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Resources · Janka hardness · Merbau

Janka hardness

Merbau

1,500lbf

16 percent harder than red oak.

The Wood Handbook figure was measured on wetter wood, at 15 percent moisture, which reads softer than the 1,925 the NWFA lists.

Botanical
Intsia spp.
Also called
Ipil, kwila
Kind
Hardwood (a broadleaf tree), Asia and Australia
In newtons
6.7 kN
Source
USDA Wood Handbook, 2021, Table 5-5b, measured at 15 percent moisture
Also published
1,925 lbf in the NWFA species guide, 2004
Merbau: 1,500 lbf on a scale of wood floors from 0 to 4,000 lbf, red oak at 1,29001,0002,0003,0004,000Red oak 1,290Merbau 1,500
Every tick is a wood sold as flooring. The line is red oak, the benchmark at 1,290.
Softer: Hard maple 1,450 Harder: Sapele 1,510

We do not carry merbau floors today.

The floor we carry closest to it in hardness is Hard maple, at 1,450 lbf, with 262 colors to choose from.

Where it sits among every floor wood.

Hardest first. Floors we carry in oak brown, the rest in tan, red oak in black. How the Janka test works.

  1. Ipe3,680 lbf, 2.9 times as hard as red oak · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021
  2. Cumaru3,540 lbf, 2.7 times as hard as red oak · NWFA species guide, 2004
  3. Bubinga2,690 lbf, 2.1 times as hard as red oak · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021
  4. Spotted gum2,473 lbf, 92 percent harder than red oak · NWFA species guide, 2004
  5. Brazilian cherry2,350 lbf, 82 percent harder than red oak · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021
  6. Mesquite2,345 lbf, 82 percent harder than red oak · NWFA species guide, 2004
  7. Santos mahogany2,200 lbf, 71 percent harder than red oak · NWFA species guide, 2004
  8. Tigerwood2,160 lbf, 67 percent harder than red oak · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021
  9. Sydney blue gum2,023 lbf, 57 percent harder than red oak · NWFA species guide, 2004
  10. Eucalyptus1,350 to 2,473 lbf, from 5 percent harder than red oak to 92 percent harder than red oak, by which tree · 4 colors we carry
  11. Jarrah1,910 lbf, 48 percent harder than red oak · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021
  12. Purpleheart1,860 lbf, 44 percent harder than red oak · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021
  13. Hickory1,820 lbf, 41 percent harder than red oak · 250 colors we carry · NWFA species guide, 2004
  14. Pecan1,820 lbf, 41 percent harder than red oak · 11 colors we carry · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021
  15. Padauk1,725 lbf, 34 percent harder than red oak · NWFA species guide, 2004
  16. Kempas1,710 lbf, 33 percent harder than red oak · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021
  17. Wenge1,630 lbf, 26 percent harder than red oak · NWFA species guide, 2004
  18. Sapele1,510 lbf, 17 percent harder than red oak · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021
  19. Brazilian maple1,500 lbf, 16 percent harder than red oak · NWFA species guide, 2004
  20. Merbau1,500 lbf, 16 percent harder than red oak · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021
  21. Hard maple1,450 lbf, 12 percent harder than red oak · 262 colors we carry · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021
  22. Australian cypress1,375 lbf, 7 percent harder than red oak · NWFA species guide, 2004
  23. White oak1,360 lbf, 5 percent harder than red oak · 501 colors we carry · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021
  24. Tasmanian oak1,350 lbf, 5 percent harder than red oak · NWFA species guide, 2004
  25. White ash1,320 lbf, 2 percent harder than red oak · 78 colors we carry · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021
  26. American beech1,300 lbf, about as hard as red oak · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021
  27. Northern red oak1,290 lbf, the benchmark · 449 colors we carry · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021
  28. Iroko1,260 lbf, 2 percent softer than red oak · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021
  29. Yellow birch1,260 lbf, 2 percent softer than red oak · 65 colors we carry · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021
  30. Antique heart pine1,225 lbf, 5 percent softer than red oak · NWFA species guide, 2004
  31. Southern red oak1,060 lbf, 18 percent softer than red oak · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021
  32. Black walnut1,010 lbf, 22 percent softer than red oak · 15 colors we carry · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021
  33. Teak1,000 lbf, 22 percent softer than red oak · 4 colors we carry · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021
  34. Black cherry950 lbf, 26 percent softer than red oak · 1 colors we carry · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021
  35. Red maple950 lbf, 26 percent softer than red oak · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021
  36. Longleaf pine870 lbf, 33 percent softer than red oak · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021
  37. Pine380 to 1,225 lbf, from 71 percent softer than red oak to 5 percent softer than red oak, by which tree · 4 colors we carry
  38. Douglas fir710 lbf, 45 percent softer than red oak · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021
  39. Silver maple700 lbf, 46 percent softer than red oak · 36 colors we carry · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021
  40. Southern yellow pine690 lbf, 47 percent softer than red oak · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021
  41. Eastern white pine380 lbf, 71 percent softer than red oak · USDA Wood Handbook, 2021

The number is a start. The floor is the answer.

Hardness is one fact among many: the finish, the sheen, the width and how the house is lived in all count. A free visit puts one of us in your rooms to weigh them with you.