Florafelt Pro System Wire Grid Mounting

Florafelt Pro System Wire Planted
Florafelt Pro System partially planted. Plants On Walls, San Francisco.

Architectural Grade Stainless Structure

The Florafelt Pro System is an extremely robust vertical garden system designed for rugged locations.This guide will show various methods the grids can be mounted to walls or freestanding frames. The support system consists of architectural grade stainless steel 304 wire grids that have life spans beyond 100 years.

Florafelt Pro System Mounted with Clips
Florafelt Pro System mounted with clips. Berkeley, California.

Wire Grid Mounted with Clips

The Florafelt Pro System can be mounted directly on walls that do not require an air gap. Stainless are simply mounted using easy-to-use Tapcon Concrete Anchors or other concrete anchors. Grids can be installed with stainless steel clips on moisture tolerant masonry walls or smaller installations where moisture accumulation behind the system is not a concern.

If you installing on wood you can use horizontal cedar or treated lumber to every 24″ to create spacers, then attached the wire grids with stainless clips using Treated Deck Screws.

Stainless clips are lightweight and have limited holding strength. If you require an engineered high-strength attachment solution see the Unistrut Mounting Method below.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Florafelt-Pro-System-Freestanding-Post-Structure-1-980x657.jpg

Free Standing Post Structure

The Florafelt Pro System Kit can be installed as a freestanding installation that is attached to a typical fence type construction. Wood posts should be spaced and sized according to local building seismic codes. Horizontal Electroplated Galvanized Struts are bolted to the horizontal posts. Wire grids are connected to the Struts using Strut Clamps as described below.

Florafelt Pro System Wire Grid on Unistrut
Florafelt Pro System Wire Grid on Unistrut. Planted Design, Pleasanton, California.

Wire Grid Mounted on Unistrut

Unistruts are a pre-engineered solution that can easily be applied to large scale projects. This means they can be specified for tall buildings where wind loads or marine environments. The grids are attached with Unistrut pipe clamps that also have pre-engineered specifications which help with building department approvals.

Florafelt Pro System Wire Grid Installation Pre-assembled by Planted Design for San Francisco Zoo living wall installation.

Assembled Grid Units Make it Easy

Pre-assemble grids and struts on the ground first. Then bolt the assembled units to the posts. This will save time and ensure a perfect alignment of the struts.

Florafelt Pro System Wire Grid Mounting to Unistrut

Create Custom Sized Grids

Grids can be cut with bolt cutters and custom sized. It’s best to stick to the 6 inch grid so you’ll get full sized pockets. Plants fluff out so it’s not visually crucial to complete fill the area with grid.

Florafelt Pro System Wire Grid Mounting Corner Detail

Corners can be finished open for a seamless edge.

Vertically you can use any portion of the grid. It’s best to start at the top and work you way down. Toward the bottom visually you will not notice the extra gap when the plants have grown in.

Strut Supports and Wall Attachment

Struts are a very versatile and pre-engineered construction material. Large and stable structures can be quickly bolted together. We designed the Florafelt Pro Grid System to easily integrate with standard strut design. This makes it easy to create free-standing structures or wall mounted installations. Explore the various strut manufacturer catalogs to learn more about structural specifications and creative solutions.

For most residential projects of moderate height, attach the struts to your walls using heavy duty deck screws and fender washers. For exterior conditions use waterproof caulk. Also provide washers against the wall to keep the strut away from wall surfaces. When in doubt check with a local licensed building contractor or architectural engineer to advise on safe attachment.

For commercial or very tall installations use 1/2″ lag bolts to attach the strut to the wall. Locate and attach to structural members within the wall. Consult with your local building department to maintain standards for safety.

How to Cut Stainless Steel Grid

Stainless Steel Wire Grids can be easily cut with a 36″ bolt cutter. Use extreme caution and use heavy gloves when using tools and handling cut grids that will have extremely sharp edges once cut. Always use a grinder and/or file to smooth sharp metal edges because they will easily cut you during installation and may cut others once installed.

Galvanized Struts Can Be Used in Most Locations

Grids and strut clamps are made from stainless steel. However, it’s ok to use Electroplated Galvanized struts for your project. Galvanized struts are about 1/4 the cost of Stainless Steel 304. You can use Galvanized struts that in most weather exposure areas and it has a 10-20 year life span. For Interior installations, galvanized struts should last much longer. For seaside or commercial building applications consider Stainless Steel.

Florafelt Pro System Wire Grid Mounting Detail

Detail drawings that show how to mount Florafelt Pro System Wire Grids to structures using pre-engineered Strut and Strut Clamp hardware.

Questions? We can help with your project.