Not all wood species are the same, especially when it comes to hardness and durability. So, before you make up your mind into buying specific wood floors because of its remarkable aesthetic appeal, it is wise to look at its Janka Hardness Scale, so you would know of what to expect when it comes to its performance and longevity. Janka Hardness Rating refers to the industry standard that is used to measure the hardness of any wood. It can sum up the ability a hardwood floor to withstand the wear, denting and tear.
How is Janka Rating for hardwood flooring computed? It is derived from the actual force needed to sink a .444 inch steel ball up to half its diameter in the hardwood intended for flooring. Since hardness is variable just like the grain of the wood, this test is done on both side and end of the hardwood to accurately compute the Janka Rating. The result is expressed in pound per square inch of pressure. Just by looking at the Janka Rating, anybody can assess the hardness of a specific wood species. The higher the number, the harder the hardwood is. As such, experts can easily pinpoint which wood species are suitable or not for flooring.
Homeowners with pets that are likely to cause scratches on the hardwood floor needs to consider getting wood species that have highest Janka rating, such as hickory, maple, oak or ash. Whereas, commercial facilities with normal high-traffic require nothing, but wood floors with highest Janka Rating like exotic wood floors (Brazilian Walnut, Brazilian Cherry, Santos Mahogany, Brazilian Teak, Ebony and many more), or consider installing laminate or engineered wood flooring. With the right information supplied by our wood floor technicians, every client will have an informed choice that more likely lead to satisfaction.