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- Corten is a trademark name.
It was developed in the early part
of the 20th century as a structural steel.
This is called weathering steel, is kind of a general term
for these alloy steels that are made
for their corrosion resistance.
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- We recently did a project, and we used a lot
of Corten steel in that project.
So, using the Corten in the planter boxes,
which is where we had started,
then we carried that material out
through other elements in the project.
I like Corten for a couple of reasons.
One, is the thin profile.
When you have a small space, the Corten is nice to use
for planter boxes, 'cause you get more volume,
basically, of planting, and the color.
The juxtaposition of the green
of the plants that are going into the beds
and then the orange rusty tone of the Corten, itself.
The longevity is the other part of it
So, a steel planter box is gonna last
you a lot longer than a wood box.
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- Corten, as it oxidizes, that rusting layer,
actually, serves to protect the material.
In other types of steel the rust doesn't.
When we get the material its in large flat sheets.
And, depending on the design details,
we either take the sheets, cut them,
to the size parts we need, weld them,
we can mechanically fasten it,
so, with hardware, screws, bolts, etc.
And, it can also be formed, for instance,
when we're making planter boxes,
there are different details we can do.
- We tend to give two options,
either the straight edge, or a beveled edge.
And, so, the beveled edge is a rounded corner
and that provides a different structural stability to it,
and it also ensures that you're not gonna scrape yourself
on the edges of the planter.
So, if you have kids, a beveled edge
is gonna be a better option for you.
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We mostly make them bottomless.
If you're putting it onto a paved surface
you might wanna put a bottom on it,
so that you're not seeing all the water
and the soil coming out of it, spilling out of it.
Bottomless is better when you are putting the box
directly onto soil, 'cause that way, the roots
of the plants aren't confined in any way.
I tend to like them to be about 20 inches high.
I would say a good width is three feet.
The length can vary, with the width of three feet
you're able to reach into the middle of the bed, still,
so, you can access all the plants.
Corten does rust.
- In the early stages it can rub off on you,
and it can also stain the surrounding environment.
As it ages, over time, that rust layer becomes more stable,
and there's less opportunity for it to be rubbing off.
- Cost, if you look at it over the life span,
is probably gonna be roughly equivalent
to another material that you might use, like wood.
- Making like a 30 inch, by five foot, by two feet deep, box
might cost between 1500 and 1800 dollars.
There are fewer suppliers for it, so,
it might be something that, depending on where you live,
you may have to have shipped in from a long way away.
- Most often, we weld and prefabricate the planters here,
in the shop, but, there is the option, as well,
of getting a kit of parts, where you could bolt it together,
on-site, and that's something that you might consider
when you have difficult conditions
in getting to your back yard, such as,
a small entryway or steep stairs.
I think a lot of people like the look of Corten,
and it's something different
from what people are used to seeing.
- For us, it's a really versatile material.
We look at it, basically, without limitation.
- Because of the natural tone to it, or feel,
it can work itself into almost any environment.
- I like the idea that we can take this flat piece of steel
and turn it into whatever we can imagine.