Wood Hardness - Janka Chart
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When it comes to making a distinction between wood which is suitable for wooden floors and the rest we simply refer to hardwood and softwood. But actually there is more because the total number of wood species is estimated to be more than 10 000.
To understand better the differences between wood species we have Janka Hardness Scale or Janka Wood Chart.
It evolved from the Brinell scale, a standardised hardness test developed for the engineering and metallurgy fields and has been in use since 1922 and became an ASTM standard in 1927. Since then the Janka Scale has become worldwide accepted as the international standard for measuring wood hardness.
It is very useful in the wood working industry and especially in the wood flooring industry mainly because it helps in choosing the suitable wood for a particular floor and it helps the flooring specialist to properly approach and plan the installation process.
How it works? It measures the force required to embed an 11.28 mm (.444 in) steel ball into wood to half the ball's diameter. This is done in a laboratory.
The hardness of wood varies depending on the direction of the wood grain. Testing perpendicular to the length of the grain, is said to be of "side hardness". Testing the cut surface, on end grain is called a test of "end hardness". In the majority of the situations only the first result is used.
The result can be expressed in pounds-force (lbf), kilograms-force (kgf), newtons (N) or kilonewtons (kN) and also in Janka (ex 1000 Janka).
| Species | Force: Pounds-Force (Newtons) | |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Buloke | 5,060 lbf (22,500 N) | |
| Schinopsis brasiliensis , Quebracho, Barauna, Chamacoco | 4,800 lbf (21,000 N) | |
| Schinopsis balansae , Quebracho Colorado, Red Quebracho | 4,570 lbf (20,300 N) | |
| Lignum vitae , Guayacan, Pockenholz | 4,500 lbf (20,000 N) | |
| Piptadenia Macrocarpa ,Curupay, Angico Preto, Brazilian Tiger Mahogany | 3,840 lbf (17,100 N) | |
| Snakewood , Letterhout, Piratinera Guinensis | 3,800 lbf (17,000 N) | |
| Brazilian Olivewood | 3,700 lbf (16,000 N) | |
| Brazilian Ebony | 3,692 lbf (16,420 N) | |
| Ipê , Brazilian Walnut, Lapacho | 3,684 lbf (16,390 N) | |
| African Pearwood, Moabi | 3,680 lbf (16,400 N) | |
| Grey Ironbark | 3,664 lbf (16,300 N) | |
| Bolivian Cherry | 3,650 lbf (16,200 N) | |
| Lapacho | 3,640 lbf (16,200 N) | |
| Cumaru , Brazilian Teak | 3,540 lbf (15,700 N) | |
| Sucupira , Brazilian Chestnut, Tiete Chestnut | 3,417 lbf (15,200 N) | |
| Ebony | 3,220 lbf (14,300 N) | |
| Massaranduba , Brazilian Redwood, Paraju | 3,190 lbf (14,200 N) | |
| Yvyraro | 3,040 lbf (13,500 N) | |
| Strand Woven Bamboo | 3,000 lbf (13,000 N) | |
| Bloodwood | 2,900 lbf (13,000 N) | |
| Red Mahogany , Turpentine | 2,697 lbf (12,000 N) | |
| Live Oak | 2,680 lbf (11,900 N) | |
| Southern Chestnut | 2,670 lbf (11,900 N) | |
| Spotted Gum | 2,473 lbf (11,000 N) | |
| Brazilian Cherry, Jatoba | 2,350 lbf (10,500 N) | |
| Mesquite | 2,345 lbf (10,430 N) | |
| Golden Teak | 2,330 lbf (10,400 N) | |
| Guatambú, Kyrandy, Balfourodendron riedelianum | 2,240 lbf (10,000 N) | |
| Santos Mahogany , Bocote , Cabreuva , Honduran Rosewood | 2,200 lbf (9,800 N) | |
| Pradoo | 2,170 lbf (9,700 N) | |
| Brazilian Koa | 2,160 lbf (9,600 N) | |
| Brushbox | 2,135 lbf (9,500 N) | |
| Osage Orange | 2,040 lbf (9,100 N) | |
| Karri | 2,030 lbf (9,000 N) | |
| Sydney Blue Gum | 2,023 lbf (9,000 N) | |
| Bubinga | 1,980 lbf (8,800 N) | |
| Cameron | 1,940 lbf (8,600 N) | |
