The Janka scale was developed to measure the resistance of different species of wood for denting, durability and suitability for use as flooring.
The scale starts a zero and goes up to 4000, with 0 being the softest and 4000 being the hardest type of wood. The most commonly installed wood flooring is oak, which has a rating of approximately 1260 up to 1360.
| JANKA RATING | WOOD SPECIES(Hardest to Softest) |
| 3684 | Brazilian Walnut /Ipe |
| 3220 | Ebony |
| 2350 | Brazilian Cherry /Jatoba |
| 2345 | Mesquite |
| 2200 | Santos Mahogany |
| 1940 | Cameron |
| 1925 | Merbau |
| 1860 | Purpleheart |
| 1850 | Tigerwood |
| 1820 | Hickory and Pecan |
| 1780 | Rosewood |
| 1725 | African Padauk |
| 1700 | Locust |
| 1630 | Wenge |
| 1630 | Red Pine |
| 1575 | Zebrawood |
| 1570 | True Pine |
| 1470 | Sweet Birch |
| 1450 | Hard / Sugar Maple |
| 1390 | Kentucky Coffee Tree |
| 1380 | Natural Bamboo |
| 1375 | Australian Cypress |
| 1360 | White Oak |
| 1320 | White Ash |
| 1300 | American Beech |
| 1290 | Northern Red Oak |
| 1280 | Caribbean Heart Pine |
| 1260 | Yellow Birch |
| 1225 | Yellow Heart Pine |
| 1180 | Carbonized Bamboo |
| 1136 | Cocobolo |
| 1010 | American Walnut |
| 1000 | Teak |
| 950 | American Cherry |
| 950 | Soft and Ambrosia Maple |
| 910 | Paper Birch |
| 900 | Cedar |
| 870 | Southern Yellow Pine (Longleaf) |
| 860 | American Red Elm |
| 840 | Lacewood |
| 790 | Cumaru |
| 770 | Sycamore |
| 690 | S.Yellow Pine (Loblolly & Shortleaf) |
| 660 | Douglas Fir |
| 630 | Sassafras |
| 590 | Larch |
| 570 | Cypress, Southern |
| 540 | Chestnut |
| 540 | Poplar |
| 500 | Hemlock |
| 420 | White Pine |
| 410 | Basswood |
| 380 | Eastern White Pine |
