Port Engineered Hardwood starts at $8.99/sq ft installed in Fort Myers — a wire-brushed American Walnut floor in a warm caramel tone from LW Flooring’s Sonoma Valley collection. The wide 7-1/2″ planks and medium variation give it a relaxed, natural character without crossing into rustic territory. It reads as real wood because it is.
Port is built around a half-inch engineered construction with three installation options — float, glue, or nail — which makes it at home on the concrete slab foundations common across Southwest Florida. That flexibility matters here, where slab-on-grade is the norm rather than the exception.
The polyurethane finish with aluminum oxide adds everyday scratch resistance without obscuring the wire-brushed texture, and the 2 mm wear layer gives this floor meaningful longevity. It suits main living areas, dining rooms, and bedrooms in full-time residences and seasonal homes alike. The caramel walnut tone also conceals the sandy tracked-in grit that comes with coastal living.
| Plank Width | 7-1/2″ |
|---|---|
| Plank Length | 72″ Random Length |
| Thickness | 1/2″ |
| Wear Layer | 2 mm |
| Finish | Polyurethane with Aluminum Oxide |
| Species | American Walnut |
At $8.99 per square foot installed, the price covers measuring, material delivery, removal and disposal of your existing floor covering, straightforward subfloor preparation, installation, baseboard reinstallation, and transition strips between rooms.
Some situations add cost: significant subfloor leveling beyond routine prep, stair nosing on multi-story homes, custom border work, or diagonal layouts that increase cut waste. None of that is hidden — Flooring Queen provides a free in-home measurement and a written room-by-room quote before any work is scheduled, so you know the full number before committing.
Shoppers who want real wood grain often consider solid hardwood, and Port gives you the same American Walnut species in an engineered format. The practical difference in Southwest Florida is meaningful: solid hardwood expands and contracts more dramatically with humidity swings, and it cannot be glued or floated over concrete slab — it must be nailed to a wood subfloor. Port’s engineered construction handles both slab installs and the region’s year-round humidity far more reliably.
Where solid hardwood wins is refinishing depth — a thick solid plank can be sanded more times over its life. Port’s 2 mm wear layer allows light refinishing, but not as many passes. If you’re furnishing a slab-foundation home near the coast, engineered is the more practical choice here.
| Port | Solid Hardwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Water resistance | Better — stable over slabs | Poorer — swells with humidity |
| Scratch resistance / wear layer | 2 mm wear layer, poly/aluminum oxide | Varies; thicker but unfinished options exist |
| Comfort underfoot | Real wood warmth, 1/2″ thick | Real wood warmth, typically 3/4″ thick |
| Installed price | $8.99/sq ft installed | Typically $10–$14/sq ft installed |
| Best room | Slab-foundation living areas, bedrooms | Wood-subfloor rooms only, no slab |
Sweep or vacuum regularly using a hard-floor setting — no beater bar — to keep abrasive grit from wearing through the finish over time. For damp cleaning, use a hardwood-specific product like Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner or WOCA Soap; avoid steam mops and wet-string mops, which can push moisture into the seams and cause the veneer to swell at the edges. Never use vinegar, ammonia-based cleaners, or wax polishes on the polyurethane finish — they either dull the sheen or leave a residue that traps dirt. For technical guidance, see the National Wood Flooring Association consumer hardwood information.
Port Engineered Hardwood should acclimate in your home for at least 48 to 72 hours before installation. In Southwest Florida’s humidity, this step is especially important — the planks need to adjust to your indoor climate so they settle properly after install. Leave boxes flat in the room where they’ll be installed, with the HVAC running at normal levels.
Yes, Port can be lightly refinished, but the 2 mm wear layer limits how many times that’s practical — typically one, possibly two light sandings depending on how much material each pass removes. That’s less flexibility than a thick solid plank, but more than most luxury vinyl products. A professional assessment before any refinishing is strongly recommended.
Port works well in living rooms, dining rooms, hallways, and bedrooms — anywhere foot traffic is normal to moderate. It can be installed on concrete slab via float or glue, which covers most Southwest Florida homes. Avoid it in full bathrooms, laundry rooms, or any space with standing water risk, where a waterproof product is the safer call.
LW Flooring backs Port with a lifetime residential warranty and a 5-year light commercial warranty. Warranty coverage on engineered hardwood typically includes manufacturing defects and finish performance under normal use. Keep in mind that warranties require proper installation and routine care — improper subfloor prep or moisture issues caused by the homeowner are generally excluded.
A single large room typically installs in one day; a full home covering 1,200–1,800 square feet usually runs two to three days. Port’s three installation methods give the crew flexibility, but floating and glue-down installs each have their own curing or setup considerations. Your written quote will include a projected schedule based on your actual square footage and layout.
Yes — Flooring Queen installs Port throughout Southwest Florida, including Cape Coral and Naples, as well as Bonita Springs, Estero, and surrounding communities. If you’re not sure whether your address falls within the service area, the in-home measurement visit is a good time to confirm coverage and get your room-by-room pricing at the same time.
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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