from a single piece of wood and will expand and contract noticeably with humidity — a real problem on South Florida slabs where moisture vapor comes up from below. Engineered hardwood like Maui bonds a real-wood veneer to a stable multi-ply core, cutting that seasonal movement significantly.
Where solid hardwood wins: it can be sanded and refinished more times over a long life, which matters if you plan to stay 30-plus years. Where Maui wins: it’s the safer choice over concrete, installs three ways, and the 4 mm wear layer still allows refinishing — just not as many cycles as a thick solid plank.
| Maui | Solid Hardwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Water resistance | Moisture-tolerant; not waterproof | Low; swells with moisture exposure |
| Scratch resistance / wear layer | 4 mm wear layer, poly/aluminum oxide | Varies; full thickness can be refinished |
| Comfort underfoot | Warm, solid wood feel | Warm, solid wood feel |
| Installed price | $8.99/sq ft | Typically $10–$14/sq ft installed |
| Best room | Living areas, bedrooms, over slab | Above-grade rooms, well-ventilated spaces |
Sweep or vacuum with a soft-bristle head daily — grit tracked in from outside is the main enemy of the aluminum oxide finish. For mopping, use a nearly dry microfiber mop with a hardwood-specific cleaner like Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner or a product recommended by LW Flooring; standing water on the surface can seep into seams and damage the core over time. Avoid steam mops entirely — the heat and moisture force their way past the finish. Never use vinegar, oil-based soaps, or wax polishes, which leave residue that clouds the polyurethane layer and makes future recoating harder. For technical guidance, see the National Wood Flooring Association consumer hardwood information.
Plan for at least 72 hours of acclimation inside your home before installation begins. Southwest Florida’s humidity is high year-round, and the planks need time to reach equilibrium with your indoor climate. Keep the HVAC running at your normal living temperature during that window so the wood stabilizes under real conditions, not construction-site conditions.
Yes, a 4 mm wear layer is thick enough to be sanded and refinished, typically one to two times depending on how aggressively the sanding is done. That gives Maui meaningful long-term value compared to thinner engineered products with 2 mm or 3 mm layers, which usually can’t be refinished at all without hitting the core.
Engineered hardwood is the right call over a concrete slab because solid wood moves too much with the moisture that naturally passes through concrete. Maui’s multi-ply core is far more dimensionally stable, which means less cupping, gapping, and buckling over time. In a Florida climate where humidity swings are constant, that stability difference is meaningful — not just a sales pitch.
Flooring Queen installs Maui throughout Southwest Florida, including Cape Coral, Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero, and the surrounding communities. If you’re unsure whether your address falls in our service area, just call — we cover most of the region and can confirm quickly.
The polyurethane finish on Maui resists surface moisture well for everyday spills, but this is not a waterproof floor. If standing water sits long enough to seep into seams or reach the core, it can cause swelling or delamination. Wipe up spills promptly, and don’t mop with a saturated mop. For rooms with frequent wet exposure, a waterproof LVP is the more appropriate choice.
Hardwood — engineered or solid — consistently polls as a preferred flooring material among homebuyers, and that holds true in Southwest Florida. It’s not a guaranteed return on investment, but real estate agents here commonly note that wood floors help a listing show better than carpet or older vinyl. The lifetime residential warranty is also a transferable selling point worth mentioning in a disclosure.
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
