Laminate Flooring Edge Styles
by Jeff Hosking – Hosking Hardwood Flooring
© 2004 - 2012, Copyright protected. All Rights Reserved
Within the laminate flooring market, manufacturers currently offer many different edge styles, from square edge to a
full, deeply grooved beveled edge. To help you understand the various
manufacturers edge style terminology we have listed the most popular
edge styles below.
Why beveled edges at all?
After the milling process of the hardwood there is a possibility of minute differences to the exact thicknesses of each floorboard. Different manufacturers have different milling tolerances and some are more stringent than others. A beveled edge board (to whatever degree) eliminates the possibility of feeling a sharper edge that is sometimes found on square edged prefinished flooring. Slight indifference may also be felt if square edged prefinished flooring is installed over an uneven subfloor or a subfloor with minor imperfections.
Is the bevel objectionable?
The smaller "Micron or Micro" bevel edges are virtually unnoticeable, even with any square edged flooring you will see a seam between boards. Micron or Micro beveled edges are far too small to collect dust or dirt.
Square Edge
The edges of all boards meet squarely creating a uniform, smooth surface that blends the floor together from board to board. The overall look of this floor gives a contemporary flair and formal feeling to the room.
Micron-beveled Edge
Micron-beveled edge has the shallowest groove. Micron-bevel and micro-bevel are so close that between manufacturers they may be hard to determine any difference.
Micro-beveled Edge
Micro-beveled planks have a slightly shallower groove than most eased edged planks. Like the eased edge, the micro-bevel is meant to help hide minor irregularities, such as uneven plank heights.
Eased Edge
The eased edge has a slightly shallower groove than the full beveled edge. Some manufacturers add the eased edge along both the length of each planks as well as along the end joints, this will give the floor a different visual effect when installed. Some manufacturers for reasons of their own call their beveled edges "Kissed."
Full Beveled Edge
These products have a very distinctive deep groove in them. Beveled edge planks lend themselves to an informal and country decor. With the urethane finishes applied at the factory today the beveled edges are sealed completely making dirt and grit easy to be swept or vacuumed out of the grooves.
Aside from the most popular edge styles listed above, some manufacturers will create their own stylized bevel types. For example, manufacturers making handscraped hardwood flooring styles may incorporate a Hand scraped Bevel, which just as the name implies showcases and rougher "v" so it complements the textured surface of the hardwood flooring. Additionally, a pillowed edge is popular with some antiqued floors, creating somewhat of a rounded "v" bevel.
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