Small Wall Trellises
Fassadengrün sells stainless-steel trellises along with their attachments. Due to their rigidity, steel trellises can also be used with externally insulated walls! There is an inexhaustible diversity of shapes, designs, and materials available, even for small wall grids. You will find examples of all kinds of trellises in this section. In the following section, you will see examples of larger trellis grids, so-called "mesh panels" (often used for wire fences).
An Ode to the Rectangle
Metal trellises usually have the shape of a "standing rectangle," the upright position corresponding to the growth of the plants. The irregular and free-flowing lines of the plants contrast the severe lines of the trellis and the façade. The "green wall" that emerges from the combination of the two is very harmonious. From a design perspective, you can't go wrong with the rectangle trellis!
With or Without a Frame?
Most commercially available wall trellises-- just like those from FassadenGrün-- come with an exterior frame. Some forms have the rods protruding from the sides and top (see photo); these trellises look graceful, but with pointed ends, there is always a certain risk of injury...
Grid Shapes
Inside the frame, the trellis grid is made of squares or rectangles which can be arranged evenly or, as in the case of our trellises, be a little more compact in the middle. The grid should not be too dense/compact, however. Vigorous climbers with petioles leave a lot of lignified wood that needs to be tediously removed every year. The more squares or rectangles in your grid, the more tons of dead tendrils you will have to clean up! This is especially the case with stem-tendril climbers and leaf-tendril climbers.
Which Metal: Stainless Steel, Galvanised or 'Rust'?
Our trellises are made of stainless steel and are thus corrosion free. The trellises are galvanically 'washed' and are therefore free of impurities or foreign bodies that can appear during the spot-welding process. One can find inexpensive stainless steel versions-- "raw" or unwashed-- which are not cleaned galvanically (for example, in garden furniture and reinforcing mats), but such grids are not sufficiently corrosion-resistant for the greening of facades.
Galvanised grids can last for several decades outdoors, depending on the situation on site. Steel trellises with a plastic coating often corrode after only 5 years. Some trellises are deliberately produced with rust to emphasize an "antique" style!
Fan-shaped Trellises
Fan-shaped trellises bring in a third language of form (a new diagonal) on the facade. When they are placed next to a window, they can disrupt the harmonic contrast between the shape of the plant and the grid lines of the building, causing visual confusion, or the eye of the observer to be somewhat irritated. For this reason, fan-shaped trellises should be used on windowless facades, if at all.