| Tallowwood | 1,933 lbf (8,600 N) | |
| Merbau | 1,925 lbf (8,560 N) | |
| Amendoim | 1,912 lbf (8,500 N) | |
| Jarrah | 1,910 lbf (8,500 N) | |
| Purpleheart | 1,860 lbf (8,300 N) | |
| Goncalo Alves , Tigerwood | 1,850 lbf (8,200 N) | |
| Hickory , Pecan , Satinwood | 1,820 lbf (8,100 N) | |
| Afzelia , Doussie , Australian Wormy Chestnut | 1,810 lbf (8,100 N) | |
| Bangkirai | 1,798 lbf (8,000 N) | |
| Rosewood | 1,780 lbf (7,900 N) | |
| African Padauk | 1,725 lbf (7,670 N) | |
| Blackwood | 1,720 lbf (7,700 N) | |
| Merbau | 1,712 lbf (7,620 N) | |
| Kempas | 1,710 lbf (7,600 N) | |
| Black Locust | 1,700 lbf (7,600 N) | |
| Highland Beech | 1,686 lbf (7,500 N) | |
| Wenge , Red Pine , Hornbeam | 1,630 lbf (7,300 N) | |
| Tualang | 1,624 lbf (7,220 N) | |
| Zebrawood | 1,575 lbf (7,010 N) | |
| True Pine, Timborana | 1,570 lbf (7,000 N) | |
| Peroba | 1,557 lbf (6,930 N) | |
| Sapele , Sapelli , Kupa'y | 1,510 lbf (6,700 N) | |
| European Beech | 1,510 lbf (6,700 N) | |
| Curupixa | 1,490 lbf (6,600 N) | |
| Sweet Birch | 1,470 lbf (6,500 N) | |
| Hard maple , Sugar Maple | 1,450 lbf (6,400 N) | |
| Caribbean Walnut | 1,390 lbf (6,200 N) | |
| Kentucky coffeetree | 1,390 lbf (6,200 N) | |
| Natural Bamboo (represents one species) | 1,380 lbf (6,100 N) | |
| Australian Cypress | 1,375 lbf (6,120 N) | |
| White Oak | 1,360 lbf (6,000 N) | |
| Tasmanian oak | 1,350 lbf (6,000 N) | |
| Ribbon Gum | 1,349 lbf (6,000 N) | |
| Ash (White) | 1,320 lbf (5,900 N) | |
| American Beech | 1,300 lbf (5,800 N) | |
| Red Oak (Northern) | 1,290 lbf (5,700 N) | |
| Caribbean Heart Pine | 1,280 lbf (5,700 N) | |
| Yellow Birch , Iroko | 1,260 lbf (5,600 N) | |
| Movingui | 1,230 lbf (5,500 N) | |
| Heart pine | 1,225 lbf (5,450 N) | |
| Carapa guianensis , Brazilian Mesquite | 1,220 lbf (5,400 N) | |
| Larch | 1,200 lbf (5,300 N) | |
| Carbonized Bamboo (represents one species) | 1,180 lbf (5,200 N) | |
| Teak | 1,155 lbf (5,140 N) | |
| Cocobolo | 1,136 lbf (5,050 N) | |
| Brazilian Eucalyptus, Rose Gum | 1,125 lbf (5,000 N) | |
| English Oak | 1,120 lbf (5,000 N) | |
| Makore | 1,100 lbf (4,900 N) | |
| Siberian Larch | 1,100 lbf (4,900 N) | |
| Peruvian Walnut | 1,080 lbf (4,800 N) | |
| Boreal | 1,023 lbf (4,550 N) | |
| Black Walnut , North American Walnut | 1,010 lbf (4,500 N) | |
| European Oak | 1,010 lbf (4,500 N) | |
| Cherry | 995 lbf (4,430 N) | |
| European Ash | 994 lbf (4,400 N) | |
| Black Cherry , Imbuia | 950 lbf (4,200 N) | |
| Red Maple | 950 lbf (4,200 N) | |
| Boire | 940 lbf (4,200 N) | |
| Paper Birch | 910 lbf (4,000 N) | |
| Eastern Red Cedar | 900 lbf (4,000 N) | |
| Southern Yellow Pine (Longleaf) | 870 lbf (3,900 N) | |
| Lacewood , Leopardwood | 840 lbf (3,700 N) | |
| African Mahogany | 830 lbf (3,700 N) | |
| Mahogany , Honduran Mahogany | 800 lbf (3,600 N) | |
| Parana | 780 lbf (3,500 N) | |
| Sycamore | 770 lbf (3,400 N) | |
| Box Elder | 720 lbf (3,200 N) | |
| Shedua | 710 lbf (3,200 N) | |
| Radiata Pine | 710 lbf (3,200 N) | |
| Silver Maple | 700 lbf (3,100 N) | |
| Southern Yellow Pine ( Loblolly and Shortleaf ) | 690 lbf (3,100 N) | |
| Douglas Fir | 660 lbf (2,900 N) | |
| Western Juniper | 626 lbf (2,780 N) | |
| Alder (Red) | 590 lbf (2,600 N) | |
| Larch | 590 lbf (2,600 N) | |
| Douglas Fir | 580 lbf (2,500 N) | |
| Pine | 580 lbf (2,500 N) | |
| Chestnut | 540 lbf (2,400 N) | |
| Hemlock | 500 lbf (2,200 N) | |
| Western White Pine | 420 lbf (1,900 N) | |
| Basswood , Fir | 410 lbf (1,800 N) | |
| Eastern White Pine | 380 lbf (1,700 N) | |
| Spruce | 350 lbf (1,600 N) | |
| Balsa | 100 lbf (440 N) | |
| Cuipo | 22 lbf (98 N) | |
