All About Curb Tapes

Curb tapes are widely used by gardeners and truck farmers when ennobling plots. They frame beds, lawns, and are used in landscape design. Fences are sold in a wide range - in stores there are materials of different shapes, sizes and colors.

Curb tape is a flexible roll material that is most often used in households when decorating a summer cottage. Depending on the modification and manufacturer, its height reaches 10-60 cm, and its length is no more than 30 meters.

Garden tapes are widely used in the backyard area.

• Improvement of paths and paths. With the help of tape, it is easy to delimit areas, thus zoning the space. It helps to form pedestrian paths from a variety of bulk building materials.
• Formation of near-trunk circles near garden shrubs and fruit trees. When using decorative fences, the area next to the plantings will look more presentable and well-groomed.
• Limiting the spread of plants with creeping root systems such as raspberries, mint and strawberries. If appropriate measures are not taken in time, these crops will quickly spread throughout the entire site. Burying the curb tape deep will help keep vegetation from spreading within a given area or bed.
• Decoration of flower beds, lawns, beds.
• Protection of areas from germination of weeds. The plastic tape, about 15 cm deep in the soil, will keep the wheatgrass from growing.

Fences, in addition to their decorative function, also play a practical role.... For example, they are used to protect the base of a greenhouse or other structure from direct contact with the ground. This increases their durability and prevents premature destruction of the foundation.

Manufacturers offer garden tapes of various modifications. They are classified by purpose and materials of manufacture.

These fencing tapes are made from durable materials. The products are intended for deepening 10-20 cm into the ground. Most often they are a flat ribbon with a mesh or smooth surface. In contrast to decorative ribbons, such materials are denser. They perfectly withstand loads and are not afraid of frost, so that they can not be dug out in preparation for winter.

These modifications are more aesthetically pleasing. They are made in the form of a wave, they can have openwork edges. Such solutions are often used for "ceremonial" decoration of flower beds, flower beds. On sale there are variations with an openwork reinforced rim. Due to their higher rigidity, such structures hold their shape better.

Unlike classic curbs made from rubber, stone, concrete and various composite materials, garden tape is made only of plastic or steel. These products have different characteristics and performance characteristics.

Plastic borders are flexible tape made in various color variations. Green, brown, red, black, khaki colors - a wide variety of palettes allows you to choose a product in accordance with personal preferences and create a unique landscape design.

Consider the benefits of plastic tape borders.

• Easy installation and dismantling. No special skills are required to create a lawn fence. All work is carried out using improvised equipment. If necessary, the tape can be easily dismantled by digging it out of the ground.
• A wide range of products from domestic and foreign brands. Manufacturers offer thinner or more durable rigid models, corrugations or even variations. Plastic solutions are available in 15 shades.
• Flexibility and elasticity of the material. Due to these features, the tape can not only frame lawns with clear geometric shapes, but also create undulating flower beds and beds.
• Resistance to various adverse environmental factors. Plastic is not afraid of exposure to sunlight, contact with acid rain, temperature changes. Despite the difficult operating conditions, high-quality materials retain their external presentability for a long time.
• Corrosion resistant.
• Light weight and dimensions, thanks to which the products are easily transported and do not take up much space when cleaning for storage.
• Flexible plastic is easy to cut, which simplifies installation work.
• Reusable.
• Affordable cost.

Subject to the rules of installation and operation, the plastic will last a long time. However, durability and all the advantages described above are inherent only in high-quality products from the middle and expensive price segments. There are also cheap products on sale. As a rule, it is endowed with some disadvantages. Budget tapes are often made of polymers that are unstable to negative temperatures. To extend their functionality, they will have to be dismantled before the onset of cold weather.

Occasionally in stores there are metal border strips. They are usually made of steel. To increase their resistance to corrosion, the products are galvanized. In order to protect them from moisture, a polymer or polyurethane coating can be applied to their surface, but such modifications will cost much more than galvanized variations.

The following advantages are inherent in metal structures:

• light weight;
• resistance to high humidity, non-susceptibility to decay processes, attacks of harmful microorganisms that cause mold;
• long operational life;
• simple installation.

Metal fencing looks aesthetically pleasing. They are corrugated, wavy, or straight. Their disadvantages include a higher price than plastic structures and limited color solutions.

Plastic curb tapes are manufactured in many countries. The most budgetary products are produced in Russia and China. Judging by the reviews, low strength is considered its main drawback.Products from Poland and China are extremely soft, which is why they quickly deteriorate. German goods are considered the highest quality and most durable for the arrangement of garden and vegetable gardens.

Here is a small rating of the most popular manufacturers.

• Raco (Germany). Various equipment for the vegetable garden and orchard is produced under this trademark. All products comply with international quality standards, this is confirmed by TUV, GS certificates. The company has existed for over 40 years. During this time, she has taken a leading position in the production and sale of garden equipment around the world.

• Gardena (Germany). The company was founded in 1961 in Ulm. Initially, garden tools were produced under the trademark, but today the manufacturer offers various equipment for work and landscaping of personal plots, up to intelligent irrigation systems. Gardena products are renowned for their reliability and durability. She is known in more than 120 countries around the world.

• "Country" (Russia). Domestic manufacturer of garden tools. Under the trademark, budget bumpers are produced from frost-resistant plastic in various colors. Most of the products are presented by ribbons 1 mm thick and 11 cm high.

