Meet the 12” x 20” Locust grate by Iron Age Designs.  This grate is made for custom Iron Age frames and is typically used in suspended walkways and stairs (see it in action HERE).  We had a sample available and brainstormed about innovative ways to use trench drain grates.

Ultimately, we decided to custom paint the grate and use it as a decorative planter stand for our office plant life.  It really came out beautifully…  I’ve included details on the process with photos below:

The first stage was to create a base coat that would be the natural color of the grate.  The paint I used was gray enamel designed to protect metals against rust.  After spraying an initial layer, I returned to coat the corners and crevices – just to ensure that there would be no rust-vulnerable area on the grates.

The grate dried in the sun for several hours until the paint was no longer soft.  Then we baked it at low heat (150 F) in an electric oven for 15 minutes so that the paint hardened.  Because paint is simply pigment suspended in a bonding agent, paint relies on a long evaporation process to become dry. The theory in baking the grate was to reinforce that process.

I wanted my final background to be bright and have a clean surface to show through, so I painted the grate white.  It took a few touch-ups here, too, to make sure that I had an even coating.  I baked the grate again and let it cool before continuing.

Early on the grate’s design, I’d decided on a blue-to-green gradient background that had a separation at the locust branch.  The effect suggests shadows underneath the branches and a blue sky.  The background shown below is different from the final product because it lacks the gradient dynamic of the blue paint (I forgot to photograph the final background before I began detailing).

With the background complete, I was able to begin detailing the leaves and stems.  This was the most was the most time consuming aspect of the project.  I worked with oil-based paints (bright yellow and red) to create a highlighting which gives the grate a Japanese anime effect.  You can see me at work in the photos below.  (Note:  Cleaning the brushes from this oil-based paint was a chore until I learned to use acetone.  It works like a charm but gives off a lot of fumes, so be careful!)

Once my artwork was complete, I gave it one final bake in the oven just to make certain it was dry and hard.  At this point, I could have given it a coating of clear enamel, but I was too anxious to put my new creation to use.

The final phase of my project was attaching felt pads to the bottom of the stand.  This is important in protecting the wood table from the heavy plant stand.  The grate used to make the stand is cast iron and weighs a hefty 18 pounds.  I used six ½ inch diameter pads that I purchased from the local hardware store.  They also had rubber bumpers that I considered using.  I felt that the “felt” would work better for this application.

Just take a look at the finished product below!  Wowzer!!  This was a fun project.  This locust grate is available in a 20” x 40” size, as well.  I’ve seen a coffee table made from this larger locust grate.  And, I have my eye on a sun grate that looks like it would make a nice wall hanging.  It makes me wonder about how many uses there are for these ornamental grates.  Email me, Hannah@trenchdrain.biz, with your ideas if you can think of other uses for any of the Iron Age ornamental grating products.  If you have photos of something special you have done, send those, too.  I’d love to see your work.

The MEA Group is a large, multi-cultural manufacturing company based in Europe. Composed of 5 divisions, the Drainage division is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of linear drainage systems. They specialize in polymer concrete and fiber reinforced plastic trench drain products. Here in the United States, the Josam Company of Michigan City, Indiana, is the representative for the MEA product lines.

One of MEA’s trench drain product lines is called “Meadrain”. Meadrain’s polymer concrete channel drains are available in 1 and ½ meter lengths, are of varying widths and are made with an assortment of integral metal edging. There is also a broad assortment of grating options available for each of the Meadrain channels. The photo to the left is the Meadrain Z1000 with a galvanized steel channel edging.

The EN2000 channel (shown right) is another example of integral metal edging. This is a popular product in the US and Canada. Neutral sloped channels are 8” wide and are available in three depths: 11”, 13” and 15”. The polymer concrete channels have “male-female” butt jointing features that make installation easier.

A typical 11” deep, one meter channel is 82 pounds in weight. Each channel has a knock-out for a 6” bottom outlet. Two sloped sections are available which are used for making “stepped fall” runs. Stepped fall sections make a transition between 11”-13” and 13”-15” deep channels.

The ductile iron channel edging is a distinctive feature of the EN2000. It helps protect the polymer concrete from deterioration during use. The edging is designed to accept standard bolt-down grates or MEA’s patented ProFix grate locking mechanism. ProFix grates have a pre-attached spring steel locking mechanism that snaps into recesses in the ductile iron channel edge.

Likewise, the solid polymer concrete end caps and end outlets have ductile iron edging. This is a feature not available in similar ACO trench drain products. MEA is one of the few manufacturers that still make end caps and outlet out of polymer concrete with the integral metal edging, as opposed to plastic.

