Choosing a Floor

Should I choose solid or engineered hardwood in Florida?

In Florida, engineered hardwood is usually the right choice because its layered core stays stable over concrete slabs and through high humidity, where solid hardwood tends to cup and gap.

Solid hardwood expands and contracts significantly with moisture and needs a wood subfloor with an air gap — an assembly that is uncommon in Gulf Coast slab homes.

Engineered hardwood is real wood on top of a cross-layered core that resists that movement, so it can be glued directly to a properly prepared slab. It also comes in the wide planks and patterns most Florida buyers want. Solid hardwood still has a place in homes with suitable wood subfloors, but for the typical Sarasota or Bradenton slab home, engineered is the durable answer.