Steel Landscape Edging: Is It Flexible?
Maintaining a property’s landscaping can be a major chore even if you have all the latest tools of the trade at your disposal. Keeping soil and plant life in the right place can be a struggle that requires quite a bit of planning and commitment to overcome. One of the easiest ways to make landscaping upkeep as painless as possible is through the intelligent installation of edging.
As the name would imply, edging is simply any material that creates a barrier between different landscape zones in a front, back or side yard. Many homeowners use edging to demarcate the lines between lawns and surrounding areas such as mulch beds or gardens. When it comes to picking the right edging for your purposes, flexibility is one of the most important features to think about.
What Do We Mean by Landscape Edging Flexibility?
In the edging world, flexibility refers to a material’s ability to be easily adapted to a wide variety of landscaping scenarios. Flexible landscape edging can be used to create either straight lines or undulating curves depending on the unique tastes of the homeowner. The right flexible edging material can make landscapes incredibly attractive, slash installation costs and greatly minimize maintenance over the long haul.
Why Do We Want Flexibility in Steel Landscape Edging?
Over the past few decades, steel landscape edging has become an increasingly popular option for homeowners who are looking for easy curb appeal. Steel edging products are strong, durable and easy to install. What’s more, steel edging delivers superior return on investment compared to alternatives. Lastly, steel edging comes in a wide array of sizes, colors and finishes.
There are several reasons why the inherent flexibility of edging is such an attractive quality. For one thing, edging can be used to quickly define lines that separate all sorts of landscaping materials. Achieving the perfect landscaping look for a home boosts curb appeal and property value. In addition, edging makes it relatively easy to modify landscaping choices later on if you change your mind.
Is Steel Landscape Edging More Flexible Than Other Materials?
Flexibility is a key consideration when choosing an edging material. Here’s a quick look at how steel edging stacks up against the competition.
Steel Edging vs. Wood Edging
Wood edging is a great way to establish awesome landscaping lines if you desire a natural look that’s wholesome and earthy. Wood edging can last for up to a decade if you pay a little extra for a product that’s treated to be resistant to the elements.
Curving and bending a solid piece of wood edging yourself is almost impossible. Wood edging circumvents this by creating options that are composed of multiple smaller pieces of wood attached together, which often means a more difficult installation process. This is not inherently a bad thing but should be considered when thinking about the style of landscaping.
Another problem with wood is that it will eventually start to rot and must be replaced no matter how careful you are about applying stains and sealers. A steel-based edging product is going to be around for a lot longer than a wood-based option.
Steel Edging vs. Stone Edging
Stone edging boasts its own unique set of advantages. It is lasts longer than wood edging and is also available in a fairly wide range of aesthetic options.
You cannot bend or flex a stone; but like wood edging, you could piecemeal smaller pieces of stone together to achieve an overall flexible, curved look. This makes it incredibly important to know exactly what layout you want to use in your landscape design.
Another problem with stone edging is that it isn’t particularly flexible if you decide to change your mind about landscaping decisions. Moving stone in a piece-by-piece fashion can be tedious, time-consuming work. Once stone becomes mixed up with soil, grass and mulch, it’s hard to filter out unwanted material.
Steel Edging vs. Plastic Edging
The biggest selling point of plastic edging is its affordability. Plastic edging is incredibly cheap and can be found at almost any hardware store in the country.
Viewed from a flexibility standpoint, plastic edging has at least one notable downside. Simply put, plastic edging can’t be used to create the kinds of sharp corners that metal edging can.
Furthermore, plastic edging can quickly degrade due to UV light exposure. Cracks in the edging caused by said UV light damage may necessitate replacement sooner than you would imagine. Edging crafted from steel doesn’t suffer from the same issues.
Edge Your Properties With Flexible Steel Edging
As you can see, landscape edging fabricated from steel is a win-win proposition for most homeowners. It’s hardy, relatively inexpensive and flexible to boot. Since 1957, Colmet has been at the forefront of steel landscape edging from the beginning.
Colmet steel edging comes in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors for the convenience of discerning customers. You can find Colmet steel landscape edging at many local and national hardware stores. Don’t see the color or finish you’re looking for in store? Ask a sales associate about placing a special order.