Hardwood Flooring Janka Scale

Janka hardness scale for hardwood flooring the janka hardness test was designed to rate the relative hardness of wood on a scale of 0 to 4000.

Hardwood flooring janka scale.

The janka hardness scale determines the hardness of a particular type of wood over another. The best wood for hardwood flooring typically falls above 1000 on the scale. This test is one of the best measures of the ability of a wood specie to withstand denting and wear. It is also a good indicator of how hard a.

A common use of janka hardness ratings is to determine whether a species is suitable for use as flooring. 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. 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 test involves measuring the force required to embed a 444 steel ball into wood to half its diameter.

While the complete janka hardness listings will reveal that there are some fairly hard softwoods and some relatively soft hardwoods in the species most commonly used in flooring the identifiers hold true. Hardwoods are better than softwoods. The janka test measures the force required to embed a 444 inch steel ball into the wood by half its diameter. It measures the force required to embed an 11 28 millimetres 0 444 in diameter steel ball halfway into a sample of wood.

The janka scale can even reveal subtle hardness differences between woods that appear to be quite similar. The type of construction and finish also play an important role in the durability and ease of maintenance of any wood floor. The industry standard for hardness the hardness of a wood is rated on an industry wide standard known as the janka test. 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.

Solid hardwood flooring will always be stronger than hardwood veneer engineered flooring.