If you are looking for a long-lasting edging material, then you may want to consider steel edging. Steel edging can be a challenge to install, but the extra effort will reward you with many years of trouble-free edging, especially in colder climates that experience a lot of frost heaving. In colder environments, plastic edging often gets pushed out of the ground over the winter, while well-anchored steel edging won’t budge.
Steel edging comes in various lengths (typically 8ft, 10ft, or 16ft) and thicknesses from .07” up to .25” (1.75mm to 6.25mm). Most homeowners will find anything thicker than .16” (4mm) becomes too unwieldy, and making curves becomes a challenge. A good balance of strength and bendability is .10” thick (2.5mm) steel, but if you want to maximize durability, go up to .16” (4mm) but plan on having a helper or two.
It is crucial that when you install the edging, all rocks are removed in its path and where the stakes go in. Rocks can make installing steel edging a challenge.
Steel edging is not cheap, and it can be cumbersome to install, but with some help and determination, it can provide 15-20 years of trouble free performance.
