Friday, July 8, 2011

Frequently Asked Questions: What Is the Most Durable Hardwood Floor Available?

There are two main factors that come into play when discussing the durability of hardwood flooring. The first is finish. A factory prefinished floor will certainly be more durable than an unfinished floor, but there are many high-quality finishes you can apply onsite that will help protect the wood for years.

The real indication of durability is the wood's hardness. Wood species are given a Janka Hardness rating based on their resistance to indentation. The harder the floor, the more resistant it will be to scrapes, dents, and everyday wear-and-tear.

The top five hardest wood species are:
  • Patagonian Rosewood
  • Kurupayra
  • Lapacho
  • Ipe
  • Tiete Rosewood

Tiete Rosewood hardwood flooring (above) is one of the hardest flooring materials you can buy.

The five wood species with the lowest Janka hardness ratings are:
  • Western Red Cedar
  • Douglas Fir
  • Exotic Hickory
  • Cherry
  • Walnut

Don't get us wrong - even the softest of hardwoods will still make a beautiful, durable floor. In fact, two of the most common and trusted hardwood flooring materials - Oak flooring and Birch flooring - also have two of the lowest Janka hardness ratings. Ipe is one of the hardest flooring materials and is certainly durable, but red or white oak flooring is a great option as well.

2 comments:

Jenny Grache said...

The floor looks so shiny and great.!I truly love it, no doubt.Hopefully I could change our flooring this year.
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Anonymous said...

Buying on hardness alone is very dangerous ! Some very ghard floors have very smooth graining patterns that hide very little while moderately hard species have graining patterns that hide life's boo- boo's very well, Graining,color and gloss lever are typically FAR more important that hardness. Also, ever use IPE in a arrid climate... oops ! Failure. Much more to selections than Janks ratings in my opinion. TR