By: Cynthia Soita
Before we dive into floors and Janka ratings, let’s spill some real tea. Not the gossip kind — the kind that changes how you see your home.
Have you ever watched Billions? (If you’re a real TV buff, you know exactly where this is going.)
Bobby Axelrod, the self-made billionaire, doesn’t just throw money around — he curates his life. One glance at his die-for home and you’ll see: real wealth knows the power of choosing quality, timeless materials.
Hardwoods are the Bobby Axelrod of flooring: classy, commanding, and built to last.
While I don’t have the wealth of a nation like Bobby, I know this — charm, warmth, and a touch of luxury are within reach when you choose the right hardwood floors.
But here's the catch: true hardwoods aren't cheap. The harder and rarer they are (hello, Janka hardness rating), the more they cost to buy, install, and refinish.
Still, some options are surprisingly affordable — depending on where you live and what vibe you’re aiming for.
Ready for the real tea on hardwood floors?
Let’s get into it.
When it comes to hardwood flooring, hardness isn't just bragging rights — it determines how well your floor will stand up to the daily beatdown of life.
The Janka hardness scale measures how resistant wood is to denting and wear.
Think of it like this:
High Janka rating = Battle armor. Great for busy households, pets, and high heels.
Low Janka rating = Cozy sweater. Perfect for low-traffic rooms where comfort is king.
Knowing the Janka rating helps you pick a wood species that matches your lifestyle — not just your Pinterest board.
Janka's hardness rating for yellow pine is at 690–870. It is therefore ideal for low-traffic areas.
Many manufacturers lack pine because it is very soft and has low demand on prefinished floors.
Its Janka hardness rating is 950.
American cherry has an authentic warm color.
Its color variation is also natural.
Most homeowners love to use American cherry in wider planks because of its distinct graining and color. Using wider planks displays its beauty and they do not look too busy compared to narrower planks.
American cherry darkens with age to a dark reddish to brownish color.
Cherry flooring is popular in bedrooms and dining areas. American cherry easily scratches, therefore use this flooring in low-traffic areas.
Choose American cherry in rooms where you want to create an ambience of luxury.
It is also known as black walnut.
Janka ranks it 1010 in hardness.
It has a fine, straight graining.
Its color is chocolate brown. Therefore, most homeowners love this color for the warmth it provides to a room.
Its color variation ranges from light tan to medium brown.
Has a Janka hardness rating of 1260.
It has two varieties: the yellow birch and the red birch.
You can buy it as a combination or as one type.
The red birch is from the heartwood stock of the birch tree.
It has a golden brown color variation with a red undertone.
Alternatively, the yellow birch is from the sapwood stock of the birch tree.
Its color variation ranges from creamy to white-yellow undertones.
Birch works well in contemporary, modern settings or in Scandinavian-inspired interiors.
It has a Janka hardness rating of 1290.
Red oak has moderate to heavy grains.
It also has moderate color variations. Its color ranges from light creamy red or pink to brown.
Red oak works well in both contemporary and rustic-inspired settings.
It is also an excellent choice for high-traffic areas.
Its Janka hardness rating is 1300.
Beech has closed, tight, and straight grains.
Beech’s heartwood color is warm brown with a red undertone.
Its sapwood color is pale tan.
It ranks 1320 on the Janka hardness scale.
Ash has a bold graining that is either wavy, curly, or straight. It is almost similar to white oak but has distinct graining. This sleek look with its graining makes it ideal for modern homes.
Its Janka hardness rating is 1360.
White oak is different from its red counterpart because it has a golden brownish undertone while red oak has a pinkish undertone.
White oak has moderate linear graining and color variations.
It also has great stability and longevity. It is therefore popular for flooring, and in building boats and wine barrels.
White oak is resistant to scratching and therefore excellent for high-traffic areas.
It is great in a rustic setup.
Maple’s Janka hardness rating stands at 1450.
It mostly grows in Northern America and Canada.
