If you’re looking to purchase hardwood flooring, you’re likely to run into something called the Janka Hardness Scale. The Janka Hardness Scale is used to measure the hardness of a wood. The higher a wood’s Janka rating, the harder - and generally more durable - the wood will be.

While the softer Eastern White Pine is a mere 380 on the Janka Scale, Brazilian Walnut ranks at a much harder 3680. Red Oak is often referenced as the middle point of the scale with a Janka rating around 1280. This test is a good measurement of how a wood product will withstand denting and wear.

By the same token, it’s also a good indicator of how hard a species is to saw or mill. When shopping for hardwood flooring you should consider where the floor will be located in your home and how much traffic it will get. While the Janka Hardness Scale should play a role in your decision, it should not be the only factor you look at when purchasing a hardwood floor.

You should choose a wood with a texture, grain, and color that fits your style. The Janka test is also a good indicator of how hard it would be to saw or nail into a species of wood. The higher the Janka measure, the harder and more resistant it is to denting. Bamboo flooring is not included on the Janka Hardness Scale. This is due to the fact that the numbers can vary due to the process and chemicals used to produce the optional caramelized or carbonized coloring in some bamboo flooring.

Additionally, particular species of bamboo used in the flooring can impact the hardness. When left with a natural finish, bamboo has a Janka rating of 1380. If carbonized to produce a darker color, bamboo’s hardness drops to 1180. As you can see here, it is not productive to take issue with the exact number, but rather understand the “relative” hardness of one wood to another.

For example, two pieces of the same type of wood, one grown quickly further south and one slowly in more northern climates will have quite different Janka ratings.

This will have occurred simply because of their individual “speed of growth” and this is certainly not something that you would expect your retailer to know off-hand. On the other hand, some pundits will advise you to take the Janka rating with a grain of salt and simply buy whatever flooring suits your fancy!