In general terms, the hardest wood for flooring is Ipe (or Lapacho). However, it is very difficult to find, due to its rarity. This also makes it a very expensive flooring product. Cumaru 3540, Brazilian walnut 3684 and Brazilian cherry 2350 are common examples of strong and durable hardwood.
Hardwood floors are beautiful and add considerable value to your home. While it will cost more, the benefits far outweigh the price. These harder woods will better withstand high-traffic areas, such as kitchens, hallways, and homes with children. However, keep in mind that when an impact or pressure occurs on the wooden floor, the wood fibers crush, which causes dents to appear.
Ipe Woods USA is the one stop shop for all your Ipe decks, siding, fencing, hardwood and related accessories online. If you want to know if your hardwood floor is likely to last for decades or if it will likely wear out in a few years after foot traffic and dog claws, you'll want to check Janka's rating. Whether you've been tempted by these exotic hardwoods or prefer to stick with more classic domestic species, be sure to call Floor Coverings International of Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR, for your next hardwood flooring job. This wood is often used for decking, furniture and flooring, when durability and high shock resistance are needed.
While it is generally true that dicots have harder wood than angiosperm species, there are numerous cases in which softwood species are approximately equivalent on the Janka scale to some hardwood species. The “hardness” of a wood species refers to how well it resists dents and scratches on impact. The harder a hardwood floor is, the less likely it is to be damaged. It's important to remember that the test process used on the Janka scale is an impact test, not a test of scratches, scuffs, or any other wear and tear experienced by the floor.
Still, Janka's impressive ratings accurately represent the excellent durability of these non-wood flooring products. While softwood floors are ideal for a room with low traffic, don't let the word “soft” put you off. Secondly, you'll pay more money for hardwoods than medium and softwoods, and if you're on a budget but still insist on wood, softwoods are worth considering. In my experience so far between solid and design, I have to say that my engineered floors don't wear as well as my solid oak floor did, even though walnut wood is much “harder”.
Regardless of the wood you choose for your home floor, the good news is that you won't need a special vacuum to clean it. In the hardwood flooring industry, the Janka hardness test is the standard approach to measuring the resistance of a wood sample to dents and wear. Tarkett laminate flooring probably isn't the first choice that comes along when you're looking for the best laminate flooring brands.
