Janka Hardness Scale
The Janka hardness test measures the resistance of each species of wood to withstand denting and wear. It measures the force required to embed half of the diameter of a 1/2" steel ball into the wood.
(The higher the number = The hardness of the species)
Wood Flooring Species
Janka Hardness (pounds-force)
Australian Buloke 5060
Lignum vitae / Guayacan / Pockenholz 4500
Patagonian Rosewood / Curupay / Angico Preto / Piptadenia Macrocarpa / Brazilian Tiger Mahogany 3840
Brazilian Ebony 3692
Ipê / "Brazilian Walnut" / Lapacho 3684
African Pearlwood / Moabi Sometimes: Brazilian Cherry "Lite" 3680
Grey Ironbark 3664
Bolivian Cherry 3650
Lapacho 3640
Cumaru / "Brazilian Teak" sometimes: "Brazilian Chestnut," "Tiete Chestnut," "South American Chestnut," "Southern Chestnut" 3540
Ebony 3220
Brazilian Redwood / Paraju / Massaranduba 3190
Yvyraro 3040
Stranded/woven bamboo 3000
Bloodwood 2900
Red Mahogany, Turpentine 2697
"Southern Chestnut" 2670
Spotted Gum 2473
Brazilian Cherry / Jatoba 2350
Mesquite 2345
"Golden Teak" 2330
Santos Mahogany, Bocote, Cabreuva, Honduran Rosewood 2200
Pradoo 2170
Brazilian Koa 2160
Sucupira sometimes "Brazilian Chestnut" or "Tiete Chestnut" 2140
Brushbox 2135
Karri 2030
Sydney Blue Gum 2023
Bubinga 1980
Cameron 1940
Tallowwood 1933
Merbau 1925
Amendoim 1925
Jarrah 1910
Purpleheart 1860
Goncalo Alves / Tigerwood 1850
Hickory / Pecan, Satinwood 1820
Afzelia / Doussie / Australian Wormy Chestnut 1810
Bangkirai 1798
Rosewood 1780
African Padauk 1725
Blackwood 1720
Merbau 1712
Kempas 1710
Black Locust 1700
Highland Beech 1686
Wenge, Red Pine 1630
Tualang 1624
Zebrawood 1575
True Pine, Timborana 1570
Peroba 1557
Sapele / Sapelli, Kupa'y 1510
Curupixa 1490
Sweet Birch 1470
Hard Maple / Sugar Maple 1450
Caribbean Walnut 1390
Coffee Bean 1390
Natural Bamboo 1380
Australian Cypress 1375
White Oak 1360
Tasmanian Oak 1350
Ribbon Gum 1349
Ash (White) 1320
American Beech 1300
Red Oak (Northern) 1290
Caribbean Heart Pine 1280
Yellow Birch, Iroko 1260
Movingui 1230
Heart Pine 1225
"Brazilian Mesquite" / Carapa Guianensis 1220
Larch 1200
Carbonized Bamboo (represents one species) 1180
Teak 1155
Cocobolo 1136
Brazilian Eucalyptus / Rose Gum 1125
Makore 1100
Siberian Larch 1100
Peruvian Walnut 1080
Boreal 1023
Black Walnut/North American Walnut 1010
Teak 1000
Cherry 995
Black Cherry, Imbuia 950
Red Maple 950
Boire 940
Paper Birch 910
Eastern Red Cedar 900
Southern Yellow Pine (Longleaf) 870
Lacewood, Leopardwood 840
African Mahogany 830
Mahogany, Honduran Mahogany 800
Parana 780
Sycamore 770
Shedua 710
Silver Maple 700
Southern Yellow Pine (Loblolly and Shortleaf) 690
Douglas Fir 660
Western Juniper 626
Alder (Red) 590
Larch 590
Chestnut 540
Hemlock 500
Western White Pine 420
Basswood 410
Eastern White Pine 380
Balsa 100
Cuipo 22
