
If you’re considering picking a hardwood floor for your home odds are you are searching for a durable flooring option. The durability of any wood flooring is dependent upon its hardness.
The harder the flooring is the greater can it withstand scratching and wear related harm.
Nonetheless, regardless of what the name might indicate, not all of hardwood is hard. Some woods are harder than others. How can you determine which one is right for you? Fear not, we have got you covered!
How hard is hardwood really?
The hardness of timber is determined by how much pressure it can withstand. The Janka Hardness Test measures the hardness of different wood species and classifies them from the outcomes. During the testing, a steel ball having an 11.28-millimeter diameter is pressed into the wood to half the ball’s diameter. This makes a circular indention from the timber having an area of 100 square millimeters. The quantity of force spent on the task is measured in pounds-force (lbf) or newtons (N).The more force this process necessitates the stronger is the wood species. Since the testing is completed on the surface of the plank and the force is applied horizontally into the wood’s grain it’s possible to also determine side hardness.
To achieve reliable results the timber employed in the test has been air-dried to some 12% moisture content.
The Janka Hardness test also gives insight regarding how well a particular wood could take on dents and daily wear.
Because of the various features of various wood species, the difference between wood hardnesses is considerable.
Australian Buloke is the strongest wood on the list. With 5060 pound-force, it is well above some of the most well-known exotic woods such as Brazilian Walnut and Bolivian Cherry. It’s almost two times as strong as Red Mahogany and Southern Chestnut and three times more powerful than the ever popular flooring choice of Americans — Hickory.
Testing and collecting data is one thing but successfully implementing the results to your renovation project is another thing. Knowing in advance what to expect from particular wood species can make it easier for you to decide on the right type of flooring for your house.
Maple
1450 lbf
This timber species is native to the northern regions of the US and Canada. Maple hardwood is mostly of a faint white colour which may slightly vary from board to board. The continuity of tone during the board depends upon the caliber of the wood. Maple flooring can contain minimal to a good deal of brownish/black mineral streaks. The higher the quality is the least marks of this kind occur. Maple graining (occasionally straight lines( other occasions curly patterns) is so nice that often times it goes unnoticed. “Birdseye” graining is also characteristic to walnut. Birdseye is a distinctive pattern which resembles tiny eyes and is common in several wood species. Though walnut hardwood is largely known as a very hardwood species, it comprises areas which have thicker structure. This can sometimes lead to uneven color distribution when staining the floor. To avoid blotchiness it’s suggested to use a liquid timber conditioner prior to applying a stain to your maple floor.
What is the perfect hardness your preferred wood species ought to have?
As long as you’re installing a flooring for residential use there’s little chance you would need something from the top of the Janka Hardness listing. Red Oak, White Oak or Maple are some of the most common domestic flooring choices across the North America. The majority of the domestic wood species tend to be of a lighter color unless stained or otherwise distressed.
Exotic woods come normally in more colours and vary from board to board. Their grain pattern is also more unusual and less constant than in the event of wood. This unique look has caused a huge spike in exotic wood floor sales in the previous decade in america. Most exotic timber species are even more difficult and consequently more resilient than standard domestic wood species.
But, hardness isn’t always excellent. Most of us install a hardwood flooring to avoid the problem of installing and removing a new one years later. Solid hardwood floors can be sanded and refinished up to five times. But sanding and refinishing a truly hard hardwood flooring is not all that simple. Because of the strong constructed hardest floors require very precise work and could splinter. This is also the reason why exotic timber species are somewhat more expensive to treat and require a specialist who has expertise in the matter.
Domestic Hardwood Species
Red Oak
1290 lbf
Red Oak is somewhat the classic flooring option. It is so popular that every additional timber is measured against its hardness and durability. The species usually has moderate to thick graining with moderate shade variants. The colour of a Red oak flooring can be anywhere between creamy pinks to light reds all the way to darker tones such as colors of brown. Unlike white oak that has more earthly colored undertones (browns and greys), red oak is known for much more pinkish look.
Hickory
1820 lbf
Hickory is one of the most difficult species of timber that is indigenous to North America. Due to the wonderful number of colour and distinctive graining, it is among the popular forests also.
Coloring for Hickory hardwood floors can vary from creamy whites to medium browns and to darker browns. For the most from the unique grain variant of Hickory it is typical to reduce it in 5″ and broader boards.
Brazilian Cherry
2820 lbf
Brazilian Cherry is a exotic wood species famous for its intense color variations. Also known as Jatoba, it is on the top of this Janka hardness rating. When installed it created a beautiful reddish/brown routine with reddish/blonde highlights and sometimes deep red selections.
Unlike many flooring choices that generally fade when exposed to sunlight, Brazilian Cherry gets richer and darkens with exposure to light. The special graining plays a part in producing an intriguing and inviting environment.
Santos Mahogany
2200 lbf
This timber species is your second-most popular choice among the exotic kind. In comparison to Brazilian Cherry, the most common exotic wood on the current market, the design of this wood stays mostly homogenous through the board. Color version ranges from medium brownish/orange to dark brown. Santos Mahogany hardwood has wavy grain that incorporates an open layout. Exactly like Brazilian Cherry, when exposed to mild Santos Mahogany will end up richer.
Bamboo
Unlike other woods bamboo does not possess a set Janka hardness rating. The hardness of bamboo depends on the harvesting time. Cheaper bamboo has usually been harvested sooner than more expensive bud and is significantly less hard.