Hardwood Floor Wood Hardness Scale

To give some quantification to the issue of wood species hardness the lumber industry created the janka hardness scale a standard now widely accepted as the best means of ranking a wood s hardness.

Hardwood floor wood hardness scale.

The scale used in the table is pounds force. The janka hardness scale determines the hardness of a particular type of wood over another. The janka hardness test from the austrian born emigrant gabriel janka 1864 1932 measures the resistance of a sample of wood to denting and wear. The industry standard for hardness the hardness of a wood is rated on an industry wide standard known as the janka test.

A common use of janka hardness ratings is to determine whether a species is suitable for use as flooring. The lower the number the softer. The higher the number the harder the wood is this should be used as a general guide when comparing various species of wood flooring. Woods with a higher rating are harder than woods with a lower rating.

It is one of the best measures of the ability of a wood species to withstand denting and wear. It is also a good indicator of how hard a. The janka hardness test measures the force required to embed a 444 inch steel ball to half its diameter in wood. The janka test measures the amount of force required to embed a 0 444 steel ball into the wood to half of its diameter.

Wood hardness chart species alphabetical hardness species by hardness hardness afromosia 1560 basswood 410 amberwood 2200 butternut 490 amendoim 1360 chestnut domestic 540 angelique 1290 douglass fir 660 aniegre 1110 yellow pine short leaf 690 ash domestic white 1320 sycamore american 770 ash victorian 1010 yellow pine long leaf 870. The janka hardness scale starts at 0 and goes through 4000 with 4000 being an extremely hard wood so hard it is difficult to saw. The janka scale is used to determine the relative hardness of particular domestic or exotic wood species. The janka test measures the amount of force needed to drive a 0 444 inch steel ball into wood to a depth equal to half its diameter.

All these ratings have been organized onto a scale called the janka hardness scale. Forest service list the relative hardness for numerous wood species used in flooring. It measures the force required to embed an 11 28 millimetres 0 444 in diameter steel ball halfway into a sample of wood. In short a higher number rating on the janka scale equates to a harder wood species.

The best wood for hardwood flooring typically falls above 1000 on the scale. The janka test measures the force required to embed a 444 inch steel ball into the wood by half its diameter. The scale was invented in 1906 by gabriel janka an austrian wood researcher and standardized in 1927 by the american society for testing and materials depending on the room where the flooring will be installed a certain level of hardness may make it a more desirable choice. These ratings were calculated using the janka hardness test which measures the force needed to embed a 444 inch steel ball to half its diameter in a piece of wood.