Wood Hardness Chart
© Woods Flooring International

Janka Hardness is a test which measures the pounds of force it takes to drive a .444" diameter steel ball 1/2 its depth into wood.  These numbers are taken from various publications but principally are from the U.S. Forest Products lab.  The higher the number the harder the species. 

Color examples of of hardwoods
Additional examples
Hardwood health hazards

 

North American Species

Flooring Trade Name

Botanical Name

Janka Hardness

Ash, White

Fraxinus, excelsior

1320

Cherry

Prunus, serotina

950

Maple

Acer, saccharum

1450

Oak, Red

Quercus, rubra

1260

Oak, White

Quercus, alba

1360

Walnut

Juglans, nigra

1010

Imported Species to North America

Flooring Trade Name

Botanical Name

Janka Hardness

Afrormosia

Pericopsis, elata

1560

Amendoim

Pterogyne, nitens

1340

Angelique

Dicorynia, guianensis

1290

Ash, Silky

Couratari, spp

1460

Ash, Victorian

Eucalyptus, delegatensis

1010

Beech, European

Fagus, slyvatica

1300

Bloodwood

Brosimum, rubescens

2900

Brushbox, Northern

Tristania, spp

2045

Bubinga

Guibourtia, demeusei

1980

Cherry, Bolivian

Manilkara, bidentata

3190

Cherry, Brazilian

Hymenaea, courbaril

2820

Cherry, Caribbean

Lonchocarpus, castilloi

3100

Cherry, Chilean

Nothofagus, dombeyi

990

Chestnut

Castanea, sativa

540

Chestnut, Southern

Sweetia, panamensis

2670

Cypress, Australian

Callitrus, glauca

1375

Doussie

Afzelia, spp

1770

Ebony, African

Diospyros spp

3220

Gum, Sydney Blue

Eucalyptus, saligna

2025

Iroko/Kambala

Chloraphora, excelsa

1260

Jarrah

Eucalyptus, marginata

1915

Kempas

Koompassia, malaccensis

1710

Lacewood

Roupala, brasiliensis

840

Lignum Vitae

Guaiacum officinale

4500

Mahogany, Honduran

Swietenia, macrophylla

800

Mahogany, Royal

Pithecellobium, arboreum

1400

Mahogany, Santos

Myroxylon, balsamum

2200

Maple, Patagonian

Balfourodendron, riedelianum

1500

Merbau

Intsia, spp

1925

Padauk, African

Pterocarpus, soyauxii

1725

Pine, Heart

Pinus, caribaea

910

Purpleheart

Peltogyne, spp

2090

Rosewood, Bolivian

Machaerium, sclieroxylon

1780

Rosewood, Caribbean

Metopium, browneii

2300

Rosewood, Honduran

Dalbergia, Stevensonii

2200

Rosewood, Patagonian

Piptadenia, macrocarpa

2800

Rosewood, Tiete

Guibourtia, chodatianal

2800

Shedua/Mutenye

Guibourtia, arnoldiana

1650

Tamarind

Dialium, guianense

3000

Teak, Brazilian

Dipteryx, odorata

3540

Teak, True

Tectona, grandis

1155

Tigerwood

Astronium, spp

2160

Timborana

Piptadenia, suaveolens

1570

Walnut, Brazilian

Tabebuia, spp

3680

Walnut, Caribbean

Lysiloma, bahamensis

1400

Walnut, Patagonian

Tabebuia, heptaphylla

2800

Walnut, Peruvian

Juglans, neotropica

1080

Wenge

Milletia, laurentii

1630

Zebrawood

Microberlina, brazzavillensis

1575

 

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