All about galvanized beds

Galvanized beds have gained considerable popularity, have received many positive reviews from gardeners. There are several options for such fences made of polymer-coated steel, as well as other types for different budgets and tastes. But before arranging galvanized beds, it is worth understanding their features, advantages and disadvantages.

Galvanized beds are fences that are installed on the surface of the ground to give the site a neater and more attractive appearance. They can be located single or multi-tiered elements. The latter arrangement is most often used when organizing flower beds, flower beds, and other multi-tiered landscape compositions. The simplest models have the form of a four-sided rectangular or square box with special pins along the edges for anchoring in the ground.

Galvanized beds, by their very appearance, allowed summer residents to abandon the use of scrap materials in delimiting zones and decorating the landscape of the site. They are made of steel to ensure a long service life. A garden structure made of galvanized sheet does not harm the composition of the soil, looks aesthetically pleasing, successfully copes with its functions of protecting paths from soil shedding, weeds creeping.

Among the obvious advantages of galvanized beds, a number of factors can be noted.

• Strength. Compared to wooden ones, metal garden fences have significantly higher reliability. They are not subject to decay, well protected from corrosion by applying a special coating. Metal does not attract insects, which cannot be said about wood, and this has a beneficial effect on the general condition of plants.
• Minimum material weight. Lightweight collapsible structures can be transported in an ordinary passenger car without resorting to the use of special vehicles.
• Ease of installation. The pre-assembled kits are supplied with detailed instructions for maximum ease of assembly. Even a person without significant technical knowledge can cope with this task.
• Availability of models with stiffeners. They are much more durable than conventional flat options. Stiffeners are able to form a reliable fence for planting.
• Life time. Since galvanized beds are fairly new products, we can only talk about the predicted service life. Manufacturers promise trouble-free operation for 10-15 years, and most summer residents have them installed only 3-5 years ago.
• Security. Galvanized fences are not harmful to the soil - their coating is chemically neutral. Even with prolonged contact with the ground, no hazardous compounds are released.
• Improved heat retention. As the metal heats up, it gives up the accumulated energy to the soil. This is good when planting plants early, when the ground is still poorly warmed up.
• High biological resistance. The material is not subject to destruction under the influence of mold and mildew, moisture resistant. All care comes down to periodic cleaning of the walls from dirt, and this can be done with plain water.
• Functionality. It is convenient to mount greenhouses and automatic irrigation systems on metal fences installed in the garden. They are perfect for framing even complex (for example, curly) flower beds, playgrounds, zoning of the local area and places of organized recreation.
• Convenience of storage. For the winter period, galvanized beds can be easily removed for storage, and then re-installed in the same place or moved. They easily adapt to redevelopment of a vegetable garden or flower garden at home. Thanks to this, galvanized beds have a significant advantage over capital structures.

But the merits are not limited to this. On galvanized beds, it is easy to maintain order, weed or fertilize plants, and harvest. They are indispensable for careful planning of the site, provide order in the garden, excluding the soil slipping onto the paths or other elements of the landscape.

The disadvantages of galvanized beds are also quite obvious. Their purchase is significantly more expensive than wooden counterparts or options built from scrap materials. You can add the fact that such products do not look very presentable without a decorative coating, and models with polymer sides get dirty quickly, since any dirt and drips from dried moisture are clearly visible on them.

It is customary to classify galvanized fences for greenhouses according to many characteristics - from the height of the sides to the type of profiles. These metal structures are often designed to match the main frame. Colored modules are used when zoning a site, brown ones are most often used in an eco-style landscape. Reinforced - with stiffening ribs - better adapted to intense loads.

The variety of sizes and parameters is a great advantage of prefabricated metal elements. To understand what is best for strawberries or other crops in the country, a detailed analysis of various types and options of galvanized beds will help.

The classic version of galvanized steel beds is a box without a bottom, assembled from slats of different lengths, but the same width. The modules are fastened using special clamps. The shape of the boxes can be varied - from a classic rectangle to a circle or polygon.

A distinctive feature of prefabricated structures is the safety (rounded) shape of the sides. It greatly facilitates the installation process. Assembly can be carried out using French snap fasteners, and in cheaper versions, bolts or self-tapping screws (necessarily galvanized) are used.

For high warm beds, steel fences of increased height or mounted in several tiers are used. In this case, the framing hides not only the soil. The structure of the ridge resembles a multi-layer "cake" made of:

• branches and stems of plants;
• sod layer;
• organics;
• rotted compost or fertile soil.

The classification of products by type of material and individual characteristics is also very relevant. The main division takes into account the presence of a coating that gives a more presentable appearance to the entire structure. Besides, they distinguish solid and perforated walls - the latter provide improved air circulation, since they have holes around the perimeter. Structures with stiffeners are similar to classic metal profiles for roofs and fences.They are corrugated, with a trapezoidal shape of protrusions, their depth depends on how intense mechanical loads the products have to withstand.

