Hardness categories

The durability of a wood floor depends mainly on the wood species used. The hardness of a wood species reflects its robustness. In physical terms, the density of a wood species indicates its hardness. Density is defined as a given material’s ratio of mass to volume, measured in g/cmD. Put more simply: the higher a material’s density, the heavier it is – the heavier, the harder – the harder, the more durable. The following table shows the density (g/cm3) of wood species offered by berthold at an indoor humidity level of 12%:

Wood species 

Density(g/cm³)

Categorie of hardness

Nordic spruce 

0,47

1 -soft wood

Nordic pine

0,52

Alder

0,52

Douglas fir

0,56

American cherry 

0,58

Finnish birch

0,58

Siberian larch 

0,59

Honduran pitch pine 

0,63

2 -hard wood

Ash

0,65

Elm 

0,65

American walnut  

0,65

Beech

0,68

Oak

0,71

3 -very hard wood

Canadian birch

0,71

Hard maple 

0,72

Hornbeam

0,73

Kempas

0,84

Merbau

0,85

Jatoba

0,90

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Our table indicates approximate values only, because real hardness values vary in relation to the individual growth conditions of every tree.