All Hardwood Is Not Created Equal

A common misconception when it comes to hardwood floors is that they all have the same level of “hardness”, when in fact, the level of hardness varies greatly by the specie of tree. There is a scientific scale used to measure the hardness of different woods call the Janka Scale. It basically tells us how resilient a certain species of wood will be to dents, scrapes, and wear by measuring the amount of pounds-force required to imbed a steel into the lumber (Wood Database). The higher the Janka rating, the harder the wood.

Hardness

“Janka”

Scale

Curious about where your lumber falls on the scale? Check out the list below:

Walnut, Brazilian 3680

Teak, Brazilian 3540

Cherry, Brazilian 2820

Gum, Spotted 2473

Mesquite 2345

Mahogany, Santos 2200

Hickory/Pecan 1820

Maple, Brazilian 1500

Maple, Hard 1450

Cypress, Australian 1375

Oak, White 1360

Ash, White 1320

Beech 1300

Oak, Northern Red 1290

Birch 1260

Teak 1078

Walnut, American Black 1010

Cherry, Black 950

Pine, Southern Yellow 870

Douglas Fir 660

Source: “Hardwood [Janka] Scale”. Pg. 11. Real Wood Real Life. The National Hardwood Flooring Association.