Micro-Beveled Hardwood Flooring

Bevels of Today Are Far Better Than Before

Shopping for hardwood flooring is a lot like shopping for shoes -- there are so many options to choose from!

When it comes to hardwood flooring edge types alone, there are several.

One to become familiar with is the micro-beveled edge.

It’s a forgiving edge, helpful in compensating minor milling  tolerances with prefinished hardwood flooring.

And it’s not the valley of dirt it used to be called. Today’s micro-beveled edge is just that -- micro -- a great functional feature for the hardwood flooring of your home.

The Micro-Beveled Hardwood Flooring Edge

Back in the day, many homes were fitted largely with flat-edged, also known as square-edged, hardwood flooring.With this edge type, floor boards are precisely cut to line up flush against one another, creating a completely flat surface, a formal or even contemporary look. These were floors that were sanded and finished. This was before prefinished floors came to be, which are the far more durable hardwood flooring option.

After that came the creation of the beveled edge.

With a beveled edge, the spaces between each plank of wood are deep, and form the letter ‘V,’ like a valley. These valleys can easily capture dirt and debris.

While beveled edges may work for you if the informal or rustic look is your style, keeping them clean can be more of a challenge.

The micro-beveled edge is a smaller version (micro, meaning small) of the beveled edge. The micro-beveled edge is so small, it goes unnoticed.

The groove between each board with a micro-beveled edge, also known as an eased edge, is more shallow. The bevel there is so small, it’s hard to believe it’s not a square edge. There’s the option of having a MB-2 or MB-4, a fine-milled edge on the two long sides of a board, or on all four.

The micro-beveled edge is useful when working with flooring boards of different heights. This is an edge type to consider if installing hardwoods next to pre-existing ones and there’s a need to match them up to each other.

Also, as a natural product, no hardwoods are naturally flat or of the same thickness, and when cut ,are not always done so evenly. The micro-beveled edge can compensate for unevenness.

When boards are uneven, some rising higher than others, this circumstance is called overwood. This can create sharp edges and cause physical accidents. It can also just look bad, too.

The micro-beveled edge helps make a smooth transition from one floor board to another and makes the floor appear flatter.

Benefits of Micro-Beveled Hardwood Flooring

 

What makes the micro-beveled edge so special? Well, it’s part of the advantage of prefinished hardwood flooring. The micro-bevel today is so small, it’s hardly noticeable.

And here are some other reasons:

1. Easy Savings
Various factors go into deciding the cost of hardwood flooring. The edging type is one of those factors. It can cost more to cut boards perfectly even than to create a micro-beveled edge.

2. Easy Installation
If you’re a do-it-yourself type, micro-beveled edges are the way to go. Whether the subfloor is even or not, micro-beveled hardwoods are forgiving and can be installed over a less than perfect floor.

3. Easy Maintenance
The maintenance for micro-beveled hardwood flooring is the same as maintenance for flat or square-edged hardwood flooring. Simple. A quality, soft bristle broom, vacuum with a soft brush attachment, but without a beater bar, and a soft mop are all you need.

Consider prefinished micro-beveled hardwood flooring for your next flooring project.