Which Durable Wood Flooring Should You Buy?
If you’re in the process of upgrading your flooring, you’ll want to consider which durable wood flooring will work best for your home. There are many finished and unfinished hardwood flooring choices available, each with their own advantages for each room of your home. No matter what choice you make, Nature Wood Floors has the wood flooring you need to get the job done. With our headquarters in Tampa, Florida, we ship throughout the US, giving you the fine quality flooring to give you the home of our dreams.
The Janka Scale
The Janka Hardness Scale was developed by Gabriel Janka in 1906 and standardized in 1927 by the American Society for Testing and Materials. Janka, an Austrian wood researcher, established this scale to determine the hardness of each type of wood. The test is conducted using a piece of wood and a steel ball; the test shows how much pounds per square inch (PSI) of force is needed to push the steel ball halfway into the wooden plank. Most shoppers interested in durable flooring will typically look for a wood with a 1,000 Janka scale rating or above. Your choices will ultimately depend on where the flooring will be in the home and whether you have extra high traffic, such as pets and children, where more durability and scratch resistance would be ideal. There are ultimately no “good” or “bad” numbers on the Janka scale, just a means of measurement for you to pick the right wood for your home’s flooring.
Durable Wood Flooring
One of the most durable and strongest woods available is Ipe, also known as Brazilian Walnut flooring. Ipe is naturally insect, moisture, fire and scratch resistant. It requires minimum maintenance and is the second hardest wood in the world with a Janka rating of 3680. When properly maintained it can last up to forty years, and is easy to sand down and refinish when needed. A slightly cheaper and more readily available durable wood is Cumaru. With a hardness rating of 3200, it boasts a lot of the same advantages as Ipe without the price tag and more common availability in manufacturers.
Oak wood is also highly durable, with a Janka rating around 1,300, depending on which type you go with. Oak is the most popular flooring, offering a smooth, dark grain that goes well in any room as the colors can vary vastly. White oak is oftentimes a great unfinished wood flooring option. Maple is the second most favorite choice in wood, with a Janka rating slightly above oak. A lot of basketball courts are made of maple, showing how durable and strong this wood can be. Maple doesn’t offer as much variety when it comes to color choices, though, and has a more predictable pattern to its less-pronounced grain. Hickory is also a highly durable wood, higher on the Janka scale than oak, sitting at 1820. Although it’s more expensive per square foot than oak, you’re paying for the stronger abilities and scratch resistance of the hickory.
Which Wood?
In the long run, the decision of which wood flooring to buy for your home is your choice. You will want to look at each room you plan on installing wood flooring and think about how durable you want that wood and how long you want it to last. Some flooring options offer extensive durability that may not be what you need in your home and can instead find something lower but still strong on the Janka scale to fit your needs. Ultimately, the final choice is up to you, but any unfinished wood flooring you choose should be done thoroughly to help your home last long and stay beautiful.
Contact Us
Have you made your final choice on which durable wood flooring you’re selecting for your home? Nature Wood Floors in Tampa is your one-stop shop for all your wood flooring needs. We ship throughout the entire US to provide you the very best in wood flooring options. Call us today!