The EN2000 is used in applications where heavy wheel loads will be frequent and where occasional large volumes of run-off water can occur. Food processing plants, maintenance facilities and fire stations are a few of the locations where a slotted ductile iron grate is commonly used as a trench cover in these conditions.

Decorative Options for the EN2000

The EN2000 can also be used in residential and commercial driveways where heavy wheel loads may occur or where the owner wants to create a vision of elegance and style. The ductile iron edging of the channel provides a nice border that accents the drain and separates it from the remainder of the driveway entrance. To help in adding the desired aesthetic, Iron Age Designs has developed two decorative grates that fit the EN2000 channel: Oblio and Greek Key.

One of the Iron Age patterns, named Oblio, is shown above in a Meadrain EN2000 channel. These custom grates measure 9” x 19.75” and weight 28 lbs each. The Oblio comes with holes that line up with the threading portion of the channel edging so the grates can be bolted into place. Typically, Iron Age grating is sold in the raw cast iron state. But, shown above, is a special finish call a “baked on oil finish” (or BooF). The baked on oil finish is an added cost that is growing in popularity, especially because it is both less expensive and longer lasting than a painted or powder coating.

The Greek Key pattern is the other Iron Age Grating that fits the MEA EN2000 channel. This version of the Greek Key pattern has a very tastefully designed border of what could be called “spears and shields”. Regrettably, this border does not appear in Iron Age’s 5” wide version of the pattern and, I believe, makes a big impact on the style and elegance of the grate. The Greek Key grate is shown here in its raw cast iron state. You can compare uncoated cast iron surface to the baked on oil finish of the adjacent Oblio grate.

If you discuss catch basins with an excavating contractor, they immediately think about large pre-cast concrete storm water drainage structures that are part of municipal, state or federal drainage systems. These basins commonly have an interior dimension of 2’ x 4’ or larger and are made of 8” thick reinforced concrete.
A landscaping contractor’s perspective on catch basins will be different. Typically, the largest catch basin used in a landscaping drainage system is 2’ x 2’. Precast concrete basins are available in this size, but they are referred to as 2’ x 2’ yard basins. 

Pre-Cast Concrete Catch Basin – The first product to discuss is the traditional pre-cast concrete yard basin. These products are made in a concrete shape factory using a metal form. The wall will generally contain some amount of mesh reinforcing. There may be indentations in the walls (known as knock-outs) that will make it easy for a contractor to remove a section of the wall and install a drainage pipe. Usually, the largest pipe that can fit into this basin is a 15” diameter concrete pipe. These basins can be made with pre-existing drainage pipe holes to your specification. Grating options are traditionally limited to heavy duty cast iron slotted or bar grating. Though this type of basin is relatively inexpensive, they require a backhoe or small crane to set them into place. Your local pre-cast concrete company may have these in stock, but you will need some serious construction equipment to move and place it.

 

Attaching PVC piping to polymer concrete catch basins can be a little trickier especially since it is ideal to avoid using concrete when installing this catch basin. However, you may find it is necessary to use concrete to help seal the pipe in the basin wall or maybe when forming a small apron around the grating to help direct water into the basin. And speaking of grating, polymer concrete catch basins may have some good residential options, but they tend to me more industrial in nature.
 

Plastic Catch Basins – The final basin type I am going to discuss is the plastic catch basin. There are a number of manufacturers are in the marketplace that promote plastic catch basins. I’m most familiar with products by National Diversified Systems (NDS). These products range in size from 24” x 24” to 9” x 9”. The larger NDS basins are made from high density polyethylene (HDPE) while the smaller basins are made from PVC.

Extensions are available for adjusting the depth of the basin. Piping is connected to the basin with an adapter fitting and PVC glue can be used to secure the pipe and fitting, though it is not necessary.

Grating options are better as you decrease the size of the basin. For instance, the large 24” x 24” NDS catch basin has 5 grate options. On the other hand, NDS’ 12” x 12” basin has 15 options. Plastic grates in a variety of colors are common throughout the NDS basin product line. They also have cast iron and galvanized steel bar grating. Other manufacturers also have grating options for the NDS basins. Iron Age Designs is one such company. Below are four decorative cast iron grates made for the NDS 12” x 12” catch basin. Some of these patterns are also available in sizes that fit other NDS basins. 

As you can see from the examples I gave above, there are many options in large residential catch basins. I realize that the information given here may not answer all of your questions. To get more details on a product or advice on a catch basin application, send me an email at michael@trenchdrain.biz or call TrenchDrain.biz at 610-638-1221.