All About The Janka Hardness Test

To determine the overall hardness of a particular wood species (domestic or exotic), the wood flooring industry uses the Janka hardness test. The test itself measures the force required to embed a 0.444″ steel ball into half its diameter into a piece of wood. The higher the rating, the harder and more dense the wood. While ratings do vary based on various environmental factors, they do help to gauge a particular species’s ability to withstand wear and denting; an important factor when determining how a wood floor will most likely perform under normal wear and tear conditions. 

As the chart details, by and large, exotic woods dominate this test with many South American species like Brazilian Walnut and Brazilian Teak offering some of the most dense wood floors on the market. 

Domestically, North American Hickory wins as the hardest wood species used to manufacture hardwood flooring. Of note, White Oak and Red Oak are great options to consider for projects requiring installation of a wood floor over radiant heating systems.

The corresponding chart contains a wide range of species to compare for reference. 

 

Brazilian Ebony
3692
Brazilian Walnut
3680
Bolivian Cherry
3650
Lapacho
3640
Brazilian Teak
3540
Tiete Chestnut
3540
Tiete Rosewood
3280
Brazilian Redwood
3190
Brazilian Rosewood
3100
Bloodwood
2900
Patagonian Rosewood
2800
Brazilian Cherry
2350
Carribean Rosewood
2300
Santos Mahogany
2200
Tigerwood
2160
Purple Heart
2090
Merbau
1925
Amendoim
1912
Hickory/Pecan
1820
Bolivian Rosewood
1780
Doussi
1770
Kempas
1710
Bamboo
1650
Wenge
1630
Zebrawood
1575
Timborana
1570
Sapele
1500
Brazilian Maple
1500
Maple
1450
Royal Mahogany
1400
Caribbean Walnut
1400
Australian Cypress
1375
White Oak
1360
Ash
1320
Beech
1300
Red Oak
1290
Yellow Birch
1260
Caribbean Heart Pine
1240
Heart Pine
1225
Teak
1155
Eucalyptus
1125
Peruvian Walnut
1080
American/Black Walnut
1010
American Cherry
950
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Mills & distribution centers
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Floors shipped each month
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Domestic & exotic wood species
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