Between them, Heritage and Provenance hold a library of hardwoods. Heritage supplies them as solid boards; Provenance as engineered boards, with a hardwood veneer on a multi-ply core. This is a guide to the species in each, with the hardness and formats on record.
Reading the hardness figure
Janka hardness is the force needed to press a small steel ball halfway into the timber. It is given here in kilonewtons (kN): the higher the figure, the more the timber resists denting. It measures the timber, not the finish; how a floor shows scratches depends largely on its coating.
Australian species
Spotted Gum (Corymbia maculata)
Janka 11 kN. In Heritage, raw in 14mm or 18mm, 92–120mm wide, and pre-finished in 18mm, 92–135mm wide. In Provenance, as 136mm and 190mm plank and as 600 × 120mm herringbone.
Blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis)
Janka 9.1 kN. In Heritage, raw in 14mm or 18mm, 92–120mm wide, and pre-finished in 18mm, 90–120mm wide. In Provenance, as 136mm plank with a 3mm or 2mm veneer, as 190mm plank and as herringbone.
Grey Ironbark (Eucalyptus paniculata)
Janka 14 kN, the hardest Australian species in the two ranges. In Heritage, pre-finished in 18mm, 90–130mm wide. In Provenance, as 136mm plank in matte or ultra matte, and as 190mm plank.
Red Ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon)
Janka 13 kN. In Heritage, pre-finished in 18mm, 92–120mm wide.
Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata)
Janka 8.5 kN. In Provenance, as 136mm plank in matte or ultra matte, and as 190mm plank.
Sydney Blue Gum (Eucalyptus saligna)
Janka 9.4 kN. In Provenance, as 136mm and 190mm plank.
Brush Box (Lophostemon confertus)
Janka 9.5 kN. In Provenance, as 136mm and 190mm plank.
Tasmanian Oak (Eucalyptus obliqua)
Janka 6.0 kN. In Provenance, as 136mm plank.
Pacific and imported species
Pacific Blackbutt, Janka 11.8 kN, and Pacific Spotted Gum, Janka 11 kN, are supplied pre-finished in Heritage, sourced from the Asia-Pacific region. Pacific Spotted Gum from the Pacific Islands is also in Provenance, as a 122mm plank in AB grade with a semi-gloss finish.
Three imported species complete Heritage, each pre-finished in 18mm. Jatoba, or Brazilian Cherry (Hymenaea courbaril), comes from Brazil and is Janka 12 kN. Cumaru, or Brazilian Teak (Dipteryx odorata), also from Brazil, is Janka 15.7 kN, the hardest species in Topdeck's timber ranges. Kempas (Koompassia malaccensis), from Indonesia and Malaysia, is Janka 9 kN.
Burmese Teak (Tectona grandis) is in Provenance as an engineered plank, 1820 × 155mm and 15mm thick, with a 3mm teak veneer and tongue-and-groove joints.
European oak
Rhine, Topdeck's engineered European oak, is recorded at Janka 6.8 kN and comes as plank, herringbone and chevron.
Grades and finishes
Heritage is graded Standard & Better, with Select also available in raw boards. Provenance's Australian species are Standard & Better, and Pacific Spotted Gum is AB. Heritage pre-finished boards carry 12 layers of PPG water-based polyurethane; Provenance's Australian and Pacific boards carry nine layers of Treffert lacquer.
Choosing by more than hardness
Hardness is one consideration among several. Colour, grain and variation differ from species to species and from board to board, as timber is a natural product, so every species is best seen in person. Topdeck stockists display boards; displays vary from store to store, so it is worth calling ahead.
Browse the species in Heritage and Provenance, or find a stockist.
