What is the Janka Hardness Scale?

Janka Hardness Scale:

  • The Janka Hardness Scale is used to compare the hardness of a variety of wood species into one visual graph.
  • A test is performed to measure the hardness rating of a sample, and so the higher the number means the further the wood sample will be on the Janka scale.
  • The scale ranges from about 0-4,000 pounds of force, so the higher the rating the more force a material can withstand.

How it’s measured: 

  • The test generally involves pressing a tiny steel ball until half of the ball is sunken into the wood sample.
  • The force it took to make the indentation is what is recorded in pounds-force (lbf) or Newtons (N).
  • The measurements are then placed along a scale to compare the hardness of a variety of samples.

Janka Hardness Scale:

  • The Janka Hardness Scale is used to compare the hardness of a variety of wood species into one visual graph.
  • A test is performed to measure the hardness rating of a sample, and so the higher the number means the further the wood sample will be on the Janka scale.
  • The scale ranges from about 0-4,000 pounds of force, so the higher the rating the more force a material can withstand.

How it’s measured: 

  • The test generally involves pressing a tiny steel ball until half of the ball is sunken into the wood sample.
  • The force it took to make the indentation is what is recorded in pounds-force (lbf) or Newtons (N).
  • The measurements are then placed along a scale to compare the hardness of a variety of samples.
Janka hardness scale

Pretty neat right?! You may be wondering how you should make hardwood flooring decisions based off of these test results… that is why we have our expert flooring team to help you out. 

Our flooring professionals are extremely knowledgeable about which type of hardwood is best suited for certain lifestyles, whether it’s high traffic areas and homes filled with pets running around, or areas that support heavy furniture or objects. Talk to our design team today about the Janka Hardness scale and which hardwood is best suited for your home.

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