Timber Flooring Hardness

Solid hardwood flooring.

Timber flooring hardness. Throughout the wood flooring industry the janka hardness chart is recognized as the main source for questions related to the density and relative hardness of both domestic species as well as exotic wood species from around the world. Solid hardwood generally has very tight seams between boards and there is a great range of colors and species than is found with engineered hardwood flooring. The hardness of a timber is measured by the janka hardness test. 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 hardness test is the industry standard for determining the ability of a particular timber species to withstand denting and wear. Relative hardness of wood flooring species. In this flooring guide we are going to look at the relative hardness of different species of wood the hardest wood flooring and why wood hardness might influence the type of wood you choose for your floor. Laying solid hardwood throughout your home will be a significant investment in time and money compare with say carpet flooring.

This test measures the force required to embed an 11 28mm 0 444 in steel ball to half its depth into wood. The janka hardness test measures the force required to embed a 444 inch steel ball to half its diameter in wood. A common use of janka hardness ratings is to determine whether a species is suitable for use as flooring. Hardwoods are better than softwoods.

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. It is one of the best measures of the ability of a wood species to withstand denting and wear. Forest service list the relative hardness for numerous wood species used in flooring. Is the hardness of my wood floor important.

Solid hardwood flooring boards tend to be narrower than engineered hardwood flooring. 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. Solid hardwood is available in both pre finished and unfinished boards. The higher the number the harder the wood is this should be used as a general guide when comparing various species of wood flooring.

To some extent the subject of timber hardness and ongoing durability of a timber floor is misunderstood as it s not the timber itself that continue reading. The janka hardness scale determines the hardness of a particular type of wood over another. When searching for a new timber floor most people are looking for something that is hard wearing however determination of what this actually means is not as simple as it sounds.