The Brinell hardness scale is used to classify the hardness of wood flooring.
Flooring in
homes has to withstand a different kinds of wear than in heavily
trafficked areas. That's why the kind of wear the flooring will
be subjected to must be taken into account alread in the planning
stages. This also holds true for wood flooring, depending on
the greater or lesser demands be met. In order to select the
right sort of wood for you, the Federation of European Parket
Industries (FEP) advices you to consult installation professionals
or the manufacturer directly about what they have to offer, before
the actual installation.
Obviously public highly frequented areas will require tougher
wood than less frequented areas will. To help you in your choice
the hardness of wood can be measured on the Brinell Hardness Scale.
The values measured tell us the resistance on a limited surface
to pressure from something like spiked heels. What's measured
is the resistance of the wood to penetration by a harder body.
This compression resistance factor depends on the density of
the particular type of wood. The tighter the grain, the higher
the wood density. On the other hand, if the grain fibers are
looser knit, it's easier to crush them together, to have them
yield to the stress exerted.
In the case of private living areas: any kind of wood suitable
for flooring may be laid in less frequented areas such as bedrooms.
On the other hand, in places like playrooms, dens, or entrance
halls, as well as on stairs, wood that can take a beating is better.
In these cases harder woods like oak, beech, ash, or maple are
frequently used because they are sturdier. There are still other
kinds of wood like merbau, wenge, or afzelia that are of an even
higher hardness rating than our European wood. That's why they
are preferred in heavily trafficked public areas, like museums,
theaters, restaurants, as well as day care centers, or department
stores. If the proper wood is chosen, the floor will meet whatever
demands required.
Appendix:
The Brinell Hardness values are determined in accordance with
ISO, the International Organization for Standardization. A steel
ball of 10mm in diameter is pressed into the material to be tested
with a set force F (which depends on the density and may be 100,
500, or 1000 N) for 15 seconds, left in place for 30 seconds,
and then after another 15 seconds removed. Then the resulting
surface indentation is measured.
This classification types of wood according to their Brinell Hardness values - the resulting hardness evaluations can only be taken as a rule of thumb: the actual values will vary from them depending on where the tree comes from, and how the wood was cut, the position of the tree rings to the cut.