Beech on the hardness table

Q: We are remodeling our kitchen and considering putting a Beech floor down. Is this a good wood for wear and tear? We have two grandchildren and they tend to play in the kitchen. Will the beech show all the dents and scratches easily?

What would be the best wood to use? The flooring person said that beech is just as hard as red oak – Is this true?

A: These are comments I found regarding Beech and it’s position on the hardness table:

Properties: Hardness:
1300% Janka Table, 1% harder than Northern red oak Durability:
Elastic, hard; excellent shock resistance. Wears wells, stays smooth when subjected to friction – popular for factory floors.

However, since it has a rather tight grain it might show marks like maple does, rather than hide them like oak and ash do. I would not recommend a pre finished floor for a kitchen. Site finished is the way to go.

Beech resource

Here’s a post all about beech you might find interesting.