It’s such a simple thing that you probably don’t spend much time thinking about it. In fact, unless you’re a carpenter or contractor, you probably don’t spend any time at all thinking about a miter joint.
Once you know a little bit about them, though, you’ll start seeing, and appreciating them, everywhere.
Four Ways You Can Appreciate a Miter Joint
It turns out the world owes a lot to miter joints. Ok, sure, but what exactly is a miter joint anyway? It refers to a joint that is made when two parts are beveled, or cut, to fit perfectly together.
The parts are usually cut at a forty-five degree angle so that together they form the ninety-degree angle of a corner. Starting to sound familiar? Can you think of some places where you’ve seen a miter before? Here are four ways you might notice how something mitered made things possible.
1. In Picture Frames
Think of all the picture frames that fill your home. You’ve probably got at least a dozen of them on walls, bookshelves, and nightstands. Each one is made possible by mitered corners. Go ahead. Take a look at them. Marvel at the way each end of the frame is connected seamlessly with the adjoining ends. Look at the beautiful angle of each piece. Sure, the ends could fit together without being mitered, but there would be no artistry or pleasing aesthetic in that. Isn’t it satisfying how well they fit together?
Or perhaps you’re starting to notice that those corners aren’t so perfectly aligned. That’s because miter corners require precision. If the angle is off, then so is the fit. If the edges aren’t true there’s no way to hide it. That’s why craftsmanship is so important. Even in something as small as a picture frame you want the joints to fit neatly, and tightly, together. A good miter joint is the difference between a family that looks picture-perfect, and one that needs to spend some more time together, or at least more time picking out picture frames.
2. In Crown Molding
Nothing gives a house a better instant boost than adding a little crown molding. It provides a nice finished edge along your ceilings, and it makes your home look both fancy, and cozy at the same time. It’s so much nicer than a raw edge, and it makes a room look complete.
The wonders of crown molding are all made possible by a miter cut. They allow the molding to fit perfectly into the corners of your home’s rooms to provide a smooth fit, and a superior finish.
Think of what crown molding would look like without that mitered edge. You’d have pieces overlapping, and jamming into each other. That wouldn’t look fancy or cozy, and it certainly wouldn’t look like you knew what you were doing.
But you do know what you’re doing. That’s why you use a miter joint to install crown molding take a room from bearable to beautiful.
3. In Pipes
Unless you work in construction you’re probably not going to be able to spend a lot of time marveling at the beauty of mitered pipes, but they nevertheless serve an incredible purpose.
Think of all the nooks and crannies pipes have to make their way in and out of. Think of all the twists and turns they have to take in your home to get things where they are supposed to go. Imagine if they couldn’t be joined seamlessly together. That sounds like a pretty big problem, and just another reason that a miter joint can save the day.
4. In Furniture
Your bookcases, your coffee table, even your dressers probably make use of a miter joint. Mid-century furniture has made a recent popular resurgence, and with it you’ll notice lots of dovetail detailed miter joinery. By examining it, you’ll notice that not only are the joints functional, they are also beautiful. That is by design, because again, a mitered joint is not always necessary to complete a project, but it does offer a more finished look.
That’s what makes them worth the time and effort that it takes to find the precise angle, and to cut accordingly. Just check out what it takes to make the perfect miter joint here. There are so many steps involved, but so much satisfaction when it’s done properly.
Start Seeing Appreciating Miter Joints Everywhere
By now you’re probably wondering where you would be without miter joints. You’ll start to notice them everywhere.
Your home is filled with miter joints. From your picture frames to your plumbing, to the furniture that fills your rooms, and the molding that sits atop it. The precision, and strength of a miter joint allows for a seamless connection and a beautiful fit.