According to the type of materials, all galvanized beds are divided into several categories.

• Without cover. Galvanized steel has a silvery-white color and is well protected against corrosion if the production technology is observed. However, it has a number of significant disadvantages. Metal is more susceptible to heat, plants can get burned in contact with it. Galvanizing looks unpretentious, not very suitable for decorative landscape design.

• PVDF coated. They belong to the premium class, they are rare. This is the most durable option with an environmentally friendly acrylic / polyvinyl fluoride spray. Such beds are well protected from any external influences, they can not even be removed for the winter. The coating protects the metal from heat.

• Polymer coated. Such sides for beds have a galvanized coating on the bottom, and a polymer coating on top, which plays a protective and decorative role. The polymer finish looks attractive and is difficult to damage during use. Products are available in a wide range of colors and layouts. The structure is usually fastened to corners with bolts or self-tapping screws.

• Polyurethane coated. A durable and practical option in which decor is applied over a zinc layer. This is a good solution for decorating adjoining territories. The products have a high margin of safety, are reliable and functional, and easily survive repeated dismantling and reassembly.

When looking for the optimal solution for your site, you should pay attention to the fact that the uncoated option is most often used inside greenhouses and greenhouses. Decorative and protective finishes are needed when planning open landscape solutions.

The size range of galvanized metal beds is quite wide. Standard - for open ground - is considered a height of 25.5 or 30 cm. Such bumpers reliably protect plants from external threats, without too shading them. For year-round growing of plants in greenhouses, hotbeds, greenhouses, it is recommended to choose an option with a height of 35 or 40 cm.

High beds (up to 50 cm) are used for growing root crops. They are suitable for year-round use, making plant maintenance much easier. Installation is usually carried out with stakes deepening 25-30 cm into the soil.For small flower beds and flower beds (long narrow flower beds), as well as for plants with a shallow root system, you can choose the height of the sides from 18.5 cm.

As for the length and width, it all depends on the individual preferences of the summer resident. Typically, standard parameters vary in the range of 1 × 3 m or 1 × 5 m, but for a large greenhouse, you can assemble a frame of 3x6 m or more. For planning the site, a width of 60-70 to 120 cm will be sufficient.If narrow beds are being made, this range can be less - only 0.2-0.5 m.

Since galvanized beds have gained popularity, today they are made by factories throughout Russia and neighboring countries. Belarusian companies set up production almost simultaneously with Russian ones, their panels are no less successful, and sometimes even cheaper than other counterparts. To figure out which brand is better, the consolidated rating of all offers on the market will help.

• Greenbox. The company has average prices for products that are produced exclusively in polymer-sprayed kits with a wide selection of shades. The height of the sides is limited to 20 cm with a width of 65 or 100 cm.The length can reach from 1 to 7.9 m.The structures are provided with jumpers to increase the rigidity of the overall frames.

• Baller. Moscow plant with a wide range of products. The company has ready-made kits and individual polymer-coated modules, the thickness of the sides in the products reaches 0.7 mm. The length range is also the widest possible - from 1 to 12 m with a width of 0.2-1 m. The height of the sides reaches 50 cm with decorative dusting and 70 cm without it.

• Delta Park. A popular manufacturer offering powder-coated beds with sides up to 36 cm. The panels have 8 stiffeners and are easy to assemble using factory snap fasteners. The brand offers a wide range of standard sizes and is popular.

• "Reasonable Summer Resident". This company produces several types of galvanized beds - medium ones have a height of 20 cm, large ones - 35 cm. Only polymerized panels with stiffening ribs and a sheet thickness of 0.6 mm are produced. The width of the modules can be 60 or 120 cm, the length is from 1 to 5 m.

• "Will". The brand offers budget modifications of galvanized beds with a low side height (17 cm) and no stiffening ribs. Structures are mounted on corners, options 0.7 × 2 m and 1 × 2 m are offered.This is an exclusively greenhouse option, the most affordable.

• "Merry". The manufacturer relies on a variety of colors and affordable prices for products. But beds with a height of only 15 cm are more suitable for arranging flower beds.

• "Sibgryadki". The company produces galvanized beds with and without polymer coating. There are 2 options for heights - 15 and 34 cm. In addition, flower beds and honeycombs of non-standard shapes are produced here. There are sets for greenhouses, a wide range of colors for staining are presented. This is a good economical option for a summer residence or a personal plot.

These are the main market leaders whose products are most popular. At the same time, a fairly wide range of offers from companies for which the manufacture of such fences is not the main profile of their activity is presented on the market. In this case, it will be difficult to guarantee the quality and durability of the products.

When buying a frame for beds made of galvanized steel, gardeners invariably have questions about the quality of such products. Many manufacturers, in pursuit of profit, save on wall thickness or coating, preferring cheap consumables. The right approach to the selection process will help you find a quality product.

