What does edge style mean in hardwood floors?
Edge Styles. Edge style is a term that describes the way the flooring's sides and ends are cut on each plank, and the appearance that is achieved once the panels are engaged together. The edge style accentuates the floor's design intention and decor.
What are the different types of edges and ends for floors?
The majority of laminate, hardwood and vinyl plank floors have some sort of beveled edge. Edges and ends are usually referred to as one of these three types: square, micro-beveled and beveled.
What is a beveled edge on a floor?
Beveled edge - a standard beveled edge will have a deeper cut than a micro bevel. The size of this bevel is about an 1/8 inch or less. Hand Scraped Flooring - the edge profile of floors that have been hand scraped will generally be scraped similar to the surface of the flooring.
What is a square edge on a floor?
Square Edge - will have essentially a perfectly square edge giving the floor a flush uniform appearance. This is standard on all unfinished floors and some prefinished. Micro bevel - the most common type of edge for prefinished floors.
What is eased edge flooring?
Micro-Beveled (Eased) Edge Hardwood Flooring Also known as eased edge flooring, micro-beveled edge flooring features a mini-bevel (about half the depth of a beveled edge), but with the same benefits of beveled edge flooring. Each board has a slightly beveled edge to help hide minor irregularities.
What is eased edge wood?
Sometimes called an eased edge or a micro bevel edge, a beveled edge is designed to compensate for minor tolerances during the milling process. Usually, it's a 45-degree cut down the sides of the floorboards.
What are the edges of flooring called?
A flooring bevel, or the edge style, is the type of construction on the edge of flooring planks. This construction determines how the separate planks will appear when installed. The types of beveling can either add character, or create a sleeker look.
Is beveled edge flooring better?
Beveled edged floors are the best choice for DIYers if it is their first time. Beveling helps hide subfloor imperfections and reduces the chances of edge splinters. Some say that the groove can collect dust; however, with regular vacuuming, it's not an issue.
Does engineered hardwood have beveled edges?
The bevel is the most common edge type with an engineered hardwood (90% of these have a bevel and should have been discussed with you at point of sale).
What is beveled edge flooring?
In a nutshell, beveled edge wood floor boards are floor boards that have a pronounced 'v' shape on each edge of the board; a micro beveled floor board has a significantly less pronounced 'v' and a square edge board has a perfectly perpendicular (at 90-degrees) edge.
Do real wood floors have beveled edges?
Two of the most popular edges on wood flooring boards are flat and bevelled, but you'll find that the more common of the two is hardwood flooring with a bevel.
What is the advantage of a beveled edge Square?
Bevelled edge flooring offers distinctive depth and texture underfoot. Unlike square edges, the boards are not constructed to create a seamless surface. Instead, this style of flooring takes advantage of the natural joins for a more authentic look and feel.
What does 4 sided bevel mean?
Often, the product specification will detail this as a four-sided micro bevel. All this means is the bevel is on all sides of the plank. Essentially, a bevelled edge cuts an angle into the edge of the top layer. There are a few reasons why manufacturers do this.
Can you refinish beveled wood floors?
If your micro-beveled floor simply needs a new finish, but is otherwise in good condition, you can sand it just as you would sand any other hardwood floor. You need an extra procedure to clean the valleys between boards, however.
How do you clean beveled wood floors?
0:392:00Cleaning Beveled and Micro Beveled Hardwood Floors - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipQuick I've sprinkled down some sawdust on the floor here. To kind of give you an example of what we'MoreQuick I've sprinkled down some sawdust on the floor here. To kind of give you an example of what we're gonna do and we're just gonna go over we've got a nice packed in those edges.
What does a micro bevel look like?
4:149:55Microbevel: What Is It? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipLight that's because it's at a different angle. And it's reflecting light there you go there's aMoreLight that's because it's at a different angle. And it's reflecting light there you go there's a good shot of it right there all this shininess at the edge is a micro bevel.
