Ruby Splash Engineered Hardwood starts at $8.99 per square foot installed in Fort Myers — a warm honey-toned hickory-look floor from LW Flooring’s Riverstone collection. The embossed-in-register texture follows the grain realistically, and the painted beveled edge gives each plank a clean, defined look. It’s a grounded, livable floor that doesn’t try too hard.
At 5.5mm thick with a click-lock installation, Ruby Splash floats over concrete slab — the standard foundation in most Southwest Florida homes — without needing adhesive or nails. The 7-inch width and 60-inch plank length show off the hickory grain pattern well in open living areas, primary bedrooms, and home offices.
Southwest Florida’s humidity swings are real, and engineered hardwood handles them better than solid wood because the cross-ply core resists cupping and gapping. This floor is a reasonable choice for air-conditioned spaces in coastal Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and similar SWFL communities where slab construction and seasonal humidity are facts of life.
| Plank Width | 7″ |
|---|---|
| Plank Length | 60″ |
| Thickness | 5.5mm |
| Wear Layer | 20 mil |
| Finish | Polyurethane |
| Species | Look |
Flooring Queen installs Ruby Splash Engineered Hardwood at $8.99 per square foot. That price covers material delivery, removal of your current floor covering, standard subfloor prep (sweeping, minor leveling), the full installation, baseboard reinstallation, transition strips between rooms, and cleanup once the crew is done.
A few things will add to that base number: significant subfloor leveling beyond minor corrections, stair nosing if you’re running the floor onto stairs, and any custom inlay or border work. Square-footage minimums may also apply on very small jobs. Contact us for a free in-home measurement and a written price breakdown before committing to anything.
Ruby Splash is engineered hardwood, not solid. That distinction matters in Southwest Florida. Solid hardwood absorbs and releases moisture more aggressively than engineered construction, which means it’s more prone to cupping or gapping when humidity cycles — and humidity cycles here constantly. Engineered hardwood’s cross-ply core keeps movement more controlled, and it can go directly over a concrete slab where solid hardwood typically cannot.
Where solid hardwood wins: it can usually be sanded and refinished more times over its life, giving it a longer functional ceiling. Engineered hardwood like Ruby Splash can be lightly refinished, but you’re working with a thinner wear surface. Both are real wood on top. The trade-off is stability versus longevity of refinishing potential.
| Ruby Splash | Solid Hardwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Water resistance | Moderate — keep standing water off | Low — swells and cups with moisture exposure |
| Scratch resistance / wear layer | 20 mil polyurethane finish | Varies by species; no separate wear layer |
| Comfort underfoot | Warm, real-wood feel | Warm, real-wood feel |
| Installed price | $8.99/sq ft installed | Typically $10–$14/sq ft installed |
| Best room | Living areas, bedrooms over slab | Above-grade rooms with stable humidity |
Sweep or vacuum Ruby Splash regularly — use a hard-floor setting on your vacuum, not a rotating beater bar, which can scratch the polyurethane finish over time. For damp cleaning, a well-wrung microfiber mop works well; standing water should be wiped up promptly and never allowed to sit at the seams. Use a hardwood-specific cleaner such as Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner or a comparable pH-neutral formula — avoid steam mops entirely, as repeated steam exposure can force moisture into the core and compromise the finish or the click-lock joints. Harsh or acidic cleaners will dull the polyurethane coat faster than normal wear. For technical guidance, see the National Wood Flooring Association consumer hardwood information.
LW Flooring recommends acclimating Ruby Splash for at least 48 hours in the room where it will be installed. In Southwest Florida, where indoor humidity can run high even with AC, giving the planks 72 hours is a safer target. Keep the HVAC running at normal living conditions during that window.
Ruby Splash can be lightly refinished, but the number of times depends on how much material is removed each pass — at 5.5mm total thickness, you have less room than a solid plank. A skilled finisher can typically get one careful screen-and-recoat out of it, possibly two if done conservatively.
Ruby Splash is well-suited for living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and home offices — anywhere that stays climate-controlled. Avoid wet areas like bathrooms, laundry rooms, or mudrooms where water regularly hits the floor. The click-lock system installs as a floating floor, so it works on slab-on-grade, which covers most SWFL homes.
Yes — Flooring Queen installs Ruby Splash throughout Southwest Florida, including Cape Coral and Bonita Springs, along with surrounding communities. If you’re not sure whether your address falls in our service area, just call or request a measure and we’ll confirm.
Engineered hardwood generally appeals to buyers and can support a higher asking price compared to carpet or laminate, but results depend on the neighborhood and price point. In Southwest Florida, where tile is dominant, real-wood floors stand out and can be a differentiator — just don’t expect a dollar-for-dollar return on installation cost.
Engineered hardwood handles seasonal vacancy reasonably well as long as the home stays climate-controlled year-round. Set the thermostat no higher than 82°F and keep humidity between 35–55% while you’re away. Without AC running, Florida’s summer heat and humidity can cause the planks to swell, gap, or cup — the engineered core helps, but it’s not immune.
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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