Pay attention to the following criteria.

• Wall thickness. High-quality galvanized metal has indicators from 0.6 mm. Manufacturers who save on this characteristic choose 0.4-0.5 mm options, significantly reducing the bearing capacity of the structure. Such a fence can hardly be called reliable - it is easily deformed.
• Sizes of modules. For open ground, a width of 60-70 cm is considered optimal; for greenhouses and greenhouses, the option 1-1.2 m is usually chosen, but there are also non-standard options with larger dimensions. The length is usually increased in sections - with a step between sections of 1 m. The height of the walls also matters - for root crops and warm beds, it is better to choose an option of 50-70 cm, in other cases the optimal range will be 20-35 cm.
• Coating type. Non-spraying options are not only the most budgetary, in addition, they warm up well and quickly, which can be useful for northern regions with short daylight hours and late spring. In the south, it is better to immediately plant plants in fences with polyurethane or PVDF-spraying. This coating shields the metal from the sun's rays, preventing the plants from "burning".
• Smooth or profiled. Ribbed sides have much greater mechanical strength.This is important if the ground is mobile or there is a risk of other external pressure. In addition, smooth galvanized steel frames are easier to damage during transportation and storage, and their height rarely exceeds 19-20 cm.
• Equipment. The forward-thinking manufacturer supplies galvanized beds with all the necessary accessories - from perpendicular lintels to fasteners and installation gloves. The smaller the delivery set, the higher the chances of getting a deliberately low-quality product.
• Edge processing. In factory galvanized beds, it is always harmless. The edges of the sides are rolled up, allowing you to safely lean on them.
• Availability of packaging. This can be important when transporting products. In addition, during storage, the protective film keeps the metal surface from contact with moisture or burnout.
• Composite or one-piece construction. We are talking about high beds, in which it is often proposed to increase the necessary parameters due to the additional docking of modules. This is not a very convenient solution. If you need to purchase a bed with a higher side, you should choose one with solid panels of the right dimensions.
• Design and colors. It all depends on individual preferences, but it is worth considering right away that non-standard and multi-tiered structures are more expensive. Colored spraying at the sides is only on the front side. You should overpay for the original color scheme only if the site already has a pronounced design concept that you do not want to violate.

The above are the main selection criteria that you can rely on when buying a suitable galvanized fence for horticultural or horticultural crops.

It is quite easy to assemble a metal fence in the form of a galvanized frame on your own. Such modules are designed so that they can be installed by hand. The instructions with the assembly diagram, which a conscientious manufacturer must attach to the delivery set, will help to correctly connect the elements.

The mounting method also depends on the manufacturer. For this, special pegs, buried in the ground by 20-25 cm, or other elements can be used. The modules are fixed between themselves with plugs or corners with bolts, self-tapping screws.

Here is an approximate algorithm for the editing sequence.

1. First of all, the assembly diagram is studied according to the attached instructions.
2. The kit is disassembled. All parts are laid out. It is imperative to check the completeness upon receipt of the goods, otherwise difficulties may arise during installation.
3. Connection of the first corner from longitudinal and transverse sheets. The artboard is connected by the provided mount.
4. Assembling the next same (L-shaped) structure.
5. After that, both elements are connected to form a square or rectangle.
6. Installation of jumpers. It is needed only in those beds that are over 3 m long.
7. Installation of the frame in the ground. It is fixed with special pegs, burying them into the ground by 25 or more centimeters. Only in this case, the structure will not move in strong winds or rising groundwater.

Reviews of gardeners and gardeners about galvanized beds look promising. Summer residents are satisfied with the speed of installation and the expected durability of the structures. Many buyers have had such modules for 3-5 years without any complaints. Bright options with colored spraying are in good harmony with the landscape, and simple galvanized products fell in love with the owners of greenhouses and greenhouses. Not only the simplification of plant care is noted, but also the increased protection of their roots from rodents.

Besides, some users consider galvanized beds to be one of the smartest-to-use site planning solutions. After installing the structures at the planting sites, the rest of the territory can be covered with tiles or paving stones, without fear that the paths will end up in the ground. There is a decrease in weeds within the framework of the frame, the fruits are easier to keep clean, fertilizers are easy to dose and apply during the care process.

Among the negative points in the use of galvanized sides and fences for beds, other gardeners mention weak bearing capacity. When trying to use the structure as a short rest bench, it breaks or sinks into the ground. However, no manufacturer indicates the possibility of using the structure in this capacity, so claims about this are not entirely correct.

There are references to the discrepancy between the indicated and real dimensions of the panels. Here the claims are already quite legitimate. It also happens that manufacturers supply modules without drilled mounting holes, which makes assembly very difficult. When choosing, it is worth finding out such a moment.

For the benefits of galvanized beds in practice, see the following video.