Hardwood Janka Hardness Scale

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

Hardwood janka hardness scale.

The janka test measures the force required to embed a 444 inch steel ball into the wood by half its diameter. The janka test was developed as a variation of the brinell hardness test. The industry standard for hardness the hardness of a wood is rated on an industry wide standard known as the janka test. 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.

It is also a good indicator of how hard a. 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. Please use the janka hardness scale below as a guide to determine the measurements of the hardness and durability of the most popular species used for hardwood flooring. The janka test is a measure of the hardness of wood.

The test measures the force required to push a steel ball with a diameter of 11 28 millimeters 0 444 inches into the wood to a depth of half the ball s diameter. The scale used in the table is pounds force. 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. 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. To give some quantification to the issue of wood species hardness the lumber industry created the janka hardness scale a standard now widely accepted as the best means of ranking a wood s hardness. The janka test measures the amount of force needed to drive a 0 444 inch steel ball into wood to a depth equal to half its diameter. If you need any assistance or additional information please call our trained flooring specialists at 1 877 966 3983.

At woodwudy wholesale flooring we are here for you. The janka test measures the amount of force required to embed a 0 444 steel ball into the wood to half of its diameter. Woods with a higher rating are harder than woods with a lower rating. 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 scale determines the hardness of a particular type of wood over another. The type of construction and finish also play an important role in the durability and ease of maintenance of any wood floor.