Are you being limited by one-size-fits-all drainage solutions? We'll worry no more! With Ferrum, you can have your custom drain grates specially made to cater to your needs.
The importance of drainage in any build or landscaping project cannot be overstated. The absence of adequate drainage can cause damage to property and pose a threat to public safety, among other things. If you are limited to off-the-shelf drainage products, you may find yourself compromising your building aspirations over something that only accounts for a small fraction of uses.
Our team is well aware of the importance of custom drain grates for a variety of projects. Ferum will give you the freedom to create something that matches your personal style and design while remaining as discrete as possible. For high traffic areas that require water drainages, such as swimming pools and outdoor entertainment areas, custom drain grates are frequently the best option.
Looking Over the History of Custom Drain Grates
We, human beings are the ones who have studied and adapted this natural model in order to improve our current living conditions and quality of life in the city. Drain grates have their roots in the natural world. In this context, "drain grates" refer to natural drains that appear in limestone and serve to filter the water that is gradually absorbed by underground rivers as they move downward. Underground rivers serve as a source of water for aquifers, so their function is critical.
From approximately 1914 to the present, a floor drain consisted of a cast-iron hub that was flush with the floor and connected to the sanitary drainage system below it. It was common practice to cover the hub opening with either a steel screen or a cast iron grate. Because the majority of the installations were at grade level, there was no need for a waterproofing membrane, or weep holes as we know them today. The Josam Company was founded in 1914 with the goal of manufacturing floor drains for multi-story buildings that included flange and weep holes as standard features. In this case, the design was referred to as double drainage because it provided both primary drainage through the floor drain grate and secondary drainage through weep holes that collected water that seeped onto the floor drain flange from around the perimeter of the floor drain top.
In response to the high demand for these products created by the building architects of the day, Josam built on his initial success and expanded his product line to include a wide variety of floor drains, roof drains, cleanouts, and other drainage specialties.
Innovations that have paved their way in the world of drain grates:
1. The Clamp Ring – Enabled the water-proofing membrane to be secured to the drain.
2. Tractor Grate – This design avoided grates jumping out of the top of the drain when wheel traffic ran over them.
3. Adjustable Top Assemblies – This became complicated for contractors in terms of ensuring that the drain's top was installed at a low point in the floor to ensure proper drainage. The adjustable top design was critical in "two pour" floors where the thickness of the secondary finished pour could vary.
4. Membrane clamp equipped with a top thread for strainer attachment and a reversible feature. As a result of World War II, casting manufacturing became more automated, and a design that required a manual core setting was developed. As a result, the industry adopted a body design without cores in the late 1950s and early 1960s, requiring a ring with a female thread to receive the various adjustable strainers.
Uncovering the Importance of Galvanised Channel Grate
The first, and perhaps most important, consideration of custom drain grates is the issue of hygiene and sanitary conditions. Due to the way galvanised steel is manufactured, it is a nonporous material, which results in custom grates that are smooth and easy to clean. For this, cleaning a custom grate is much easier, and there is no risk of waste becoming trapped in pores or ridges.
Aside from that, its ability to resist the growth of bacteria and other potentially harmful contaminants is another benefit. For places like hospitals and food service facilities, such as restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food processing plants. Galvanised channel grates are also significantly safer than grates made of other materials such as plastic. Galvanised channel grates have a lower profile than steel trench grates, which means there is less of a lip that people can trip over. The slots are also thinner, which reduces the likelihood that heels or walking aids will become entangled, which could result in an injury.
Finally, grates are much less expensive in the long run. Galvanised steel is already a cost-effective material, but the fact that it is also extremely durable means that the grates will not break as frequently as those made of other materials. As a result, you will not have to replace them as frequently, saving you thousands of dollars over the course of time.
Since it is a nonporous material, you will also save money in the long run because you will not have to spend as much time cleaning it. In general, galvanised channel grates are a much more cost-effective option in every sense of the word than other materials.
Galvanised steel is also a much stronger and longer-lasting material than other metals. It has the ability to withstand greater amounts of pressure and weight without cracking or splitting. The likelihood of someone being injured due to a broken grate decreasing as the number of breakages decreases is a result of fewer breaks.
