Oahu Engineered Hardwood starts at $8.99/sq ft installed in Fort Myers — a wide-plank European White Oak floor with a wirebrushed natural finish that reads clean and grounded without feeling forced. Part of LW Flooring’s Paradise Island collection, it runs 10-1/4 inches wide with low color variation, so the grain stays consistent room to room.
At 5/8″ thick with a 4 mm European White Oak wear layer, Oahu is built for the demands of a Florida home. The wide planks float or glue directly to a concrete slab — the two most common subfloor scenarios in Southwest Florida — and the micro-beveled edge hides the minor movement that humidity cycles cause season to season.
The lifetime residential warranty backs it for primary residences, while the wirebrushed finish adds texture that hides the fine scratches and salt-air grit that come with coastal living. It holds up in snowbird homes that sit closed through summer and in active households that track sand in from the beach.
| 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 Oahu at $8.99 per square foot, a price that covers material, delivery to your home, removal of your current floor covering, standard subfloor prep, installation, baseboard reattachment, and transition strips between rooms. Old flooring goes out with our crew — nothing left for you to deal with.
A few situations add cost: significant slab leveling beyond minor spot repairs, stair nosing pieces, or diagonal and herringbone layout patterns that increase cut waste and labor time. The best first step is a free in-home measure, after which we provide a written, room-by-room quote with no obligation.
Shoppers who want real oak sometimes debate between engineered and solid hardwood. Solid hardwood is thicker and can be sanded more times over a long lifespan, which is its real advantage. But in Southwest Florida, solid hardwood is a risky choice: it expands and contracts significantly with humidity swings, and it cannot be glued or floated over concrete slab — which rules it out for most homes in the region.
Oahu’s engineered construction keeps a genuine 4 mm oak wear layer on top, so it looks and feels like real hardwood underfoot. It installs three ways (float, glue, nail), handles slab subfloors without issue, and carries a lifetime residential warranty. For Florida conditions, the trade-offs strongly favor engineered.
| Oahu | Solid Hardwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Water resistance | Surface-tolerant; not waterproof core | Swells with moisture; not slab-safe |
| Scratch resistance / wear layer | 4 mm oak + aluminum oxide finish | Thicker sawn layer; no factory coating edge |
| Comfort underfoot | Warm, real wood feel | Warm, real wood feel |
| Installed price | $8.99/sq ft installed | $10–$14/sq ft installed, typical |
| Best room | Living areas, bedrooms, slab installs | Above-grade rooms, wood subfloor only |
Sweep or vacuum with a soft-bristle attachment two to three times a week — fine sand and grit are the fastest way to dull a wirebrushed oak finish. Damp-mop with a hardwood-specific cleaner like Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner or a comparable pH-neutral formula; avoid wet mopping or leaving standing water near seams. Do not use steam mops, wax-based products, or oil soaps, as these can cloud the polyurethane-aluminum oxide finish or cause adhesion problems if the floor ever needs recoating. Wipe up spills promptly. For technical guidance, see the National Wood Flooring Association consumer hardwood information.
Engineered hardwood should acclimate in the installation space for at least 48–72 hours before install. In Southwest Florida, where indoor humidity can swing between air-conditioned 50% RH and the high-humidity shoulder seasons, giving the planks time to stabilize prevents gapping or buckling after the floor goes down.
Yes — the 4 mm European White Oak wear layer is thick enough to be sanded and refinished, typically two to three times over the floor’s life depending on how much material each pass removes. That’s a meaningful advantage over thinner engineered products with 2 mm or 3 mm veneers, which generally allow only one light screen-and-recoat.
A single room usually takes one day once acclimation is complete. A whole-home project — 1,500 to 2,000 square feet — typically runs three to five days depending on subfloor conditions and layout complexity. Oahu can be floated, glued, or nailed, so the method chosen and any slab prep work affect the schedule.
Oahu’s polyurethane-aluminum oxide finish resists surface moisture, but it does not have a waterproof core. Prolonged standing water — a slow appliance leak, a pet’s water bowl left tipped — can penetrate seams and cause the wood to swell or warp. Wipe up spills quickly, and do not install it in rooms with consistent wet exposure like full baths.
It depends. Oahu can float or glue over a flat, stable substrate, which sometimes includes existing tile — but only if the tile is firmly bonded, grout lines are shallow, and the total floor height won’t create a trip hazard at transitions. We check all of this during the in-home measure and will flag any prep work needed before installation begins.
Yes — Flooring Queen installs Oahu throughout Southwest Florida, including Cape Coral, Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero, and surrounding communities. If you’re not sure whether your address falls in our service area, call or request a measure online and we’ll confirm when we schedule your appointment.
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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