What does Janka hardness rating mean
Rachel Hickman
Published Mar 27, 2026
Red Oak is considered the industry median for flooring hardness with a Janka rating of 1260. If you are looking for extra durability, consider Red Oak or a species that ranks higher on the Janka scale. Readily available and popular species include White Oak (1360), Hard Maple (1450), and Hickory (1820).
Is 1360 a good Janka rating?
Red Oak is considered the industry median for flooring hardness with a Janka rating of 1260. If you are looking for extra durability, consider Red Oak or a species that ranks higher on the Janka scale. Readily available and popular species include White Oak (1360), Hard Maple (1450), and Hickory (1820).
What is a high Janka rating?
The highest rating on the scale is a 4000, making for an extremely hardwood, also not likely suitable for flooring because it would be so difficult to saw.
What is a good wood hardness rating?
A good Janka rating for wood flooring is generally anything that is 1,000 lbs. and the industry mean is around 1,200 lbs. An important thing to keep in mind in selecting your flooring material is the needs of your space.What is the hardest wood on the Janka scale?
Australian Buloke – 5,060 IBF An ironwood tree that is native to Australia, this wood comes from a species of tree occurring across most of Eastern and Southern Australia. Known as the hardest wood in the world, this particular type has a Janka hardness of 5,060 lbf.
What is the Janka hardness of maple?
With a Janka Hardness rating of 1450 out of 4000, the Sugar Maple wood species falls within the medium range of hardwood flooring options. The Janka Hardness scale is used to determine a hardwood’s resistance to dents, dings, and scratches.
What is Janka rating of Oak?
The Janka Hardness Scale rating has become the industry standard for determining whether a given wood is suitable for flooring material. Red Oak, which has a Janka rating of 1290, is the industry benchmark for comparing the relative hardness of different wood species.
How do you measure Janka hardness?
The Janka Hardness test is used primarily to determine the hardness of a wood species, and whether it is suitable to use as hardwood flooring. To conduct this test, a steel ball that is 11.28 mm is forced into a sample piece of wood until half of the ball’s diameter is embedded.What is the Janka hardness of Red Oak?
Red Oak has a Janka hardness rating of 1290, while White Oak’s rating is 1360, making it slightly more impervious to dents and scratches.
What is the Janka rating for Hickory?An Introduction to Hickory Flooring The hardest of all domestic hardwoods, hickory has a ranking of 1820 on the Janka scale. This makes it a tough and durable option for your flooring. Hickory isn’t as common as oak or other wood flooring options, but that means it will make an even more unique addition to your home.
Article first time published onWhat is a good Janka rating for dogs?
If you are looking for flooring on the domestic front, hard maple is a top choice. Hard maple has long been used as a surface for basketball courts, so it’ll stand up well to pet traffic. Hard maple hits a Janka rating of 1,450 or higher (anything over 1,000 is considered excellent for flooring).
What is bamboo on the Janka scale?
Janka Hardness Rating: With a Janka Hardness rating of 1380 out of 4000, Natural Bamboo is in the mid-range for hardwood flooring options – slightly harder than White Oak and softer than Hard Maple. The Janka Hardness scale is used to determine a hardwood’s resistance to dents, dings and scratches.
How is the Janka test performed?
The Janka hardness test measures how durable a wood or bamboo sample is against denting and common wear and tear. The test uses an 11.28mm steel ball, which is forced into a test piece of wood. … The results indicate whether a piece of wood is acceptable to be used in a particular building application.
Is Oak harder than maple?
Both Oak and Maple floors are considered among the most durable wood floors and can last for generations. Maple is among the harder wood species, with a 1450 rating on the Janka wood hardness chart. … Oak is slightly less hard – White Oak has a 1360 rating and Red Oak a 1290 rating.
What is the Janka hardness of black walnut?
On the Janka scale – the system of measuring a wood’s hardness – black walnut has a rating of 1010, making it a moderately hard wood. It is somewhat softer than other domestic hardwoods such as oak and maple, so care should be taken to protect high traffic areas.
Is Oak the hardest wood?
SpeciesPressure To MarHard Maple1,450White Oak1,360Beech1,300Red Oak1,290
What is the Janka hardness of basswood?
