By NWFA
Wood floors are extremely durable. They can stand up to the busy lifestyles of today’s modern family and continue to look beautiful for decades.
Wood species are rated for hardness and durability. The Janka Scale gives a good indication of how a wood species can be expected to perform based on your lifestyle because it rates the relative hardness of the wood. The higher the number, the harder the wood therefore the longer lifespan of the wood.
The Janka Hardness Test measures the force required to drive a .444 inch steel ball into the wood until half the diameter of the ball is embedded in the wood. This should only be used as a general guide when comparing various species of wood flooring. Depending on where the wood is harvested, results may vary.