‘Rope systems’ sounds complicated, but all it means is that ropes are not installed somehow, but rather in a planned manner. This starts with the diameters, i.e. the question: What rope thickness is appropriate and when? It also involves anchoring and wall spacing and, finally, the arrangement of the strands: Horizontal or vertical? Crosswise? Distances from each other or ‘mesh widths’? The term ‘rope systems’ seems appropriate for all of this.

‘Cable systems’ are all well and good, but since when have such cables been used on façades? Nobody really knows for sure. Wall greening with wooden trellises has been around for more than 300 years, e.g. for espalier fruit in the kitchen gardens of Versailles Palace in France. Presumably from around 1850, ‘trellis wires’ were used, as an old photo of the ‘orange house’ in Gotha shows. Bare iron wires were used, which rusted quickly. Sometimes copper wire was also used (see photo). Until around 1970, there is no mention of ropes, only of ‘wires’. These were usually galvanised steel wires.

Wire ‘ropes’ have been around since 1834, when they were invented in the Harz Mountains for mining as a replacement for hemp ropes. However, wires were preferred for façade greening. They were thinner and cheaper. According to some literature in eco-books from the 1980s, it seems likely that (galvanised) steel cables were used for greenery from that time onwards. However, wire ropes on façades only really began their triumphant advance from 1990, when inexpensive stainless steel ropes became available.

Because stainless steel does not corrode. Everything stays as it is, even after 20, 50 or 100 years... FassadenGrün specialises in wall-mounted climbing aids, but we also offer coverings for free-standing plants!