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Grates are a common feature on urban landscapes. You can use grates for your trench drains, pool drains, or around trees on your property.
Grates play different roles depending on their location. For trench drains, the grating is critical for the effective function of the drainage system.
These grates also enhance safety on your property and a touch of aesthetics to your landscape. Tree grates protect tree roots and promote healthier tree growth.
When choosing grates for your landscaping, the material matters a lot. Stone grates have emerged as a popular grating option over the years.
These natural-looking trench and tree grates are an alternative to the hitherto common ferrous grates.
If you want to install trench drains or provide protective cover for your trees, stone grating should top your list of options.
In this post, discover all the advantages and downsides of stone grates for multiple landscaping applications.
Contents
Pros of Stone Grates
1. Aesthetics
Natural stone is one of the oldest materials used in construction. Some of the oldest buildings from early civilization boast of natural stone.
Today, stone remains a popular building material because of its classic beauty.
The natural appearance of stone grating makes it a perfect choice for urban landscaping.
If you want your grates to blend easily into the rest of the landscape, consider reinforced stone Jonite grates made of stone.
These grates come in versatile ranges of patterns, shapes, and styles. The natural stone grating can transform your otherwise bland landscape into a beauty.
These grates are common in city and town parks, main walkways, and other public spaces.
You can choose from a variety of colors, textures, colors, and shapes to find the perfect fit for your trench grates, sum covers, tree grates, or pool grates.
Whatever custom look you have in mind for your landscape, you can achieve it easily with natural-looking stone grates.
2. Strength
If there’s one building material that oozes strength, it has to be a natural stone. This is a tough material that can survive the toughest conditions.
If you want to install tree or trench grates in high-traffic areas, there’s no better material than natural stone for your grates.
These grates can withstand both foot and vehicle traffic.
3. Durability
Another reason for the popularity of natural stone in construction is the durability of the material.
Stone structures going back to the earliest civilizations still stand strong today.
This is the same quality you get from natural stone grates. The material used for the grating is weather-resistant, which makes it perfect for trench and pool grates.
Whether your property is in a cold or hot clime, the stone grates can survive for years.
Most products come with long warranties from the manufacturers. You don’t have to worry about corrosion, which requires costly replacements.
4. Flexibility
What happens when your tree roots or tree trunk outgrows the grating? Natural stone grates offer flexibility in such a situation as they’re expendable.
If you’re worried about the lifespan of your tree grates, consider installing features that you can expand with time.
The best tree grates have rings that you can easily cut to allow room for tree growth.
You don’t have to buy new grates every few years as the tree grows.
5. Advances in Production
Another important feature of natural stone is the flexibility in production.
Today, manufacturers have improved natural stone products through reinforcements such as hybrid polymers.
Jonite stone grates are an example of reinforced grates that allow for color matching, precise sizing, increased strength/durability, sustainability, quality consistency, and increased safety because of slip resistance qualities.
The reinforced stone grates are highly-efficient and cheaper.
If you’re looking for natural stone grates with enhanced performance, safety ratings, durability, and strength, consider reinforced stone grating.
6. Sustainability
Unlike most building materials, natural stones aren’t resourced intensive in production.
This is considered the world’s first green building material. Stone grates won’t pollute the environment with harmful chemicals.
All stone materials are highly recyclable, which again contributes to environmental conservation.
With newer technologies, stone extraction has become more sustainable.
The new technologies reduce the impact of natural stone on other natural resources.
Cons of Stone Grates
1. High Cost
Natural stone is in high demand for multiple applications in the construction industry.
This has made it among the most expensive building materials. If you want to install stone pool/tree/ trench grates, you have to pay top dollar for these products.
The best option is to go for reinforced stone grates which are not only more efficient but also cheaper.
2. Complex Installation
Stone material is heavy, and this means stone building products require more labor and skill to install.
The complex installation process increases the total cost of the project.
3. Surface Changes
With continued exposure, stone material can change and lose its initial gleam.
Climatic and environmental changes can lead to the growth of mold, cracks, and other unsightly materials on the stone surface.
Conclusion
Natural stone grates are a great choice for your tree grates, trench drains, sump covers, or pool drains.
To overcome the downsides of natural stone, go for reinforced stone grates that are stronger, slip-resistant, more durable, and still attractive.
These grates come with a polymer that makes them even more weather resistant.
