Janka Scale Hardwood Floors

Janka wood hardness scale.

Janka scale hardwood floors.

The janka rating is a measure of the amount of force required to push a 444 diameter steel ball half way into a piece of wood. It measures the force required to embed an 11 28 millimetres 0 444 in diameter steel ball halfway into a sample of wood. While the janka hardness test and rating scale are an excellent way to determine what wood species might work for the floors in your home there is more to consider. Using the janka scale to help choose your wood floor.

Although this janka hardness test is one of the best methods to measure the ability of wood species to withstand indentations it should be used only as a general guide when comparing various species of wood flooring. 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 test from the austrian born emigrant gabriel janka 1864 1932 measures the resistance of a sample of wood to denting and wear. In laymans terms it is a way to measure a woods resistance to denting.

Strand woven bamboo and eucalyptus flooring on average have janka ratings upwards of 3 800 which is much higher than traditional wood flooring. Although some tests have shown bamboo and eucalyptus to be over 5 000 on the janka scale the truth is that janka hardness ratings can vary from lot to lot even when produced by the same factory. 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 scale determines the hardness of a particular type of wood over another.

Still the very impressive janka ratings accurately depict the excellent durability of these non wood flooring products. A common use of janka hardness ratings is to determine whether a species is suitable for use as flooring. The janka test measures the force required to embed a 444 inch steel ball into the wood by half its diameter. The janka hardness test is often applied to bamboo and eucalyptus flooring products after manufacturing a process that artificially hardens the material by the addition of resins.

This test is one of the best measures of the ability of a wood specie to withstand denting and wear.