TYPES OF GRATING
When it comes to drainage, you have a number of options to choose from. The configuration of the drains in issue will play a role in determining the type of grating solution that is best suited to meet your needs. You will need custom drain grates that are segmented and that can be placed into the rectangular gap that is located above the trench drain system when you are enclosing a channel or slot drain.
When it comes to grating solutions for pipes that require grates, the shape of these custom drain grates will nearly always be circular. Covers made of square grating are required for catch basins and drain gates. The types of runoff that these drainage protection solutions are going to be subjected to, as well as the amount of daily foot traffic that will be traversing them, each of these drainage protection measures can be fabricated out of a wide variety of various materials.
Because of the composition of the fluids to which custom drain grates are subjected throughout the course of the working day, the use of metal for custom drain grates is required in settings such as breweries and facilities that prepare meat. Metal will almost always be used for the drains that are located beneath them. Plastic grating covering can be the most suitable option for your requirements if you need to manage water that has run off from your pool or your yard.
The majority of types of grating can be fabricated in bespoke dimensions, as well as with bespoke patterns imprinted on them for decorative purposes. When it comes to the reality of residential use or pool use, however, you may want to have your drain grating system look a little better than it would in an industrial setting because unique artwork on the drainage covers makes little sense in that setting.
Your custom drain grates, whatever of the material it is made of, must have the same form as the drain it is intended to cover in order for it to function properly. This makes it simple for you to select the type and style of grating that is best suited to meet your requirements.
APPLICATIONS
There are a variety of purposes that can be served by putting in custom drain grates. The following is a list of potential locations on a commercial property where a trench drain system may be beneficial:
- In warehouses, drainage of runoff water is necessary because loading areas, water used for cleaning machines and floors, and storage containers loaded with liquids all contribute to the accumulation of water that must be removed.
- Parking lots are particularly susceptible to flooding because, in the absence of adequate drainage, excess rains, flash floods, and melted snow have nowhere to go.
- On roadways, custom drain grates are installed to regulate the flow of surplus surface water and ensure the safety of drivers and pedestrians.
- All types of commercial buildings, including apartment complexes, shopping centres, and office buildings, have the same requirement: they must be protected from the accumulation of excessive surface water that might be caused by rainfall and flooding.
- Similarly, to a warehouse, a factory must maintain control over the drainage of water and any potential chemical spills that may occur.
- Custom drain grates can be installed on any commercial property in order to protect it from the harm that can be caused by an excess of water and liquids. In the long term, businesses that take proactive, preventative steps almost always end up saving money. Damages sustained in the absence of adequate protection almost invariably come at a higher financial and time cost.
THE PART THAT THE CUSTOM DRAIN GRATES PLAYS
Custom drain grates are placed over the trench drain once it has been installed. Grates not only prevent humans, vehicles, and motorcycles from strolling or rolling into a trench drain, but they also protect the trench itself from the accumulation of heavy objects and trash. Just like the trench itself does, grates are required to fulfil the necessary load class requirements. There are a number of distinct choices available for grates. Let's have a look at what each of those is:
- Cast iron grates are by far the most popular custom drain grates due of its strength; cast iron is used just about wherever because of what it can withstand and how well it stands up. Cast iron is the most widely used material.
- Ductile iron is nearly identical to cast iron and is known for its incredible strength.
- Perforated stainless steel is a type of steel that has had designs punched into it so that it has a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. This type of steel is typically used for decorative custom drain grates.
- Steel that has been galvanised, or plated with zinc to avoid corrosion.
As was previously stated, custom drain grates are selected not only for their aesthetic value but also for the strength and safety characteristics that they possess. Everything is taken into account, including the people who will be walking close to the great as well as the types of machines that will be operating around it and possibly causing pressure to it on a daily basis.
Contact Us Now!
If you are looking for custom drain grates, please take a look at our online website. If you require any additional information about drain grates or have any other type of inquiry, please do not hesitate to contact us. Ferrum’s knowledgeable team of drain building experts looks forward to working with you on the design and building of your next custom grate.