The Janka hardness scale is used to measure the hardness of wood. The Janka test measures how hard it is to embed a steel ball in a piece of wood and still have enough force left to remove it. In this blog post, we will discuss why you should know more about the Janka hardness scale so that you can better understand what kind of furniture or flooring would be best for your home or office!
Who Created the Janka Rating?
The Janka scale was developed by Gabriel Jankaukas in 1907 while he was working for the USDA Forest Service. He found that most people had no idea how to determine what kind of wood they should be using based on its hardness, so his goal became to develop a way to measure it! The test has gone through many iterations since then, but the basic idea has remained.
Why Do You Need to Understand the Janka Hardness Scale?
The hardness of wood is an important consideration when looking for flooring or furniture! If you are buying any material that needs to be nailed, glued, planed, sanded etc., then it’s good to know what kind of resistance each wood has. For example, if you are building a house with wood floors, it would be best to use hardwood because the nails will not easily go through it!
How Is The Janka Hardness Test Done?
The test is done by placing a steel ball bearing of appropriate size into the end grain (the side that was once attached to another piece of wood) and dropping it from increasing heights. The height at which the ball begins to be embedded in the wood because too difficult or impossible for humans to remove with their bare hands is recorded as hardness scores.
What Kinds Of Wood Have Higher Scores?
There are many different types of hardwoods, but some have much higher Janka ratings than others. For example, Brazilian Cherry has one of the highest ratings at 1450, while Hickory comes in second place just barely behind it with 1400. Other woods that have high ratings include Black Locust, White Oak, and Teak.
What Kinds of Wood Have Lower Scores?
There are also many types of wood that have much lower Janka ratings than others, meaning they don’t require as much force to embed the steel ball bearing. For example, Bamboo has a rating of only 720 because it’s so soft! Other woods with low scores include Canadian Maple at 660, White Pine at 400-450, Spruce at 360-400. Aspen is a score of 300 or less! The lowest score is Basswood at a score of 100!
There are many ways that knowing about this rating can help you. It’s important for people who do woodworking or carpentry, but it also helps anyone looking to buy flooring and furniture because they know what kind to go for! Remember to always double-check your sources when choosing flooring or furniture!