• "HoseLand" (Russia). The company was founded in 1998 (until 2007 it was called Pharmex-Service CJSC). Offers a wide selection of household equipment.

When buying a curb tape, first of all, you need to consider its size.

• Thickness. The service life and elasticity of the product depend on this indicator. The densest fences are 2 mm thick, with a minimum of 0.5 mm. It should be borne in mind that dense modifications do not bend well, which is why it is not recommended to purchase them for ennobling geometrically complex flower beds. If you plan to trim the grass between rows with a trimmer, it is best to choose the thickest product.
• Length. The higher the indicator, the more area the tape can cover. The length of the roll is selected taking into account the tasks.
• Width height). The value of this parameter varies widely (10-50 cm). For the formation of paths, it is recommended to choose a tape 10 cm wide, for framing flower beds, beds, creating near-trunk zones near trees - at least 15 cm, for zoning space - 20 cm.To create raised beds or fences for germination of shrubs, a tape border with a height of at least 30 cm.

It is also necessary to decide on the choice of the color of the fence. Coloring depends both on the individual preferences of the gardener and on the goals that he sets for himself. To create original design solutions on your personal plot, you can pick up bright ribbons - red, yellow, pink. However, it should be borne in mind that they can bring dissonance to the overall composition.

Installation of the curb tape is easy to do with your own hands, while it is most convenient to work together. To install, you need the following tool:

• bayonet shovel;
• construction stapler;
• strong scissors or knife;
• hammer;
• pegs.

The latter are intended for fastening the curb fence with a broach or overlap. The pegs are made of durable plastic. They have a pointed tip for instant penetration of the product into the soil and a flat top. The height of most models of such mounts is 30 cm - this is enough to securely fix the tape in the soil.Plastic pegs are easy to use, they are safe for any plantings, they are durable due to their resistance to moisture and sunlight.

There are two ways to fix the curb tape - ground and recessed. It is advisable to resort to the first technique when arranging multi-tiered flower beds and high beds. The procedure for performing work with a ground-based installation method:

• cutting the tape taking into account the size of the area to be refined;
• closing the fence into a ring, connecting its ends with a stapler;
• installation of the tape (the product must be inserted into the ground with its end part);
• fixing the curb with pegs (installed at a distance not exceeding half a meter from each other);
• filling the resulting form with soil and subsequent planting of crops.

The recessed technique is most often resorted to when it is necessary to limit space, for example, when edging lawns, creating near-trunk circles or clear boundaries of paths. To install the tape, you will need to make a groove 10-20 cm deep, put a fence in it and dig in along the border, while not forgetting to tamp the soil.

To save money, you can refuse to purchase a ready-made curb tape and make your own garden fences from scrap materials. For example, for fencing beds or paths, old slate is often used, provided it is in good condition, or the remains of this building material after laying the roof. To create a fence, slate sheets need to be cut into products of the required size and dug into the soil. The advantages of such curbs include low cost, ease of installation, the disadvantages are the fragility of the material and the release of harmful substances into the soil.

Plastic fences are also being replaced with wooden fences. Wood products are easy to use and functional - they can be used to lay several tiers of different heights. The material is easily sawn into pieces of the desired length. Wooden fences will look aesthetically pleasing in any area.

Such products are environmentally friendly, but they are short-lived. On contact with moist soil, the tree swells and rots, and cracks from the sun's rays. To prolong the durability, the wood must be treated with protective agents, and then varnished.

For fencing flower beds, some gardeners use glass or plastic bottles. In this case, it is recommended to take containers of the same size and design. To install them, you need to dig out recesses into which you alternately lay the container with the neck down. For the manufacture of garden fences, you can use the remnants of the corrugated board. The material is resistant to corrosion, it is able to serve for more than one year while maintaining external presentability.

Curb tapes are used by many gardeners and gardeners. Their use is one of the most budgetary and fastest ways to improve land. Judging by consumer reviews, plastic fences help create interesting landscape compositions for people without special design skills.

Other benefits of curb tape include:

• simple and quick installation - tape materials are easily cut with scissors or a construction cutter;
• good heat resistance - the border does not crack when wintering in the ground;
• excellent elasticity - tapes for creating fences with curly configurations are easily bent, while there are no signs of a crease on their surface;
• a wide range of ribbons of different shapes, colors and sizes.

Users note that curb tapes do not require specialized maintenance. When cleaning products for storage, they should be pulled out of the ground, cleaned of contamination or rinsed under the pressure of water. On the downside, some buyers attribute the weak strength of thin fences. They break quickly when the tape is installed near shrubs or near a massive root system. In the latter case, the weak plastic can break due to overgrowing roots. However, experienced gardeners do not recommend getting rid of the damaged fence - you can try to repair it. Cracks in plastic can be easily removed with a soldering iron or torch.

Another disadvantage, consumers consider the fading of the border with prolonged exposure to UV rays. In general, the reviews for plastic curbs are positive. Negative responses are most often left on low-quality products of dubious production.

Plastic curb tapes are used in the design of artificial reservoirs, the creation of bulk paths, the formation of flower beds. In the above photo gallery, you can see how, using tape fences, you can transform a site in the country or in the garden.

The following video will tell you how to choose and install the curb tape correctly.