Part one looked at the rarest, most expensive wood species in the world. This part looks at something a bit more practical and genuinely useful when comparing flooring options: how wood hardness is actually measured, which species top the charts, and which ones are realistically available at all.
What Janka Hardness Actually Measures
The Janka hardness test measures how much force is needed to embed a steel ball halfway into a sample of wood, expressed in pounds of force. It's the standard way to compare how durable and dent-resistant different species genuinely are, and it's a useful, objective figure to check when comparing species for a high-traffic room. Harder woods resist dents and everyday wear better, but that same hardness makes them more difficult and time-consuming to mill, cut, and install, so hardness is a genuine trade-off, not simply a case of harder always being better for every project.
The Hardest Woods In The World
Approximate Janka ratings (figures vary slightly between sources, but the relative ranking holds):
- Red oak: around 1,220–1,290 lbf, a genuinely solid, widely available domestic hardwood.
- Hickory: around 1,820 lbf, the hardest of the commonly used North American domestic species.
- Ebony: around 3,080 lbf, from the rare, restricted species covered in part one.
- African blackwood: around 3,670 lbf, rarer and harder still.
- Quebracho: around 4,570 lbf, the hardest wood known. Its Spanish name translates roughly to "axe-breaker," which gives a fair sense of how impractical it is to actually work with. It isn't realistically available on the commercial market at all.
- Lignum vitae: around 4,390 lbf, the hardest wood that's genuinely commercially available, though its extreme density makes it essentially unworkable for standard flooring production.
The pattern here is worth noticing: the very hardest woods aren't used for flooring, they're simply too difficult to mill and fit at any practical scale.
Realistic Hard-Wearing Choices
If durability specifically is what's drawing you toward the harder end of the hardness scale, a couple of genuinely practical options exist without reaching for anything exotic. Hickory and Brazilian cherry (Jatoba) are both significantly harder than standard oak and are used in flooring specifically for that reason, though availability varies by supplier, so it's worth asking what's realistically sourceable for your project rather than assuming any hard species is readily available. Oak, while less extreme on the hardness scale, remains a genuinely durable, widely available choice that covers most households' actual durability needs without the sourcing complications harder species bring.
The Most Abundant Hardwoods
In North America, oak is comfortably the most abundant hardwood species, accounting for around 52% of American hardwood forests, with poplar and maple making up much of the remainder. Globally, the picture is harder to pin down precisely, since sourcing regulations and available data vary enormously by country, but it's reasonably well established that around a third of the world's trees fall into just five species groups: pines, oaks, spruces, firs, and beeches.
Wood Hardness And Availability: Common Questions
Does a higher Janka hardness rating always mean a better flooring choice?
Not necessarily. Harder woods resist dents and wear better, but they're also more difficult and costly to mill and install, so the right choice depends on balancing durability against practicality for your specific project.
Is the hardest wood in the world ever actually used for flooring?
No. Quebracho, the hardest wood known, is essentially unworkable at any practical scale and isn't available on the commercial market for flooring purposes.
What's a realistic hard-wearing wood species for a high-traffic room?
Hickory and Brazilian cherry (Jatoba) are both genuinely harder than standard oak and used specifically for their durability, though availability varies, so it's worth checking with a supplier before committing. Oak remains a solid, widely available middle ground.
Why is oak so common in flooring specifically?
Its genuine abundance, accounting for around 52% of American hardwood forests, combined with a good balance of hardness, workability, and appearance, makes it one of the most practical and widely available hardwood choices anywhere.
Call us on 020 7036 0625 or request a free site visit and we'll talk through realistic hard-wearing species for your specific room and budget.
