Question:
|> Which hardwood floor is hardest?’ |> The most common materials for wood flooring and the relative hardness of |> each is listed below. Do not take hardness to mean " best ". Different |> floor materials for different purposes. Some of the materials mentioned |> to me via postings and email don’t even exist ( on this planet anyhow) so |> let’s try to keep the discussion relevant to the parameters of this topic; |> hardwood floors. |> Hardness is Janka rating system. This is the force it takes to drive a |> .444 inch steel ball to a depth where half the ball is imbedded into the |> wood. This is a relative hardness table for hardwood floor materials. |> rel.hardness relative cost |> douglas fir 660 1.70 |> yellow pine 690 .95 |> southern yellow longleaf pine 870 .95 |> cherry 950 1.70 |> heart pine 1225 2.00 |> birch 1260 1.30 |> RED OAK * 1290 1.00 |> beech 1300 1.20 |> ash 1320 1.20 |> WHITE OAK * 1360 .95 |> maple 1450 1.30 |> puple heart 1860 2.30 |> brazilian cherry 2350 1.30 |> * Although the hardness difference from red to white oak seems small, it |> is quite significant in actual wear – durability in the field. |> Note: we did not include about a dozen lesser used species as they are |> not germain to the topic and only add to the confusion. ( Nobody REALLY has an |> |> african ironwood floor.) |> For a complete list and chart go to WWW.tigerfloors.com/woods.htm. |> Best Wishes, |> Ari Ben Harav |> Tiger Floors, Inc. |> Lexington, Ma |> www.tigerfloors.com More important that hardness, in my opinion, is stability. That is, the tendency to stay put under changing humidity and temperature. On the stability scale ash ranks very high; I was tempted to use it in my house but other factors (like color, grain, and resaleablity) convinced me to go with red oak.
Response:
Which hardwood floor is hardest?’ The most common materials for wood flooring and the relative hardness of each is listed below. Do not take hardness to mean " best ". Different floor materials for different purposes. Some of the materials mentioned to me via postings and email don’t even exist ( on this planet anyhow) so let’s try to keep the discussion relevant to the parameters of this topic; hardwood floors. Hardness is Janka rating system. This is the force it takes to drive a .444 inch steel ball to a depth where half the ball is imbedded into the wood. This is a relative hardness table for hardwood floor materials. rel.hardness relative cost douglas fir 660 1.70 yellow pine 690 .95 southern yellow longleaf pine 870 .95 cherry 950 1.70 heart pine 1225 2.00 birch 1260 1.30 RED OAK * 1290 1.00 beech 1300 1.20 ash 1320 1.20 WHITE OAK * 1360 .95 maple 1450 1.30 puple heart 1860 2.30 brazilian cherry 2350 1.30 * Although the hardness difference from red to white oak seems small, it is quite significant in actual wear – durability in the field. Note: we did not include about a dozen lesser used species as they are not germain to the topic and only add to the confusion. ( Nobody REALLY has an african ironwood floor.) For a complete list and chart go to WWW.tigerfloors.com/woods.htm. Best Wishes, Ari Ben Harav Tiger Floors, Inc. Lexington, Ma www.tigerfloors.com
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