Janka Hardness Scale, Calgary Alberta

When choosing hardwood for the various rooms in the house a number of factors will determine suitability. Types of footware permitted, pets, humidity, amount of traffic, how the floor was finished and gloss level will all contribute to the floors long term appearance.

Underlying all these factors is the density of the wood. Each species has a different density and the Janka Hardess Scale was created to provide guide lines on this topic. In simple terms it measures the amount of force reqired to imbed a .444" steel ball to half its diameter into a piece of wood. These tests are done on a piece of hardwood, not on wood or engineered flooring. Unless stated otherwise the wood has a 12% humidity rate. The number provided represents a range of results. The higher the number given the harder the wood. For general comparison the janka results will give you an idea as to which species is better suited for your requirements. At the same time the number also indicates indirectly the level of difficulty installing the wood. A much harder wood will present more of a challenge while nailing, sanding and cutting the flooring.

Professional installation becomes more important with harder woods. The installer will know which staples or nails will do the best job. Professional installers also have the equipment to cut harder woods.

While the Janka Scale gives you a great indication of hardness for a solid wood floor, it is a little less indicative of the performance of an engineered floor. Things such as the thickness of the veneer and the material used to make the core can have some impact on the floor's performance.

In general, exotic woods are the hardest, domestic hardwoods from deciduous trees are the next group followed up by coniferous species. To ensure your satisfaction with the floors long term performance you will want to refer to the Janka Hardness scale as a starting point to select your flooring.

A new floor is a big investment. The professionals at Fashion Flooring in Calgary will help you from the selection process all the way through installation.