What is the edge of wood?
Live-edge defines the unfinished edge of the woodwork. It is the periphery of wood not altered by hand tools or woodworking machinery. As a result, the untouched end of slabs and furniture retains the original characteristics of a tree; its shape, and bark. This design element is referred to as a live-edge.
Why does lumber have rounded edges?
2×4 have rounded edges as it's very beneficial to the wood itself and those working with it. They reduce the number of injuries like unwanted splinters during the handling and manufacturing process and also ensure that the lumber stays looking its best all throughout until the customer sees it.
What is ogee edge?
Ogee edges are one of the most popular edge profiles for countertops and are typically selected for spaces that have a more traditional style. They feature flowing concave and convex arches and are typically more ornate than other edge options. Ogee edges exemplify the beauty of timeless architectural detailing.
What is a mitered edge countertop?
A mitered edge creates a seamless edge between the top of the countertop and a second piece of stone to create a specialty edge or to join a waterfall panel. The mitered seam allows the pattern to “wrap” from the horizontal surface to the vertical surface.
Why do hardwood floors have gaps?
Keep in mind that with seasonal weather changes all hardwood will expand and contract sometimes causing gaps between the boards. This usually occurs in the winter when dry weather shrinks the boards.
What is a 45 degree cut?
Usually, it's a 45 degree cut down the sides of the floorboards. The micro bevel is a forgiving edge, helpful in compensating minor milling tolerances with pre-finished hardwood flooring. The opposite is a square-edged board, which is a 90 degree cut.
Why do you need a humidifier for hardwood floors?
In addition to helping your hardwood floors, a humidifier adds moisture to the air to prevent dryness that can also cause irritation in many parts of the body. Humidifiers can be particularly effective for treating dryness of the skin, nose, throat, and lips.
Can you stain a square edge hardwood floor?
A stain can be applied for a custom color if you desire and then finished with 3 coats of polyurethane to protect the floor.
Is square edge wood flooring flat?
It will cost more for manufacturers to mill and cut boards perfectly even than to create a micro-beveled edge. Consumer complaints about square edge boards not being perfectly flat as well as edge damage from moving a chair across the boards has led to many manufactures moving away from producing square edge wood flooring.
Can I Get a Pre-finished Flooring Without a Bevel?
There is no getting away from the fact that beveled or micro beveled wood flooring is much more tolerant to sub floor unevenness and less likely to get accidentally damaged than a square edge board.
What is the difference between micro beveled and flat edge floors?
The largest distinction between micro-beveled floors and flat edge floors is the visual differences of the final floor. Flat edge floors are smooth and cohesive; the edges of the boards blend together to create a single floor space.
Why use micro beveled edge?
One of the benefits of micro-beveled hardwood floors is that the grooves in the edges of the board allow for more forgiveness if your existing floor is not perfectly level. In older homes, micro-beveled edges allow floor installers to quickly install planks without releveling the base floor first. Flat-edge boards must be installed over a perfectly level surface to maintain a flat, even look in the finished floor.
What is a micro beveled floor?
The grooves in a micro-beveled floor provide a reservoir space for dirt and dust. When dirt collects in the grooves rather than on the floor planks, your floor is less likely to be scratched or damaged. One of the drawbacks of beveled grooves is that thorough cleaning requires the use of a vacuum rather than a simple broom to pull dirt out of the grooves .
Which is more expensive, flat edge or micro bevel?
Flat-edged hardwood planks tend to be slightly more expensive than micro-beveled planks. The milling process to create perfectly square boards is more extensive than the process to micro-bevel plank edges. If you are comparing the cost of two identical woods and the only distinction is the edge, the flat edge is likely slightly more expensive ...
What impacts the final look of a floor plank?
The edge of your floor planks impacts the final look.
What is square edge flooring?
Square Edge floors fit together flush on all the ends. This result is a sleek and seamless looking transition between planks.
What type of floor has a beveled edge?
