Hardwood Floor Hardness Scale

Though no wood on the scale has this rating a rating like this would not make for a good floor.

Hardwood floor hardness scale. Understanding how the janka hardness scale works is simple. The janka hardness scale starts at zero with this option being the softest wood choice making it easy to dent and scratch. For example balsa wood which is extremely lightweight and used for crafts is one of the lowest on the scale at 100 lbs.

It is one of the best measures of the ability of a wood species to withstand denting and wear. Woods with a low rating on the wood hardness scale are those that will dent and scratch most easily. It is the industry standard for gauging the ability of various species to tolerate denting and normal wear as well as being a good indicator of the effort required either to nail or to saw a particular type of wood.

The lower the number the softer. A janka rating provides a great barometer for determining how well a particular floor may withstand denting and wear. 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.

The higher the number the harder the wood is this should be used as a general guide when comparing various species of wood flooring. In short a higher number rating on the janka scale equates to a harder wood species. The janka hardness test measures the force required to embed a 444 inch steel ball to half its diameter in wood.

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.