With its natural and rustic look and finish, steel edging is a popular choice among keen gardeners and landscapers. It creates stylish and low-maintenance boundaries to define flowerbeds, lawns or garden pathways.
Our popular steel edging is now available as a self-installation option, which is easy to install and looks fantastic too.
With its durability, the edging can last for years, creating a beautiful landscape edging and garden for you to enjoy.
In this blog, we’ll share how to install our steel edging in your outdoor space and why steel edging is a great option for gardening and landscaping projects.
Why Steel Edging?
Steel edging is a great way to define different areas and levels across gardens and other outdoor spaces, including driveways, raised beds, water features and walkways.
It also offers a very clean-cut and practical solution to keep grass and weeds from migrating across a border, when used for a gardening project. As well as border control, the use of metal edging significantly reduces the need for maintenance too.
Being a premium product, steel edging is very hardy and remains unaffected by the weather, unlike wood products. This means the material is long-lasting and therefore cost-effective.
Due to its nature, and for a more traditional look, steel edging can be left to weather to its natural golden patina. When installed, it also makes your outdoor space easier to maintain, which is ideal for large estates and commercial spaces alike.
How to Install Your Steel Edging
Tools Required: Hammer, hand spade, tape measure and chalk.
Measure
To start with, it is important to measure the borders with a tape, so you know how much edging to order.
Prepare
Mark where you want the edging with a chalk line or spray paint, then dig a trench to keep the edging stable using a hand spade.
The depth will depend on the application. For example, for a steel-edged pathway in a garden, we recommend that the edge finish height be level with the grass so that you can easily mow the lawn.
Top Tip: For the edging to remain in place and last for years, you need to make sure it’s deep enough, otherwise it can pop out of place.
Please note that the width of the trench will depend on the edging. We provide 3mm and 5mm thickness options and they come in 2-metre lengths. The 3mm option is best for lawn edging, flower borders and small paths and our 5mm is best for edging on driveways.
Install
Start placing the edging into the trench, making sure all heights run at the right level. Ideally using a lump hammer, hammer your ground pins through the tube and brace connectors attached to the edging. Make sure the tube lines up to the centre of the brace. Hammer the ground pin until flush with the brace.
Continue with the next edging pieces as required, joining them up together securely with the provided pin.
Top tip: Before placing the edging, make sure the correct side is facing into the garden.
Creating curves
For a curved run, hammer the first two or three ground pins through the tube and brace connector. Gently curve your edging to the desired line, hammering in a ground pin at the end through the tube and brace connectors to hold the edging in place. Work your way back, hammering in the remaining pins whilst checking your curve.
Creating angles
For a right-angle run, usually, there are 90-degree and 270-degree right angles available. With your chosen option, simply join your right-angle sections using the tube and brace connectors.
Top Tip: Steel edging normally comes in 2m lengths so you can easily join the lengths together using a pin.
Finish
Once your edging is in place, you’ll need to backfill against the edging on both sides to make sure all the fixings are hidden. You can use topsoil, gravel or other small stones.
Takeaways
If you’re looking for decorative elements for your garden or a landscaping project, steel edging is certainly one to consider. Adding sophistication with its look and finish, it also helps to keep your outdoor space in better condition.
This stunning and maintenance-free edging will last for years to come, and unlike other options requires no treatment for upkeep, offering a stunning natural appeal.
Not to mention that completing your DIY installation project will give you enormous satisfaction. There’s nothing like the feeling you get after completing a task that you worked hard to finish.
We at Steel Landscaping Co. are incredibly passionate about steel products and strive to deliver high-quality ranges that are manufactured right here in the UK.
If you need more help or inspiration, see our range of previous projects or browse our product range here.