Praline Engineered Hardwood starts at $8.99 per square foot installed in Fort Myers — a honey-toned European White Oak from LW Flooring’s Traditions collection with a wirebrushed finish that brings out the natural grain. The 5-inch planks run up to 70-7/8 inches long, giving rooms an open, unhurried feel. It’s the kind of floor that looks like it was always there.
Praline is a practical fit for the main living areas, bedrooms, and home offices that Southwest Florida homeowners actually use every day. The engineered construction — real oak over a layered core — holds up better than solid wood in the humidity swings common here, and it’s approved for float, glue, or nail installation over concrete slab, which is how most local homes are built.
The polyurethane finish with aluminum oxide adds scratch resistance that handles pets, sandals tracking in from the beach, and the general wear of a household that moves in and out seasonally. The lifetime residential warranty backs it for the long haul, whether this is a primary home or a rental property.
| Plank Width | 5″ |
|---|---|
| Plank Length | 70-7/8″ Random Length |
| Thickness | 3/8″ |
| Wear Layer | 1.2 mm |
| Finish | Polyurethane with Aluminum Oxide |
| Species | European White Oak |
At $8.99 per square foot installed, the Flooring Queen price covers everything from the initial delivery through the finished floor: removal of your current flooring, subfloor inspection and light prep, installation, baseboards, and transition strips. Old material is loaded and taken off the property as part of the job.
Some situations add cost — significant subfloor leveling, stair nosing, or any custom inlay or border work falls outside the base price. The best way to get a firm number is to schedule a free in-home measure. A Flooring Queen rep will walk the space, note any prep concerns, and hand you a written quote before any commitment is made.
Praline is European White Oak either way — the question is whether you want engineered or solid. Solid hardwood is thicker and can be sanded and refinished more times over its life, which appeals to homeowners planning a 30-year hold on the same floor. But solid hardwood is also more vulnerable to the humidity and concrete slab conditions that define Southwest Florida construction. It expands and contracts noticeably with seasonal moisture changes, and it cannot be glued or floated over slab.
Engineered hardwood like Praline was specifically built for these conditions. The layered core resists movement, opens up slab installation as an option, and carries a lifetime residential warranty. The trade-off is a thinner wear layer, which limits refinishing to one or two passes at most. For most Florida homes, engineered is the more sensible choice.
| Praline | Solid Hardwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Water resistance | Resistant to surface moisture; not waterproof | More vulnerable to humidity and moisture |
| Scratch resistance / wear layer | 1.2 mm aluminum oxide finish | Varies; refinishable, no fixed wear layer |
| Comfort underfoot | Real wood warmth and feel | Real wood warmth and feel |
| Installed price | $8.99/sq ft installed | Typically $10–$14/sq ft installed |
| Best room | Living areas, bedrooms, slab-on-grade | Upper floors, stable climate environments |
Sweep or vacuum with a soft-bristle attachment weekly to keep grit from working into the wirebrushed texture — abrasive particles underfoot do more long-term damage to the finish than almost anything else. For damp cleaning, use a hardwood-specific cleaner like Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner or WOCA Wood Floor Soap on a well-wrung mop; standing liquid should never sit on the surface. Avoid steam mops, acidic cleaners, and anything with wax or oil additives not approved for polyurethane finishes — those products haze the coating and void coverage under the finish warranty. For technical guidance, see the National Wood Flooring Association consumer hardwood information.
Engineered hardwood typically needs 48 to 72 hours to acclimate to your home’s temperature and humidity before installation. In Southwest Florida, where indoor humidity can shift significantly between air-conditioned interiors and the outside air, giving the planks the full 72 hours is the safer call. Keep the boxes in the room where the floor will be laid.
Praline can be lightly refinished, but the 1.2 mm wear layer limits you to one careful sanding at most — possibly two if done by an experienced professional using a screen-and-recoat method rather than a full sand. It is not a floor you refinish repeatedly the way a thick solid hardwood would be. Proper maintenance extends the time before refinishing becomes necessary.
Flooring Queen installs Praline throughout Southwest Florida, including Cape Coral and Naples, as well as Bonita Springs, Estero, and the surrounding communities. If you’re not sure whether your address falls in the service area, the free in-home measure visit is the quickest way to confirm — just call or book online.
The polyurethane finish on Praline resists surface moisture well, and everyday spills wiped up promptly won’t cause damage. It is not a waterproof floor, however — the core is not sealed against water intrusion the way SPC vinyl is. Prolonged standing water, persistent pet accidents left unattended, or flooding can reach the wood layers and cause swelling or cupping.
Whether Praline can go over existing tile depends on the height and flatness of that tile surface. The product supports float, glue, and nail installation methods, but any substrate has to be level within manufacturer tolerances before the floor goes down. During the measure appointment, a Flooring Queen installer will check the existing surface and let you know whether the tile needs to come up first or if it can stay.
LW Flooring backs Praline with a lifetime residential warranty and a 5-year light commercial warranty. Residential coverage is the strongest in its category and protects against manufacturing defects for as long as you own the home. The light commercial warranty applies to qualifying low-traffic business spaces. Warranty terms require proper installation and maintenance — keep records of those if you ever need to file a claim.
When you invest in hardwood, the install matters as much as the wood. Flooring Queen is licensed, insured, and family-run from a single Fort Myers showroom — no franchise, no national-chain shuffle. Free in-home measure: (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
