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Hardwood Flooring Janka Hardness Scale
One of the first questions that to comes to the mind of most consumers when considering hardwood flooring, is "how hard is the flooring." A standard measure of the relative hardness of hardwood flooring is the Janka Hardness Test. We have compiled a list of some of the more readily available species of hardwood flooring, with their official Janka Rating.
What is the Janka Hardness Test?
According to wikipedia.com "The Janka hardness test measures the hardness of wood. It involves measuring the force required to embed an 11.28 mm (0.444 in) steel ball into wood to half its diameter. This method was chosen so that the result would leave an indention 100 mm² (0.16 sq in) in size. 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 species is to saw or nail"
You should also take into consideration that while the hardness of any particular species of flooring will effect the floors ability to resist dents and gouges, it will have very little to do with the ability of the finishes ability to resist scratching.
* Bamboo Flooring is an engineered product, as such the Janka rating will vary depending raw materials used and the manufacturing process. Each manufacturer of Bamboo flooring may have a different Janka result
