Florafelt Pro System mounted with clips. Berkeley, California.

Florafelt Pro System mounted with clips. Berkeley, California.

Grid Mounting

How to mount Florafelt Pro System Wire Grids

The Florafelt Pro System is an extremely robust vertical garden system designed for rugged locations. The support system consists of architectural grade stainless steel 304 wire grids that have a life span beyond 100 years.

This guide will show various methods the grids can be mounted to walls or freestanding frames.

 

Stainless steel clips.

Clip Mounting

EASIEST

The Florafelt Pro System can be mounted directly on walls that do not require an air gap such as concrete retaining wall surfaces. Stainless clips can be mounted using easy-to-use 1/4 in. x 1-3/4 in. Hex-Washer-Head Concrete Anchors or other concrete anchors.

If you are installing on wood you can use horizontal cedar or treated lumber to every 24" to create air-gap spacers, then attached the wire grids with stainless clips using Grip-Rite 1-1/4” Coated Deck Screws.

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

 

Freestanding Support Structure

The Florafelt Pro System Kit can be installed as a freestanding installation. Pro grids can be attached directly to standard fence framing using the supplied stainless clips. Or use horizontally mounted galvanized Struts bolted to the vertical posts with the wire grids secured in place with strut clamps. Wood support posts should be spaced and sized for local wind and seismic loads in accordance with local building codes.

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

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

Strut Mounting

EXTREMELY DURABLE SELF SUPPORTING PROVIDES AIR GAP

Unistruts are a pre-engineered solution that can easily be applied to large scale projects. This means they can be spec'd 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.

COMMERCIAL OR TALL INSTALLATIONS

For commercial or very tall installations use ½-inch lag bolts to attach the strut to existing walls. Locate and attach to structural members within the wall. Consult with your local building department to maintain standards for safety.

Florafelt Pro System installation on on concrete.

PRE-ASSEMBLED GRID UNITS MAKE INSTALLATION MORE EFFICIENT

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.

GALVANIZED STRUTS CAN BE USED IN MOST LOCATIONS

Florafelt Wire Grids and provided strut clamps are made from stainless steel. However, it is fine 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 in most weather exposure areas, and it has a 50-100 year life span, longer for interior locations. For seaside or commercial building applications consider Stainless Steel 304 strut systems.

Attachment

Suitable bolts and washers (or deck screws w/ fender washers) should be used as well as your preferred method to caulk and seal the connections if required. Be sure to choose Slotted Unistrut that has ready-made holes every 2 inches.

Strut Materials Galvanized vs. Stainless Steel

Galvanized materials are about 1/4 the cost of Stainless Steel 304. For most situations you can use Galvanized hardware that has a 10-20 year life span in most weather exposure areas. Interior Galvanized should last much longer. For seaside or commercial building applications consider Stainless Steel for much longer lasting materials.

MOUNT STRUT TO WOOD SIDING

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.

Florafelt Pro System Install on wood siding.

BUILD YOUR STRUCTURE USING OFF-THE-SHELF PRE-ENGINEERED STRUT SYSTEMS

If your installation is very tall or in a public place consider a more robust mounting method.

Struts are a very versatile and pre-engineered construction material. Large and stable structures can be quickly bolted together. The Florafelt Pro Grid System is designed 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 how you can integrate pre-engineered strut materials into your architectural design.

Pre-engineered strut systems are used to support the grids. Strut pipe clamps secure the edges of the grids using bolted connections. Larger P1000 Strut series can span up to 6 feet and provide support for the structure. Smaller P4100 Strut Series can be used where a continuous wall structure allows for attachments every 2 feet.

Stainless Wire Grid Strut Mounting Detail Drawings

Download full PDF set: Florafelt Pro System Pro Strut Detail Drawings PDF

Full Size Strut

Larger sized strut will provide a larger air gap behind the wall and also allows for the grids to be self-supporting.

Narrow Strut

Narrow Struts can be used for smaller installations that a full support structure behind the wall such as plywood or wood fencing.

Use the narrower profile UNISTRUT 4100 SLOTTED or similar. Be sure your bolts for wall connections do not conflict and are offset with the location of the pipe clamps.

 

Custom Sizing Wire 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.

Cutting the Wire Grid

Stainless Steel Wire Grids can be easily cut with a 36" bolt cutter.

File or Grind Cut Edges
Cut wires are Very Sharp

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 file to smooth sharp metal edges because they will easily cut you during installation and may cut others once installed.

Galvanized Unistrut can be cut with a metal blade in a reciprocating saw and cuts filed smooth.

Stainless Steel is also harder to cut and will require a carbon steel blade.

Joining Grids with Zip Ties

Grids can be trimmed and saddled alongside the adjacent grid. Use can use nylon zip ties to make the connection. For extreme conditions stainless steel zip ties make an even stronger connection.

The water barrier can also be trimmed down and folded to fit in the smaller space.

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.