Janka Rating & Floor Durability
July 26, 2019
The higher the Janka Rating the harder the timber/hardwood
There is much more to consider, than just how hard your timber is. The Janka rating is not all you need to know about.
Most people are looking for a timber, parquetry or floating floor that is hard wearing and durable. Often the subject of timber hardness and ongoing durability of a timber floor is misunderstood. It is not just the timber itself that is exposed to wear, scratching & denting, but rather the surface coating applied. The Janka Hardness rating does not take into consideration the type of finish you use on your floor.
There are many things that are discussed in relation to timber flooring durability however scratching and denting seem to be the main concerns of our customers. We commonly use 3 types of finishes. Solvent based polyurethane, Oil Modified Urethane and Water based polyurethane For more information see finishes. The best way to maintain any timber floor, whether it is solid timber boards, parquetry or engineered/floating floor is to keep them as grit and dust free as possible. It is the grit that can harm the surface coating. If you’re consistently wearing shoes inside the house and/or have young children we’d recommend a denser timber and a harder wearing coating system. To maintain your floor, we recommend a soft microfibre broom and a damp mop. See caring for your timber floor.
Janka Hardness Rating
Dents are is related to the density of a timber species, with the resulting hardness being classified by an internationally recognised system known as the ‘Janka Hardness Rating’. The Janka rating of a specific timber species is determined by a controlled test, where a steel ball is dropped at pressure onto the surface of various kiln dried samples, with the degree of force required to achieve a specified indentation forming the basis of that timbers ‘Janka Hardness Rating’. The higher the Janka rating, the harder the timber species.
In general terms, a medium density timber will have a Janka rating of 4 to 8, whilst a high-density timber achieves a rating of 8+.
A good floor is not always about how hard your timber is. Baltic Pine has a Janka rating of 2.9, yet many older homes still have the original floorboards from early 20th century. Oak is not “the hardest” hardwood however has been used for centuries in palaces around the world.
Another analogy is that concrete is very hard but not nice to walk on all the time. Timber needs a “softness” about it, to feel warm and luxurious. Spotted Gum has a rating of 11.00, Blackbutt is 9.1 & Tasmanian Oak is 5.5 however they are good hardwood timbers to use for flooring.
See timber species
Oak Parquetry Flooring from 16th Century
examples of timber that PFC install & their ratings
- Baltic Pine 2.9
- Cypress Pine 6.1
- Jarrah 8.5
- Sydney Blue 9.0
- Blackbutt 9.1
- Brushbox 9.5
- Spotted Gum 11.0
Parquetry Flooring Company uses all the above Hardwood timber and more. They all make beautiful floors. We encourage you to find out more about the durablity of a floor by coming into the showroom on Magill Road and talking with one of our team
ATFA Consumer Resources
The following consumer information is available for download from the Australasian Timber Flooring Association.
Timber Floor Hardness
The hardness of timber is not directly related to how hard or easy the timber is to work with various tools, but is a measure of the resistance of the wood to indentation. The hardness figures most commonly used are those obtained from the Janka test.
