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Summer residents who have on their plot raised beds, have long appreciated their dignity. The fencing of an earthen embankment is most often constructed independently from available materials. The disadvantage of homemade sides is their short service life, unaesthetic appearance, and lack of mobility. It’s another matter if you install galvanized beds at your dacha for planting vegetables and flowers. Collapsible structures can be easily moved to any place, and such sides will last about 20 years without losing their aesthetic appearance.
Pros and cons of using galvanized metal fencing
It just so happens that building materials are increasingly being used for arranging summer cottages, in particular vegetable gardens. Originally, earthen embankments were fenced with slate, brick, cinder block or boards. Now it’s the turn of the profiled sheet. The fact is that store-bought metal beds are made of the same material as corrugated sheeting.
Let's figure out why a factory-made galvanized fence is more profitable than homemade sides:
- metal is a material that is not suitable for the life of fungi and other garden pests, which is especially important for a greenhouse;
- all store beds made of galvanized metal are a collapsible structure that can be quickly assembled or disassembled when moving to another place;
- If necessary, galvanized fencing can be made longer or the sides can be increased in height;
- the small weight of the sides allows you to independently assemble and carry the box without outside help;
- many store beds made of galvanized steel are made in such a way that they can be used to form an original fence in the shape of a polygon;
- galvanization with polymer coating has all shades of corrugated sheet color, which allows you to decorate your summer cottage to your taste;
- ordinary beds made of galvanized metal will last up to 20 years, and if a polymer coating is applied on top, the service life will increase to 30 years;
- It is convenient to attach arcs under a greenhouse and a drip irrigation pipe to a galvanized fence.
However, everything can't be perfect, and metal fencing similarly has a number of disadvantages. The first of them is the high cost of the finished product. The second disadvantage is the high thermal conductivity of the metal. Although this drawback needs to be dealt with. The metal quickly warms up in the sun, causing the root system of plants to suffer. Root crops growing near the side generally disappear. This problem is more typical in the southern regions, where metal beds are not the best type of fencing. For cold areas, the quick heating of metal sides can be considered a plus. In early spring, the soil in the box will quickly become warm, and if you additionally stretch a greenhouse over the bed, you can grow early vegetables.
Variety of galvanized fencing models
So, fencing for garden beds made from the same material as corrugated sheets. From here, products are divided into the following types:
- Conventional silver-colored galvanized beds are made from sheet steel. Only a layer of zinc is applied as a protective coating.
- Polymer-coated beds, available in different colors, provide additional protection. The sides of the product are made of sheet steel. As protection, the first layer of zinc is applied to the metal, and the second layer is polymer.
- Iron fences for garden beds, treated with a polyurethane coating, are made similar to products with polymer coating. The sides are produced in different colors from the same galvanized sheet steel, only instead of polymer a layer of polyurethane is applied.
Galvanized coating serves as the main protection of metal from corrosion. The service life of the garden bed fencing increases several times. However, zinc itself can be endangered if, for example, it gets into an acidic environment. Additional protection is provided by a polymer layer with a minimum thickness of 25 microns applied on top of the zinc. The service life of a polymer bed compared to a galvanized product increases by another 2–3 times. The polymer does not react with any type of fertilizer, soil and water.
In the video you can see galvanized beds:
Fences for earthen embankments are made from galvanized steel with a polymer coating in different sizes. The greatest demand is for boxes with a width of 50 and 36 cm. Design border for flower bed I make it so that it can be given any length by adding or subtracting sections. Galvanized beds with the ability to extend the sides are very convenient to use. This occurs in a similar way by adding sections only in height.
As for polymer-coated beds, the manufacturing technology of the metal sheet itself is much more complicated. Hence the high cost, but also a longer service life.
The material used in the manufacture of polymer-coated sides has the following characteristics:
- Sheet steel is used as a basis;
- the sheet is coated with zinc on both sides;
- the second is the passivating layer;
- third coating – primer;
- the back side of the sheet is covered with a layer of paint;
- The front side of the sheet is covered with colored polymer.
The most reliable is polyurethane coating. The top colored layer of the fence is resistant to UV rays, corrosion and mild mechanical stress. It is very difficult to put a scratch on such a board. The service life of polyurethane-coated fencing reaches 50 years, but the high cost does not make the product popular among summer residents.
Cost of metal fencing
The price for beds made of galvanized steel is determined taking into account many factors. First, the protective layer is taken into account. The cheapest ones will be metal boxes with a galvanized coating, and the most expensive ones will have a polyurethane layer. The golden mean in terms of cost is polymer-coated fencing. Secondly, the price is determined by the size of the box and the number of collapsible elements.
A standard rectangular metal box consists of two end and side shelves. They are connected to each other using fasteners.The fencing is sold as a set, and the price is set for the entire product.
Large-sized galvanized beds have the property of bending the side walls under pressure soil. This can be avoided by steel braces included with such products. There are fencing models that allow the extension of sides. Such products are sold as standard, and additional sides can be purchased separately.
Factory fencing assembly
Assembling beds made of prefabricated metal with a polymer coating is so simple that you don’t even have to look at the included instructions. If the assembly is being done for the first time, it is better to look at the drawing. The easiest way to assemble a bed made according to the French system. Here the fasteners are the simplest latches, with the help of which all the elements are connected. Due to modernized latches, the cost of the entire fence increases.
It is more difficult to assemble a fence whose sides are secured with bolts or self-tapping screws. Such beds are produced in rectangular and polygonal shapes. In terms of quick assembly and disassembly, the boxes are unprofitable, but the cost of the products is much lower than their analogue according to the French system.
A standard galvanized bed can be assembled in 30 minutes. It is enough to connect the four sides into a rectangular fence.
The video shows metal boxes with a polymer coating:
DIY galvanized bed
If desired, you can make a metal bed yourself. For the sides you will need galvanized sheets or corrugated sheets. The main issue is the manufacture of the frame.You will need four corner posts and eight cross bars. The frame is welded from a metal corner or assembled from a wooden beam. Fragments are cut out of galvanized sheet or corrugated sheet to the size of the sides, and they are fixed to the frame with self-tapping screws.
When making a homemade garden bed, it is important to protect the edges of the fence from burrs. On a metal frame, the sharp edge of the galvanized sheet will be hidden under the horizontal shelf of the corner. On a wooden frame, the place where the sharp edge of the galvanization is fixed is hidden under the platband.
Reviews from summer residents about metal beds
User reviews on the forum often help you decide on a purchase. Let's find out what people are saying about metal garden beds.