The majority of laminate, hardwood and vinyl plank floors have some sort of beveled edge. Edges and ends are usually referred to as one of these three types: square, micro-beveled and beveled.
What is edge style?
Edge style is a term that describes the way the flooring's sides and ends are cut on each plank, and the appearance that is achieved once the panels are engaged together. The edge style accentuates the floor's design intention and decor.
Why do people love square edged flooring?
Some owners love them because the shadows they create give the flooring added dimension. For them, square-edged boards are monotonous and make for a boring floor.
What happens when two square edged floorboards meet?
When two square-edged solid wood floorboards meet up, the result is a close-to-smooth floor with no visible seams between the boards. When two microbevel floorboards meet up, the bevels create a V-shape.
What to do when installing subfloor?
Keep the subfloor scrupulously clean when installing the flooring . Any debris, no matter how small, can cause the flooring to be misaligned.
Why do you use microfiber mop on floors?
Some homeowners like microbevels because they channel and collect dust rather than leaving it on the surface, where it can scratch. Homeowners should use a microfiber mop for cleaning floors that have microbevels. Mop in the direction of the floorboards' length.
How much more flooring to order?
Order 15-percent more flooring to account for wastage and for broken or otherwise damaged boards.
What is the seam on a hardwood floor called?
When you purchase a solid hardwood floor, the boards sometimes feature a barely visible seam along the side called a microbevel. What is a microbevel and why is it there?
Who makes laminate flooring?
Laminate flooring, in its ceaseless striving towards realism, has in many cases adopted the microbevel. Faus Group, a laminate manufacturer, has patented the Embossed-In-Register. Used by DuPont and other flooring manufacturers, Embossed-in-Register simulates a microbevel. It is featured within the board as opposed to the edges, and it is included purely for aesthetic purposes.
What is the best way to clean beveled edge hardwood?
Removing the dirt lodged in the grooves can be challenging. With the right plan of attack, cleaning beveled edge hardwood planks can be quick and painless. A broom works well for square edge hardwood. Micro-fiber or flat swiper-style brooms are popular for picking up dust and dirt with minimal effort. Although a broom with long, firm fibers can reach into the gaps on beveled edge hardwood, the flat swiper-style brooms (such as a Swifter) are not the ideal choice.
What Are Beveled Edges?
Hardwood flooring planks are milled piece by piece, and that process naturally results in a slightly eased edge or corner. Put those planks together on your floor and this type of plank design creates tiny grooves between the flooring planks, often measuring a fraction of an inch in width and depth.
How to prevent plank separation?
The best way to prevent plank separation is to introduce humidity. Personal preference dictates the ideal choice between flat edge and beveled edge hardwood floors. Beveled edges are easy to clean with a vacuum or coarse broom, and those gaps may actually help to preserve the attractive finish on your hardwood.
Do square edged planks need to be milled?
Square edged hardwood flooring planks require high-end high precision machinery to mill therefore come at a higher price to the consumer. You may also need to spend time and money leveling the subfloor, as square-edged planks are less forgiving of subfloor imperfections, while beveled edged products a small buffer built in.
Do beveled edges help hardwood look better?
It may surprise you to learn that those tiny grooves could actually help your hardwood look better longer, since dust and debris naturally fall into the gaps. Dirt that collects in these spaces is not sitting on the plank surface waiting to scratch and dull the finish.
Can you use a vacuum on beveled floors?
Because they merely wipe the surface, micro-fiber or flat brooms are ineffectual on beveled edge flooring. A vacuum works best to remove any build up in the grooves, but make sure to use a hardwood flooring safe vacuum to avoid damage. Those with a brush or buffer on the end work best.
Do square edge floors have gaps?
People often mistakenly think square edge floors leave no gaps between planks. This is a common misconception. Both square edge and bevel edge floors will react to seasonal changes which will cause the planks to shrink and expand as need. The best way to prevent plank separation is to introduce humidity.
