What's the difference between a good and a bad metal raised garden bed?
Compared with the time-honored wooden raised garden beds, metal raised garden beds are a new star in the garden bed category, appearing only in the past decade and only becoming popular in recent years. With more and more brands appearing on the market, it also poses a more realistic question: How to choose a good quality one among the many metal raised garden beds? How to tell the quality of a metal raised garden bed?
1. Filter your favorite metal raised garden bed styles by appearance.
The current appearance of metal raised garden beds is mainly differentiated by the shape of the corrugations and the treatment of the corners. The shape of the early metal flower bed corrugations was straight-sided. This straight corrugated sheet can be used as a side panel for a raised garden bed, but not as a corner panel. Therefore, the corners of this metal raised garden bed are finished in planks or steel, as shown here:
In the later period, wavy corrugated sheets appeared. In addition to its sleek appearance, the waves also solve the problem of bending, so this metal raised garden bed no longer requires planks or steel to achieve the corners. As shown in the figure:
These two metal raised garden beds are indistinguishable in appearance, and the user or dealer can choose according to their aesthetic preference.
2. Identify the quality of metal raised garden beds from steel.
The issues to be discussed here will be more professional, and we will try our best to simplify this issue to make it easier for everyone to understand. Metal elevated garden beds are currently divided into several materials, and the quality grades from low to high are: cold rolled iron plate - galvanized iron plate - galvanized aluminum magnesium iron plate - painted iron plate - zinc aluminum magnesium color coating - zinc aluminum magnesium animal husbandry Color coating.
If it is galvanized and used directly, it is easy to distinguish
However, in order to distinguish whether the coating is pure galvanized or zinc-aluminum-magnesium, as well as the thickness of the galvanized layer, the manufacturer of the material, etc., it is necessary for the factory to provide more detailed material proof. The minimum thickness of the zinc layer is 80g/m2, and the zinc layer The higher it is, the stronger the corrosion resistance.
In addition, regarding the lacquered iron plate and the color-coated iron plate, the first three iron plates: cold-rolled iron plate, galvanized iron plate, and galvanized aluminum-magnesium iron plate can all be used as the bottom plate of the substrate. Painted and painted iron. When using a coated metal raised garden bed, it is important to ask what material the substrate inside the paint is made of. Coated iron plates made of different base plates are basically the same in appearance, but the difference in cost and performance is huge.
How to distinguish between lacquered iron plate and color-coated iron plate?
Here is a simple and effective method to see whether the color of the front and back of the product is the same, and whether the color of the soil side and the outside is the same.
If the color of the front and back is the same, it can basically be concluded that it is a painted iron plate;
If the color of the front and back is different, it can basically be judged that this is the original color-coated board.
Of course, whether it is a painted iron plate or a color-coated iron plate, the material of the inner substrate must be asked clearly, which is very important for performance.
The method of judging whether it is good or bad is still as described above. From low to high are: cold-rolled iron plate. - Galvanized iron sheet - Galvanized aluminum magnesium iron sheet, the minimum thickness of zinc layer is 80g/m2. The higher the zinc layer, the stronger the corrosion resistance.
Then there is the difference between paint quality, traditional paint and ordinary color paint, the factory mainly does salt spray test and paint cross-cut test,
As far as the planting field is concerned, the raised garden beds should be able to have a better fertilization environment. Under the action of fertilizers, the soil matrix is alkaline. Here are special coatings for livestock that are specially used in alkaline environments such as animal manure. This paint can be well adapted to the effect of fertilization. The soil environment has strong corrosion resistance. Then there is the thickness of the paint coat and the paint manufacturer. These parameters need to be confirmed with the manufacturer.
3. Identify the quality of a metal raised garden bed from the screw material it uses.
Screws for connecting panel to panel, from low to high: galvanized screws - 202 stainless steel screws - 304 stainless steel screws. Galvanized screws are better to distinguish, 202 stainless steel screws and 304 stainless steel screws need to be confirmed with the manufacturer, or confirmed through experiments. Different galvanized screws can rust after a few months of use. The following picture shows the comparison between ordinary galvanized screws and 304 stainless steel screws after the same use for about half a year:
The picture on the left is a galvanized screw, and the picture on the right is a 304 stainless steel screw, and their corrosion resistance varies greatly over time.
4. Identify the quality of the metal garden bed from the packaging material.
A good carton is made of no less than 6 layers of kraft paper. The specific effect can be easily distinguished from whether the carton is deformed after receiving the product, and the feel of the carton.
5. Identify the quality of metal raised garden beds from the production process.
Due to the different advanced level of equipment and different equipment quality of each manufacturer, there are several differences in the production process of metal raised garden beds on the market: some metal raised garden beds of poor quality will have scratches on their hands, which is caused by poor equipment cutting. ; Some of the wavy metal raised garden beds have noticeable folds in the curved boards due to the precision and quality of the equipment.
Here I recommend a very nice metal garden bed. This metal raised garden bed is made of zinc-aluminum-magnesium with a pre-painted base plate with a zinc layer thickness of 140 g/m² and an accurate aluminum-magnesium content. The research and development of the steel mill is highly targeted. It is the largest and best steel mill in China - Baowu Group.
