HARDWOOD FLOORING SPECIES AND JANKA HARDNESS RATING. Janka Hardness Rating of Over 100 Common Hardwood and Softwood Species for hardwood flooring. Floors, Floor, Oak

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COMMON HARDWOOD FLOORING SPECIES AND JANKA HARDNESS RATING (Not all species available)

Please use this as a reference tool for comparison only. These numbers vary from test to test.

The Janka test measures the force required to embed a 11.28 millimeter (0.444 inch) steel ball into wood to half its diameter. This method was chosen so that the result would leave an indention 100 square millimeters in size. It is one of the best measures of the ability of a wood species to withstand denting and wear. It is also a good indicator of how hard a species is to saw or nail.

The hardness of wood usually varies with the direction of the wood grain. If testing is done on the surface of a plank, perpendicular to the grain, the test is said to be of "side hardness." Testing the cut surface of a stump would be called a test of "end hardness."

The results are stated in various ways, which can lead to confusion, especially when the name of the actual units employed is often not attached. In the United States, the measurement is in pounds-force (lbf). In Sweden it is in kilograms-force (kgf), and in Australia, either in newtons (N) or kilonewtons (kN). Sometimes the results are treated as units, e.g., "660 Janka."

Douglas Fir, a relatively soft wood, has a Janka hardness rating of 660 lbf. Brazilian cherry, a very hard wood, has a rating of 2350 lbf, while Brazilian walnut has a hardness rating of 3800 lbf.

A common use of Janka hardness ratings is to determine whether a species is suitable for use as flooring. -wiki

Ipe / Brazilian Walnut / Lapacho 3684
Cumaru / Brazilian Teak 3540
Tiete Rosewood 3280
Ebony 3220
Brazilian Redwood / Paraju 3190
Rosewood 3170
Lapacho 3060
Angelim Pedra 3040
African Pearwood 2990
Amendoim 2947
Bloodwood 2900
Ironwood 2890
Brazilian Cherry / Jatoba 2820
Red Mahogany, Turpentine 2697
Spotted Gum 2473
Mesquite 2345
Santos Mahogany, Bocote, Cabreuva 2300
Pradoo 2170
Tiger Wood 2160
Sucupira 2140
Brushbox 2135
Purple Heart 2090
Asian Pine 2048
Karri 2030
Sydney Blue Gum 2023
African Rosewood 1980
Bubinga 1980
Pyinkado 1950
Cameron 1940
Tallowwood 1933
Merbau 1925
Jarrah 1910
Purpleheart 1860
Goncalo Alves / Tigerwood 1850
Hickory Pecan 1820
Afzelia / Doussie 1810
Rosewood 1780
African Oak 1725
African Padauk 1725
Blackwood 1720
Kempas 1710
Brazilian Hickory 1654
Balau 1640
Thatch 1640
African Wenge 1630
Wenge, Red Pine 1630
Tualang 1624
Peroba 1600
Zebrawood 1575
Timborana 1570
Kambala 1540
Sapele / Sapelli 1510
Brazilian Maple 1500
Curupixa 1490
Sweet Birch 1470
Hard Maple / Sugar Maple 1450
Coffee Bean 1390
Bamboo 1380
Australian Cypress 1375
Oak 1360
Tasmanian Oak 1350
Ribbon Gum 1349
Ash 1320
Ash (White) 1320
Beech 1300
American Beech 1300
African Walnut 1290
Angelique 1290
Red Oak (Northern) 1290
Carribean Heart Pine 1280
Birch 1260
Iroko 1260
Kambala 1260
Yellow Birch 1260
Heart Pine 1225
Teak 1155
Tiete Chestnut 1155
Cocobolo 1136
Brazilian Eucalyptus / Rose Gum 1125
Boreal 1023
African Cherry 1010
Black Walnut 1010
American Cherry 950
Black Cherry, Imbuia 950
Boire 940
Paper Birch 910
Cedar 900
Tauari 880
Pine 870
Southern Yellow Pine (Longleaf) 870
Lacewood, Leopardwood 840
Elm 830
Larch 800
Mahogany 800
Parana 780
Sycamore 770
African Cedar 765
Southern Yellow Pine (shortleaf) 690
Douglas Fir 660
Larch 590
Chestnut 540
Hemlock 500
White Birch 420
White Pine 420
Basswood 410
Eastern White Pine 380