Edges

Different hardwood floors have different edges. Hardwood floors come in either a beveled edge or a square edge.

Today most hardwood floor manufactures are calling their beveled edge “eased edge” because the tapered edge is dramatically reduced from the old deeply grooved edges.

The beveled edges do serve a purpose especially in pre-finished products.

A beveled edge floor is more forgiving when installed over irregular subfloors and you don’t have the problem of overwood (uneven plank heights abutting each other.)

To help you understand hardwood edges, here’s a summary of today’s types:

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. This is only available in an unfinished floor.

Eased Edge

Each board is just slightly beveled. Some manufacturers add an eased edge to both the length of the planks as well as the end joints. Eased edges are used to help hide minor irregularities, such as uneven subfloor heights. Eased edge is al called micro-beveled edge.

Beveled Edge

These products have a very distinctive groove in them. Beveled edge planks lend themselves to an informal and country décor. 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.