How hard is Hickory on the Janka scale

The hardest of all domestic hardwoods, hickory has a ranking of 1820 on the Janka scale.

What is the hardest wood on the Janka scale?

Generally acknowledged as the hardest wood, lignum vitae (Guaiacum sanctum and Guaiacum officinale) measures in at 4,500 pounds-force (lbf) on the Janka scale.

Is hickory hard or soft?

The hardest commercially available hardwood is hickory, and it is five times harder than aspen, one of the “soft” hardwoods.

What is the Janka rating for hickory?

Hickory is among the hardest domestic hardwoods with a Janka rating of 1820, while American or Black Walnut is among the softest with a rating of 1010.

Which wood is harder ash or hickory?

Which is stronger: Ash or Hickory? With a Janka hardness rating of 1320, Ash is a very durable species of hardwood that can easily be installed in high-traffic areas. But with a hardness rating of 1820, Hickory is among the strongest hardwoods commonly used for flooring.

Which is harder hickory or maple?

Both Maple and Hickory are among the denser hardwoods used in flooring, but Hickory is the clear winner here. According to the NWFA, Maple has a Janka hardness rating of 1450 while Hickory clocks in at 1820, making it the hardest of the domestic hardwoods.

How hard is hickory wood?

An Introduction to Hickory Flooring The hardest of all domestic hardwoods, hickory has a ranking of 1820 on the Janka scale. This makes it a tough and durable option for your flooring.

Is hickory more expensive than oak?

Hickory is a little more unique and a bit more durable. Oak can be a little less expensive and might be a safer choice from a resale value perspective. Of all the types of flooring you could consider, you really can’t go wrong with either one!

Is hickory harder than bamboo?

Hickory is 25 percent harder than bamboo, and both are harder than oak, which is the number one hardwood flooring material in the United States. … The 2014 price range for bamboo flooring is from about $2 to approximately $4 per square foot, which is comparable to oak.

What is the Janka rating of 1820?

SpeciesForce: pounds-force (newtons)Purpleheart1,860 lbf (8,300 N)Goncalo Alves, Tigerwood1,850 lbf (8,200 N)Hickory, Pecan, Satinwood1,820 lbf (8,100 N)Afzelia, Doussie, Australian Wormy Chestnut1,810 lbf (8,100 N)

Article first time published on

What is the hardest hardwood flooring?

Generally speaking, the hardest wood for flooring is Ipe (or Lapacho). However, this is very hard to find, due to its rarity. This also makes it a very expensive flooring product. Therefore, more widely available, and hardwearing are Hickory and Maple flooring.

What's the softest wood?

The balsa tree is a tropical plant which is grown across all continents. The trees are very fast-growing and reach a height of 30 to 45 meters. The stem has a smooth bark which is usually light-gray and may have white marbling. With a density of 0.1 to 0.2 g / cm³, balsa is the softest wood in the world.

Is Hickory heavier than oak?

The Janka scale rates hardness or density of hardwoods: the higher the number, the harder or more dense the wood. Hickory is the hardest of the three types with a rating of 1,820. White oak is second with a rating of 1,360. Red oak is the softest of the three at 1,290.

How do you test Janka hardness?

The Janka Hardness test is used primarily to determine the hardness of a wood species, and whether it is suitable to use as hardwood flooring. To conduct this test, a steel ball that is 11.28 mm is forced into a sample piece of wood until half of the ball’s diameter is embedded.

What's the hardest wood in the world?

Australian Buloke – 5,060 IBF An ironwood tree that is native to Australia, this wood comes from a species of tree occurring across most of Eastern and Southern Australia. Known as the hardest wood in the world, this particular type has a Janka hardness of 5,060 lbf.

Is Hickory good for cutting boards?

Hickory wood is stiff and wears like iron. It is used for anything that’s needs to withstand heavy physical contact. Hickory is a nice enough looking wood. …

Do hickory floors scratch easily?

It lies second in the list of hardest and durable hardwood with a Janka scale rating of 1820. It is one of the unique floors with natural knots and gorgeous contrasting colours. Do hickory floors scratch easily? Hickory is extremely resilient and hard to scratch.

What wood is closest to hickory?

WOODBEST FEATUREHickoryPopular substitute for oak, walnut or mesquite; delicate grain with lots of characterSugar MapleMinimal grain, extremely tight color range in highest gradesMesquiteThe most stable and one of the most durable woods; exquisite character

Is hickory good for building?

Yes—hickory wood is ultra-strong! Hickory wood is at the top of the list for hardness, topping both white oak and hard maple, which are heavy hitters for hardness in their own right. … Hickory wood has a Janka* hardness rating of 1820. Hard maple comes in at 1450 while white oak holds a 1360 rating.

Is Hickory good for hardwood floors?

The answer: absolutely! As far as domestic lumber goes, hickory is one of the most durable wood flooring choices available. It requires minimal maintenance, it’s one of the more water-resistant wood flooring options, and it has a super-unique look and charm.

Is Hickory a white wood?

Hickory heartwood is tan or reddish brown with a sapwood that is white to cream. It is this extreme contrast between the heart and sapwood that makes it easy to differentiate from other wood species. Hickory has become popular in kitchen cabinets in recent years and is now seen more in furniture.

Does Hickory darken with age?

Hickory tends not to darken with age and takes all stains and finishes equally well. Because of the hardness of hickory, sanding may take more time.

How much is hickory flooring?

Hickory flooring can cost from $6 to $13 per square foot. It has notable color variation and is hard and durable. Hickory is a great option for high-traffic areas.

What is the Janka rating of bamboo?

Janka Hardness Rating: With a Janka Hardness rating of 1380 out of 4000, Natural Bamboo is in the mid-range for hardwood flooring options – slightly harder than White Oak and softer than Hard Maple. The Janka Hardness scale is used to determine a hardwood’s resistance to dents, dings and scratches.

Are hickory trees valuable?

And of course, its wood is prized for use in smoking meat. Otherwise, it remains a valuable timber tree, and is even grown for such in Europe.

Is hickory water resistant?

Resistance to water and mold – Hickory is not known for being particularly resistant to mold or water, but like many hardwoods there are enough options for most home environments: choose engineered hickory for rooms that are below grade (i.e. in the basement) and solid or engineered for above grade installations.

Is hickory stringy split?

It is hickory. It is stringy, at least compared to the poplar, white oak, red oak, sassafras, locust and cherry I split right along side it. Those split cleanly, what didn’t split cleanly was pulled apart effortlessly. I had to fight the hickory with every split.

Is 1360 a good Janka rating?

Red Oak is considered the industry median for flooring hardness with a Janka rating of 1260. If you are looking for extra durability, consider Red Oak or a species that ranks higher on the Janka scale. Readily available and popular species include White Oak (1360), Hard Maple (1450), and Hickory (1820).

What Janka rating do I need?

So, there is a variation between the Janka rating and the final hardness of any hardwood flooring. With that said, as a general rule of thumb, wood species used in flooring should generally have a Janka rating of 1,000 or higher; this isn’t to say that wood species with a Janka rating in the hundreds will not work.

How is the Janka test carried out?

The Janka hardness test measures the force required to embed an 11.28 millimetres (0.444 in) diameter steel ball halfway into a sample of wood. This measurement is recorded and repeated several times until an average can be calculated. The end result is the Janka hardness rating.

Why is hickory flooring hard to install?

Hickory’s density does make it challenging to install. Solid, unfinished hickory flooring’s pros may be exceeded by its cons for anyone other than hardwood flooring professionals. The hardness makes cutting and sanding a bit challenging, and the dense grain further complicates staining and finishing efforts.