Strand Woven Bamboo Flooring Hardness Rating Information on the Janka Scale
If you’re looking to purchase hardwood or bamboo flooring, the Janka Hardness Scale can be a very useful and insightful tool. The Janka Hardness Scale is used to measure the hardness and density of a wood or bamboo flooring materials. More specifically, the Janka test measures the force required to push a steel ball with a diameter of 11.28 millimeters (0.444 inches) into the wood to a depth of half the ball’s diameter. The diameter was chosen to produce a circle with an area of 100 square millimeters.
The higher a wood or bamboo’s Janka scale rating, the harder – and generally more durable – the wood or bamboo will be as a flooring material. While the softer Eastern White Pine is a mere 380 on the Janka Scale, Ipe (sometimes referred to as Brazilian Walnut) ranks at a much harder 3680. Red Oak is often referenced as the middle point of the scale with a Janka rating around 1280.
Woven or Strand bamboo has many different ratings and all tend to be at 2900 and above, which is extremely durable. This is significant because the this new type of bamboo is a much more durable option and thus longer lasting than the traditional bamboo. Consumer reports has a great article on flooring materials and has given woven/stranded bamboo very high ratings due to it hardness factor. This flooring has been an excellent choice for our clients that have heavy wear situations, such as dogs and kids.
Wood or bamboo flooring materials that have character can take wear and still look very beautiful. When looking at softer species consider purchasing a floor with character. Our Navarre and Castle Combe wood flooring options fit this description and have a finish that will look beautiful for the life of the floor.
The reality is any floor will take wear even concrete, so when shopping for hardwood or bamboo flooring you should consider where the floor will be located in your home and how much traffic it will get. While the Janka Hardness Scale should play a role in your decision, it should not be the only factor you look at when purchasing a hardwood floor. You should choose a wood, bamboo or cork material with a texture, grain, color, warmth and performance that fits your design style and your lifestyle.
If you have any further questions on this topic shoot us an email with your concern and we would be glad to give you our opinion.
Download a higher resolution version of this hardness chart for Strand Woven Bamboo Flooring
