Janka Wood Hardness Rating

Janka Wood Hardness Rating
Janka, short for the Janka Scale or Janka Hardness Rating, is a way of communicating how hard a wood is. The
Janka Hardness Chart lists woods by their rating. Though it's good to know a trees hardness, using the Janka table
to help you buy your hardwood flooring may not make sense; just because a wood is hard doesn't make it a good
flooring option. The Janka hardwood flooring test is done on both the side and end of wood. Janka ratings make it
easy for people to discuss the durability of different woods. Use Janka as part of your decision making processs,
but not the only factor.
Of the characteristics and properties to consider when choosing your hardwood flooring, the most important is
probably the relative hardness of the wood. A wood's relative hardness is determined with the Janka Rating
System, which measures the force required to drive a .444 inch steel ball into the wood until half the diameter of the
ball is imbedded in the wood.
The Janka Hardness Scale lists the Janka rating of wood and has become the industry standard for determining
whether a given wood is suitable for flooring material. Moreover, the Red Oak, which has a Janka rating of 1290, is
the industry benchmark for comparing the relative hardness of different wood species. Since the hardness of the
wood varies with the direction of the grain, both side testing and end testing is performed on wood.
While it's true that the hardwood used in flooring is durable enough to withstand normal use, that doesnt mean that
the wood wont dent or mar with a hard enough impact. Even appliances and furniture will eventually leave dents on
a hardwood floor. Fortunately, the natural beauty of wood floors can easily be restored by sanding and refinishing
the flooring.
Wood is a natural material and every piece is different. The growth patterns of each wood species are influence by
its environment: the sunlight, minerals in the soil, overall climate, and even insects. Some of the most beautiful
wood is that which has actually been damaged by nature itself.
Although the higher the Janka rating, the harder the wood, don't mistake hardness for the best wood. In addition to
a wood's hardness, other qualities to consider when choosing a wood floor include both aesthetic and physical
properties. For example, choose a wood with a texture, grain, and color that fit your style, and take into account the
wood's durability and stability. And of course, the wood floor you choose must be available and fit within your
budget.
Hardwood flooring is priced by square foot, so it's important to have your measurements when pricing your flooring
options. Surprisingly, the cost of hardwood flooring isn't necessarily based on Janka rating, where the higher the
Janka rating, the higher the price. Rather, exotic, specialty, and scarce woods are more expensive than more
readily available woods. For example, for years, fir was less expensive than oak but since the fir resources have
greatly diminished, now the opposite is true. Today, oak is the most popular hardwood flooring choice.
As you research hardwood flooring options, keep in mind that there are two main groups of flooring materials: solid
wood and engineered wood. Solid wood is milled from a solid piece of wood and is generally used over a wood
sub-floor and nailed to the sub-floor. Engineered wood is made by bonding layers of veneer and lumber in at least
three layers in a cross-ply arrangement and is used when installing the wood flooring to concrete.
For consumers, it's important to recognize that each wood has its own personality and to decide which hardwood
flooring is best for your specific application. Understanding the Janka table, and pros and cons of each wood will
help give you more realistic expectations about how your wood flooring will perform. Choosing the right floor for
your home will give your room a natural beauty that will give your room warmth and personality.
Forest Stewardship Council Certified Wood

The Forest Stewardship Council was created to change the dialogue about and the practice of sustainable forestry
worldwide. In 1995, FSC-US, located in Washington, D.C., was established as the national chapter of FSC. Its
purpose is to coordinate the development of forest management standards throughout the different biogeographic
regions of the U.S., to provide public information about certification and FSC, and to work with certification
organizations to promote FSC certification in the U.S.FSC-US has a national presence through the work of its
Board of Directors, members, staff, and regional standards coordinators.
Principles & Criteria

FSC has developed a set of Principles and Criteria for forest management that are applicable to all FSC-certified
forests throughout the world. There are 10 Principles and 57 Criteria that address legal issues, indigenous rights,
labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts surrounding forest management.
PRINCIPLE #1: COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS AND FSC PRINCIPLES
Forest management shall respect all applicable laws of the country in which they occur, and international treaties
and agreements to which the country is a signatory, and comply with all FSC Principles and Criteria.
PRINCIPLE #2: TENURE AND USE RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Long-term tenure and use rights to the land and forest resources shall be clearly defined, documented and legally
established.
PRINCIPLE #3: INDIGENOUS PEOPLES RIGHTS
The legal and customary rights of indigenous peoples to own, use and manage their lands, territories, and
resources shall be recognized and respected.
PRINCIPLE #4: COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND WORKERS RIGHTS
Forest management operations shall maintain or enhance the long-term social and economic well being of forest
workers and local communities.
PRINCIPLE # 5: BENEFITS FROM THE FOREST
Forest management operations shall encourage the efficient use of the forests multiple products and services to
ensure economic viability and a wide range of environmental and social benefits.
PRINCIPLE #6: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Forest management shall conserve biological diversity and its associated values, water resources, soils, and
unique and fragile ecosystems and landscapes, and, by so doing, maintain the ecological functions and the integrity
of the forest.
PRINCIPLE #7: MANAGEMENT PLAN
A management plan -- appropriate to the scale and intensity of the operations -- shall be written, implemented, and
kept up to date. The long-term objectives of management, and the means of achieving them, shall be clearly stated.
PRINCIPLE #8: MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT
Monitoring shall be conducted -- appropriate to the scale and intensity of forest management -- to assess the
condition of the forest, yields of forest products, chain of custody, management activities and their social and
environmental impacts.
PRINCIPLE # 9: MAINTENANCE OF HIGH CONSERVATION VALUE FORESTS
Management activities in high conservation value forests shall maintain or enhance the attributes which define such
forests. Decisions regarding high conservation value forests shall always be considered in the context of a
precautionary approach.
PRINCIPLE # 10: PLANTATIONS
Plantations shall be planned and managed in accordance with Principles and Criteria 1 - 9, and Principle 10 and its
Criteria. While plantations can provide an array of social and economic benefits, and can contribute to satisfying the
worlds needs for forest products, they should complement the management of, reduce pressures on, and promote
the restoration and conservation of natural forests.

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