Janka Wood Hardness Scale
Lumber & Wood · 8 specs
Direct Answer
The Janka Wood Hardness Scale is standardized under ASTM D143 (and ISO 3350) by measuring the exact force (in pounds-force / lbf or Newtons) required to embed an 11.28 mm (0.444 in) steel ball to half its diameter into a wood sample, establishing the international benchmark for hardwood flooring and lumber dent resistance.
Source: ASTM D143 Standard Test Methods for Small Clear Specimens of Timber / ISO 3350 Wood Hardness Test · Last reviewed Aug 28, 2026
Specs
| Governing Standards | ASTM D143 Section 13 (Hardness Test) / ISO 3350 / USDA Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) |
| Test Metric Definition | Force in pounds-force (lbf) to embed an 11.28 mm (0.444 in / 100 mm² area) steel ball into wood at 12% moisture content |
| Red Oak Industry Benchmark | 1,290 lbf (5,740 N) | The universal 100% benchmark standard against which all flooring is compared |
| Softwoods (Pine / Fir / Cedar) | Eastern White Pine: 380 lbf | Douglas Fir: 660 lbf | Southern Yellow Pine: 690 lbf |
| Medium Domestic Hardwoods | Black Walnut: 1,010 lbf | Black Cherry: 950 lbf | Teak: 1,155 lbf |
| Hard Domestic Standards | White Oak: 1,360 lbf | Hard / Sugar Maple: 1,450 lbf | White Ash: 1,320 lbf |
| Ultra-Hard Woods (Hickory / Exotic) | Shagbark Hickory: 1,820 lbf | Santos Mahogany: 2,200 lbf | Brazilian Cherry (Jatoba): 2,350 lbf | Ipe: 3,680 lbf |
| Softest vs Hardest Known Woods | Balsa: 100 lbf (0.44 kN) vs Australian Buloke: 5,060 lbf (22.5 kN) |
Comprehensive Janka Wood Hardness Scale Comparison Matrix
| Wood Species Name | Botanical Name | Janka Hardness Rating (lbf) | Metric Rating (Newtons) | Hardness Relative to Red Oak | Primary Flooring / Lumber Application | | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | | Balsa | Ochroma pyramidale | 100 lbf | 445 N | 8% | RC model airplanes, lightweight core composite | | Eastern White Pine | Pinus strobus | 380 lbf | 1,690 N | 29% | Traditional wide plank rustic flooring, millwork | | Douglas Fir | Pseudotsuga menziesii | 660 lbf | 2,940 N | 51% | Structural framing lumber, porch decking | | Southern Yellow Pine | Pinus palustris | 690 lbf | 3,070 N | 53% | Heavy timber framing, pressure-treated decking | | Black Cherry | Prunus serotina | 950 lbf | 4,230 N | 74% | Fine cabinetry, premium furniture, dining tables | | Black Walnut | Juglans nigra | 1,010 lbf | 4,490 N | 78% | Luxury hardwood flooring, gunstocks, guitars | | Teak | Tectona grandis | 1,155 lbf | 5,140 N | 90% | Marine boat decks, luxury outdoor patio furniture | | Red Oak (Benchmark) | Quercus rubra | 1,290 lbf | 5,740 N | 100% (Universal Baseline)| Standard North American Hardwood Flooring | | White Ash | Fraxinus americana | 1,320 lbf | 5,870 N | 102% | Baseball bats, tool handles, solid flooring | | White Oak | Quercus alba | 1,360 lbf | 6,050 N | 105% | Wine/whiskey barrels, modern hardwood flooring | | Hard / Sugar Maple | Acer saccharum | 1,450 lbf | 6,450 N | 112% | NBA Basketball courts, bowling alleys, butcher blocks | | Shagbark Hickory | Carya ovata | 1,820 lbf | 8,100 N | 141% | Axe/hammer handles, heavy-traffic flooring | | Brazilian Cherry (Jatoba)| Hymenaea courbaril | 2,350 lbf | 10,450 N | 182% | High-end exotic dent-resistant hardwood flooring | | Ipe (Brazilian Walnut) | Handroanthus spp. | 3,680 lbf | 16,370 N | 285% | Ultra-dense fire-resistant commercial boardwalks | | Australian Buloke | Allocasuarina luehmannii| 5,060 lbf | 22,510 N | 392% | The world's hardest commercial timber |
Why Hard Maple is Mandatory for Basketball Courts and Bowling Alleys
At 1,450 lbf, Hard Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) strikes the ideal mechanical balance: it is dense enough to resist high-velocity basketball impact dents and bowling ball drops without fracturing, yet features tight, closed micro-pores that absorb polyurethane friction finishes smoothly without splintering under rapid athletic pivots.