The thickness of the paint in contact with the soil has also been specially thickened, which is 4 times the thickness of the ordinary color coating, and the corrosion resistance is more than 10 times that of the ordinary color coating. The paint meets North American USDA Indirect Food Contact certification, so you can safely grow vegetables for your family to eat.
1. Filter your favorite metal raised garden bed styles by appearance.
The current appearance of metal raised garden beds is mainly differentiated by the shape of the corrugations and the treatment of the corners. The shape of the early metal flower bed corrugations was straight-sided. This straight corrugated sheet can be used as a side panel for a raised garden bed, but not as a corner panel. Therefore, the corners of this metal raised garden bed are finished in planks or steel, as shown here:
In the later period, wavy corrugated sheets appeared. In addition to its sleek appearance, the waves also solve the problem of bending, so this metal raised garden bed no longer requires planks or steel to achieve the corners. As shown in the figure:
These two metal raised garden beds are indistinguishable in appearance, and the user or dealer can choose according to their aesthetic preference.
2. Identify the quality of metal raised garden beds from steel.
The issues to be discussed here will be more professional, and we will try our best to simplify this issue to make it easier for everyone to understand. Metal elevated garden beds are currently divided into several materials, and the quality grades from low to high are: cold rolled iron plate - galvanized iron plate - galvanized aluminum magnesium iron plate - painted iron plate - zinc aluminum magnesium color coating - zinc aluminum magnesium animal husbandry Color coating.
If it is galvanized and used directly, it is easy to distinguish
However, in order to distinguish whether the coating is pure galvanized or zinc-aluminum-magnesium, as well as the thickness of the galvanized layer, the manufacturer of the material, etc., it is necessary for the factory to provide more detailed material proof. The minimum thickness of the zinc layer is 80g/m2, and the zinc layer The higher it is, the stronger the corrosion resistance.
In addition, regarding the lacquered iron plate and the color-coated iron plate, the first three iron plates: cold-rolled iron plate, galvanized iron plate, and galvanized aluminum-magnesium iron plate can all be used as the bottom plate of the substrate. Painted and painted iron. When using a coated metal raised garden bed, it is important to ask what material the substrate inside the paint is made of. Coated iron plates made of different base plates are basically the same in appearance, but the difference in cost and performance is huge.
How to distinguish between lacquered iron plate and color-coated iron plate?
Here is a simple and effective method to see whether the color of the front and back of the product is the same, and whether the color of the soil side and the outside is the same.
If the color of the front and back is the same, it can basically be concluded that it is a painted iron plate;
If the color of the front and back is different, it can basically be judged that this is the original color-coated board.
Of course, whether it is a painted iron plate or a color-coated iron plate, the material of the inner substrate must be asked clearly, which is very important for performance.
The method of judging whether it is good or bad is still as described above. From low to high are: cold-rolled iron plate. - Galvanized iron sheet - Galvanized aluminum magnesium iron sheet, the minimum thickness of zinc layer is 80g/m2. The higher the zinc layer, the stronger the corrosion resistance.
Then there is the difference between paint quality, traditional paint and ordinary color paint, the factory mainly does salt spray test and paint cross-cut test,
As far as the planting field is concerned, the raised garden beds should be able to have a better fertilization environment. Under the action of fertilizers, the soil matrix is alkaline. Here are special coatings for livestock that are specially used in alkaline environments such as animal manure. This paint can be well adapted to the effect of fertilization. The soil environment has strong corrosion resistance. Then there is the thickness of the paint coat and the paint manufacturer. These parameters need to be confirmed with the manufacturer.
3. Identify the quality of a metal raised garden bed from the screw material it uses.
Screws for connecting panel to panel, from low to high: galvanized screws - 202 stainless steel screws - 304 stainless steel screws. Galvanized screws are better to distinguish, 202 stainless steel screws and 304 stainless steel screws need to be confirmed with the manufacturer, or confirmed through experiments. Different galvanized screws can rust after a few months of use. The following picture shows the comparison between ordinary galvanized screws and 304 stainless steel screws after the same use for about half a year:
The picture on the left is a galvanized screw, and the picture on the right is a 304 stainless steel screw, and their corrosion resistance varies greatly over time.
4. Identify the quality of the metal garden bed from the packaging material.
A good carton is made of no less than 6 layers of kraft paper. The specific effect can be easily distinguished from whether the carton is deformed after receiving the product, and the feel of the carton.
5. Identify the quality of metal raised garden beds from the production process.
Due to the different advanced level of equipment and different equipment quality of each manufacturer, there are several differences in the production process of metal raised garden beds on the market: some metal raised garden beds of poor quality will have scratches on their hands, which is caused by poor equipment cutting. ; Some of the wavy metal raised garden beds have noticeable folds in the curved boards due to the precision and quality of the equipment.
Here I recommend a very nice metal garden bed. This metal raised garden bed is made of zinc-aluminum-magnesium with a pre-painted base plate with a zinc layer thickness of 140 g/m² and an accurate aluminum-magnesium content. The research and development of the steel mill is highly targeted. It is the largest and best steel mill in China - Baowu Group.
The thickness of the paint in contact with the soil has also been specially thickened, which is 4 times the thickness of the ordinary color coating, and the corrosion resistance is more than 10 times that of the ordinary color coating. The paint meets North American USDA Indirect Food Contact certification, so you can safely grow vegetables for your family to eat.