Which Woods Are The Hardest Woods?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Generally acknowledged as the hardest wood, lignum vitae (Guaiacum sanctum and Guaiacum officinale) measures in at 4,500 pounds-force (lbf) on the Janka scale. That’s more than twice as hard as Osage orange (one of the hardest domestic woods) at 2,040 lbf and more than three times harder than red oak at 1,290 lbf.

What Woods are considered hard?

Hardwood Uses hardwoods are more likely to be found in high-quality furniture, decks, flooring, and construction that needs to last. Examples Examples of hardwood trees include alder, balsa, beech, hickory, mahogany, maple, oak, teak, and walnut.

Which are the hardest woods?

  • Schinopsis balansae – 4,570 IBF. ...
  • Lignum vitae – 4,500 IBF. ...
  • Piptadenia Macrocarpa – 3,840 IBF. ...
  • Snakewood – 3,800 IBF. ...
  • Brazilian Olivewood – 3,700 IBF. ...
  • Brazilian Ebony – 3,692 IBF. ...
  • Brazilian Walnut – 3,684 IBF. ...
  • African Pearwood – 3,680 IBF.

What’s the second hardest wood?

Lignum Vitae (Guaiacum officinale)

The second hardest wood in the world comes from an endangered tree species and is recognized as one of the most hardest wood species. The color varies from olive to dark green and even black. The tree grows in Central and South America.

What is the hardest most dense wood?

Wood products

Lignum vitae is hard and durable, and is also the densest wood traded (average dried density: ~79 lbs/ft 3 or ~1260 kg/m 3 ); it will easily sink in water.

What is the rarest wood on earth?

Agar Wood . Agarwood is famous for the tea, oil, and perfume that it produces. It’s hefty price tag is thanks to its incredibly high demand and extreme rarity – it’s one of the rarest trees in the world.

What is the softest wood in the world?

Balsa wood : the lightweight among the wood species

With a density of 0.1 to 0.2 g / cm3, balsa is the softest wood in the world.

What is the strongest wood in America?

The hardest commercially available hardwood is hickory , and it is five times harder than aspen, one of the “soft” hardwoods.

What wood is harder than oak?

Maple is harder than oak.

Harder woods can be susceptible to decay, while softer wood resists it. Where you use the hardwood is more important than its density and hardness. Differing sub-species of each variety also play an important role when considering the choices between oak and maple.

Is Apple a hardwood?

Hardwoods typically cook hotter and longer. ... Examples of hardwood trees: All fruit trees (apple, banana, cherry, citrus, fig, jujube, mulberry, olive, pawpaw, pear, plum, quince, etc.) All nut trees (buckeye, butternut, chestnut, hickory, oak, walnut, etc.)

What is the heaviest wood in the world?

  • Black Ironwood – 84.5 lbs/ft. ...
  • Itin – 79.6 lbs/ft. ...
  • African Blackwood – 79.3/ft. ...
  • Lignum Vitae – 78.5 lbs/ft. ...
  • Quebracho – 77.1 lbs/ft. ...
  • Leadwood – 75.8 lbs/ft. ...
  • Snakewood – 75.7 lbs/ft. ...
  • Desert Ironwood – 75.4 lbs/ft.

What is the strongest lightest wood?

Fir plywood is lightweight and one of the strongest structural materials available. Fir plywood is affordable, and if you purchase exterior-grade CDX plywood, anything built with it has a certain amount of resistance to moisture.

What is the most stable wood?

Wood shrinks and swells at a cellular level until it reaches equilibrium; this is known as “seasoning.” Douglas fir, or simply “fir” as it is typically referred to, is the most stable wood on a cellular level because once it is seasoned, it virtually stops shrinking or warping.

What are the 5 hardest woods?

  • Schinopsis balansae – 4,570 IBF. ...
  • Lignum vitae – 4,500 IBF. ...
  • Piptadenia Macrocarpa – 3,840 IBF. ...
  • Snakewood – 3,800 IBF. ...
  • Brazilian Olivewood – 3,700 IBF. ...
  • Brazilian Ebony – 3,692 IBF. ...
  • Brazilian Walnut – 3,684 IBF. ...
  • African Pearwood – 3,680 IBF.

What is the lightest wood in the world?

Balsa is the lightest and softest timber used commercially. It exhibits an unusually high degree of buoyancy and provides very efficient insulation against heat and sound. The wood can be adapted to a great number of special end-uses where these properties are essential.

Which is the strongest wood in India?

Type of wood Advantages White cedar wood Most durable type of timber, resistant to termites and very strong. Sal wood Beautiful texture, aesthetic appeal and versatile. Indian rosewood Attractive wood grain, versatile nature and very hard and tough.
David Martineau
Author
David Martineau
David is an interior designer and home improvement expert. With a degree in architecture, David has worked on various renovation projects and has written for several home and garden publications. David's expertise in decorating, renovation, and repair will help you create your dream home.