SpeciesForce: pounds-force (newtons)Basswood410 lbf (1,800 N)Eastern White Pine380 lbf (1,700 N)Cuipo75 lbf (330 N)Balsa70 lbf (310 N)
What is the Janka rating of balsa one of the lowest )? What is the Janka rating of lignum vitae one of the highest )?
On the Janka scale of hardness, which measures hardness of woods, lignum vitae ranks highest of the trade woods, with a Janka hardness of 4500 lbf (compared with Olneya at 3260 lbf, African blackwood at 2940 lbf, hickory at 1820 lbf, red oak at 1290 lbf, yellow pine at 690 lbf, and Balsa at 100 lbf).
What is the softest wood on the Janka scale?
Useful for insulation, buoyancy, and other special applications. Note: A hardwood named Quipo (Cavanillesia platanifolia) is commonly reported as the softest known wood, with an alleged Janka hardness of 22 lbf (98 N).
What is the Janka rating for Acacia?
density & hardness of Acacia Wood The Janka Hardness rating for Babul Acacia is 2300 pounds of force. It is 55% harder than European White Oak, 23% harder than hickory, and 90% harder than carbonized bamboo. Its density is measured to be 62lbs/cubic foot. In comparison, natural marble is 80lbs/cubic foot).
What is the Janka hardness of southern yellow pine?
Janka Hardness: True pine has a Janka rating of 1570, Carribean heart pine is 1280, red pine is 1630, longleaf southern yellow pine is 870, both shortleaf and loblolly southern yellow pine are 690, white pine is 420, and eastern white pine ranks in at 380 to give a few specific numbers.
How hard is Ironwood?
While ironwood’s hardness is 22.5 thousand Newtons, aluminium is only 15 thousand Newtons hard. Of course, it depends on the grade of aluminium, but generally speaking, Allocasuarina luehmannii is harder.
What does cocobolo wood look like?
Cocobolo is a tropical hardwood of Central American trees belonging to the genus Dalbergia. Only the heartwood of cocobolo is used; it is usually orange or reddish-brown, often with darker irregular traces weaving through the wood.
Where is Birch on the Janka scale?
With a Janka Hardness rating of 1260 out of 4000, the Yellow Birch wood species falls within the medium range for hardwood flooring options. The Janka Hardness scale is used to determine a hardwood’s resistance to dents, dings, and scratches.
Which is harder walnut or hickory?
Walnut on the Janka Hardness scale. … Hickory is among the hardest domestic hardwoods with a Janka rating of 1820, while American or Black Walnut is among the softest with a rating of 1010.
Is ash or hickory harder?
Which is stronger: Ash or Hickory? With a Janka hardness rating of 1320, Ash is a very durable species of hardwood that can easily be installed in high-traffic areas. But with a hardness rating of 1820, Hickory is among the strongest hardwoods commonly used for flooring.
Will hardwood floors stand up to dogs?
Most dog owners forgo hardwood flooring because it can be easily damaged by dogs’ nails. If you’re set on hardwood, consider a hard wood variety or engineered hardwood planks, which tend to hold up better. Laminate, vinyl, tile, and carpet have excellent scratch resistance to hold up to the click-clack of claws.
Do small dogs scratch hardwood floors?
Not really. Dogs could possibly cause some minor damage to hardwood floors, and in some cases, it will be more obvious than in others. … In general, textured and lower-sheen floors will hide any imperfections. Fortunately, all it takes to prevent a dog from scratching your floors is to clip his or her nails regularly.
Do golden retrievers scratch wood floors?
I love hardwood floors but we have a very active young Golden Retriever and this dog can grow to be 70 pounds. Scratches and dents will accumulate on the surface of your wood floors over time. … These slowly become a character of your home and reminder of the experiences shared inside.
Where is eucalyptus on the hardness scale?
In the image below featuring different types of wood, you can see that strand woven bamboo and eucalyptus are at the top of the list with a Janka rating of 4000 to 5000.
How hard is alder on the wood hardness scale?
While both are considered hard woods, alder is rated at 590 on the Janka hardness scale, and cherry is rated significantly higher at 950. … Wood is rated on the force required to push a . 44 inch steel ball into the wood at a depth of half the ball’s diameter.