What is the best type of wood for flooring that will resist scratches?
No – Pergo scratches, too, and it isn’t repairable – so it’s worse than real wood! Wood is rated on the Janka Scale for hardness, and all woods are compared to red oak. So, the higher the Janka number, the harder the wood. Oak is faily good, about 1250. American Cherry is soft – about a 950. If you look at exotic woods, you will find they are much harder in general. Australian Cypress, for example, has a hardness factor is 2500 or so! The finish you use will make a difference, too. Oil based finishes are generally harder than water-based finishes. Also, find a high-traffic finish such as Bonatech Traffic for the toughest finish you can get. Try to keep grit off the floor as much as possible. Use area rugs where needed, and felt pads under chairs, etc. Grit is the number 1 most dangerous thing for a wood floor, so the more you keep it off the floor, the better it will hold up.