Maple’s color shades range from creamy to white.
Depending on the grade, maple can also have brown or black streaks. Its graining is almost invisible — very light and fine. Its sleek graining is perfect for modern homes.
Use a liquid wood conditioner to condition the wood. This prevents its darker color from coming out blotchy.
Janka ranks it 1570 in hardness.
Timborana is golden brown with red highlights.
Its red tones deepen when exposed to light. This sophisticated color creates an ambience of luxury to a room.
Its Janka hardness rating is 1710.
Kempas is rich with red tones and light graining.
It is reddish orange before it is exposed to light.
After about three months, it deepens to red.
Hickory is 1820 on the Janka hardness rating.
It is a popular species because of its natural color variation.
Hickory’s color variation ranges from creamy white to medium brown. However, it has darker colors depending on the grade.
Its rustic appearance makes it an excellent choice for farm-inspired interiors.
Merbau is 1925 on the Janka hardness scale.
Its colors range from yellow-brown to orange-brown.
Merbau’s chocolate brown color darkens with exposure to light into hues of red-gold.
Its graining has both wavy and linear lines.
Tigerwood is also known as Bolivian Koa.
It ranks 2160 on the Janka hardness scale.
Its graining has dark, thick stripes on a backdrop of medium brown and pale gold.
This intense graining makes it appealing on wider planks of 5” or wider. Narrow planks make the room appear busy and distracting.
Its colors get richer when exposed to light, in about three months, and its darker graining becomes subtle.
Santos Mahogany’s Janka hardness rating is 2200. However, some types of the species rank lower.
Like Brazilian cherry, it has rich color variations but the variations are lighter. Its color variation ranges from medium brown-orange to dark brown.
Furthermore, its color variation becomes richer when exposed to light and stabilizes in about three months.
Its graining is wavy with an open pattern.
Santos Mahogany is great in high-traffic areas.
Teak’s Janka hardness rating is 2330.
Teak is therefore ideal in high-traffic areas.
Tiete Rosewood is also known as Patagonian Cherry.
It has a Janka hardness rating of 3280.
It is pinkish rose in color.
Tiete rosewood’s graining is fine and linear.
Over time, its color becomes darker — a richer red.
Additionally, the color stabilizes after about three months.
Tiete Rosewood works well in high-traffic areas of your home.
Also known as Cumaru.
Brazilian Teak rates 3540 on the Janka hardness rating.
It is one of the hardest wood species, and therefore one of the most durable.
Brazilian teak’s color ranges from tan to medium brown tones with a reddish undertone.
Eventually, when exposed to time, the color evens out to a more uniform medium brown color.
Brazilian teak has minimal graining.
It is a fantastic flooring for high-traffic areas.
Tiete chestnut is also known as Sucupira.
It rates the same as Brazilian teak with 3540 on the Janka hardness rating.
Its color varies from tan to dark reddish brown.
Additionally, its graining is coarse with minimal black striping.
Tiete Chestnut is one of the hardest hardwoods and is great in high-traffic areas.
The last comes as the best in longevity and quality.
The Brazilian Walnut is also known as Ipe.
It is the hardest hardwood. Its Janka hardness rating is 3680.
Its heartwood species has a medium brown to deep chocolate brown color variation.
The sapwood species has a medium tan color variation.
Brazilian Walnut’s graining adds warmth and elegance to a room because the grains are straight and have an irregular pattern.
Listen — anyone can throw down cheap laminate or slap on some vinyl.
But real hardwood?
That’s a choice. A statement. An investment in living better every single day.
Hardwoods tell a story the second someone steps into your home:
Solid, not surface-level.
Timeless, not trendy.
Built to weather life’s storms — and still look gorgeous doing it.
Whether you lean into the cozy warmth of oak, the rugged resilience of hickory, or the quiet luxury of walnut, the real tea is this: good taste never goes out of style.
And the floor you choose today?
It'll be spilling your story for decades.
Please login to leave a comment.
Comments: