Janka Hardness Test

This measures the hardness of wood. It’s one of the best ways to determine whether or not a wood species has the ability to stand up to denting and wear. So it’s commonly used to see if a species is suitable for use as flooring. It’s also a good indicator of how hard a wood is to saw or nail.

The test measures the force necessary to embed a .444-inch steel ball half of its diameter into the wood species being tested. (The Janka measurement may differ somewhat between boards of the same species, depending on the source of the wood and other variables.) In the United States, a Janka measurement is stated in pounds-force (lbf).

Here are measurements for most of the woods we carry. For comparison, we’ve also included measurements for some of the commonly used woods grown in the United States.