Hardness Scale for Wood Flooring

The hardness of your wood floor is an important criterion when choosing a hardwood floor. The Janka (or side) hardness test measures the force it takes to embed a .444-inch steel ball to half its diameter in wood. It’s one of the best measures of how well a type of wood will withstand denting and wear. The higher the ranking, the harder the wood. Here is a listing from hardest to softest. If your floor will be more prone to wear and tear because you have a dog or kids, you may want to select a harder wood.