Corten Steel
Mechcon has been predominantly a custom metalwork fabrication specialist for the past 12 years, with a background in industrial steelwork, general steel fabrication, and engineering for most applications. As far as corten and weathering steel, our specialities include corten steel edging, garden edging, corten planters, and more. We have been creating architectural projects and collaborations with talented builders and designers in Melbourne for over 20 years.
- Architectural Metal Fabrication
- Architectural Steel Fabrication
- Stainless Steel Welding
- Builders Steel
- Commercial Steel Fabrication
- Resedential Steel Fabrication
- High Rise Builders Work
- Onsite Welders
- Conveyor and Hoppers
- Goverment Steel Fabrication
- Conveyor and Hoppers
- Stainless Steel Metal Fabrication
- Local Manufacturing in Melbourne Australia
Steel Fabrication Testimonials
Custom Weathering Steel Fabrication for Architectural Projects
We specialise in a range of corten bespoke one-off custom fabrication sheet metal fabrication for architectural projects in Australia. We have worked on leading architectural outdoor and landscaping projects across Melbourne, including the newly built Level Crossing Removal infrastructure, new parks, and open spaces, which have had many corten items like steel garden beds and corten fixtures. The Victorian School Building Authority programme, with its architectural designs, has had us supply corten throughout modern Australian schoolyards and feature entrances. Our corten planters, corten steel garden edging, corten steel screens, perforated and decorative corten steel panelling, and corten steel posts have been a common requirement for local council streetscapes. In addition, our durable corten steel planters and quality corten steel screens are hugely in demand in high-rise and multi-level buildings.
Elevate Your Gardens with Corten Garden Edging
Elevate your outdoor spaces with corten steel garden edging—the perfect blend of functionality and rustic charm. This weathering steel develops a naturally beautiful orange-brown patina, seamlessly complementing stones, timber, and lush greenery. The steel forms a protective layer to shield your steel edging from being exposed to the weather. Corten garden edging offers unmatched durability, resisting Australia’s harsh elements like the scorching sun and heavy rains. The malleability of corten steel edging allows for clean, curved designs that accentuate your garden’s contours. Requiring minimal upkeep, rusted garden edging enhances your landscape’s aesthetic appeal over time with practically no maintenance. Additionally, corten edging serves as a durable, stylish framework, adding definition and structure to any garden project. Upgrade to the distinctive yet low-maintenance style of corten steel edging to beautify your outdoor spaces.
Corten Planter Boxes for Effortless Style
Discover the timeless beauty of Mechcon’s corten planter boxes, designed to enhance any home or garden with their distinctive rusting aesthetic. As the corten steel ages, it develops a stunning patina of bronze, rust, and copper hues, providing a striking backdrop for various landscapes, from naturalistic to architectural styles. Renowned for their exceptional durability, our corten steel planter boxes are built to last, offering both environmental benefits like minimal soil contamination and little to no maintenance. These planter boxes never require painting, ensuring they remain a cost-effective and sustainable choice for residential and commercial settings. Whether placed along the sidewalks in a bustling city park or rooftop gardens, shopping centres, hotels or restaurants, or your backyard, our corten steel planter boxes invest in enduring style and functionality. The system is designed for easy joining lengths, allowing for a seamless integration into any gardening space. Create a defined strip of lush plant life in just a few weeks. Position the corten steel boxes to optimise your gardening efforts, arranging them to best fit the layout and width requirements of your garden beds. This lawn edging solution adds a striking definition to your property.
Expertly Fabricated Corten Steel Screens
Enhance your landscape with Mechcon’s corten steel screens, acclaimed for their distinct rusting process and seamless finish. As they weather, these screens create a protective rust-like patina on the surface that doesn’t require painting, ensuring durability and suitability for various settings. Perfect for creating straight or curved forms, their versatility extends from garden partitions to striking architectural elements. Whether set into the ground as privacy screens, integrated into building facades, or positioned as focal points in public spaces, our corten steel screens maintain a pristine appearance with minimal upkeep. Designed to adapt to any length, width, shape, and curves, these screens are ideal for any project, meeting the specific needs of our customers with a focus on lasting quality, aesthetic display, and style.
Modern Perforated and Decorative Corten Steel Panels for Facades
Mechcon’s perforated and decorative corten steel panels, renowned for their durability and unique patina or rust-like surface, are crafted to protect and enhance any architectural surface. Suitable for various applications, these panels form a seamless finish and robust edge, ideal for Australian environments exposed to harsh weather and other environmental factors. They are perfect for garden edging and corten steel panels, creating your desired shape, whether straight or curved and are easily positioned using pegs and screws to suit diverse angles, lengths, widths, and project needs. With competitive prices, these steel panels made by our steelwork fabricators offer longevity, and minimal maintenance, and are an attractive choice for customers looking to combine aesthetics with functionality in both residential and commercial settings.
Steel Fabrication Gallery
Corten Steel Frequently Asked Questions
Have a question that is not listed below, please feel free to Contact Us and we will be more than happy to answer it.
Yes, corten steel planters are safe and excellent for plant growth. The iron in corten steel promotes chlorophyll development in plants, leading to healthy harvests. Additionally, corten steel planters are durable and low-maintenance, making them a practical choice for gardening. The protective rust layer that forms on corten steel does not release harmful chemicals into the soil and can actually benefit plant growth. While corten steel can absorb heat, this can be advantageous for plants, especially in cooler climates. As long as the interior of the planter is lined with a food-grade waterproofing coat, corten steel is suitable for growing edible plants like vegetables, fruits, and herbs.
For durable corten planter boxes, a minimum thickness of 1/8 inch (11 gauge) steel is recommended, ensuring both longevity and structural stability. Opting for thicker steel, such as 3/16 inch, enhances durability further, albeit at a higher cost. Thinner steel may risk denting and deflection once filled with soil and plants. Ultimately, choosing the right thickness is crucial for maximising the lifespan of corten steel planter boxes, with thicker options offering superior performance and longevity.
We often get asked about the difference between corten steel and weathering steel. The truth is, they’re the same thing: corten is simply the trademarked name for a specific type of weathering steel. Both materials develop a distinctive rust-like patina that provides enhanced corrosion resistance compared to regular carbon steel. This makes corten/weathering steel an ideal choice for outdoor furniture, structures, and architectural features that need to withstand the elements. As a leading fabricator of custom corten steel products, we can attest to the exceptional durability and visual appeal of this material.
When it comes to corten steel planter boxes, the decision to paint them hinges on personal style and aesthetic preferences. While the natural rust patina of corten steel adds a unique, weathered charm appreciated by many, the painting offers customisation options to match your garden’s theme. However, it’s essential to weigh the advantages and disadvantages carefully. Painting provides added protection against corrosion and allows for colour coordination, but it also eliminates the distinctive corten appearance and may require periodic touch-ups. Consider testing a small area first to ensure the colour aligns with your vision, or embrace the raw beauty of unpainted corten steel for a timeless appeal.
To prevent staining from weathering steel garden edging:
- Allow the steel to fully weather (6 months) before installing.
- Offset edging from adjacent surfaces.
- Mist/wipe down steel during initial weathering.
- Consider pre-rusting/pre-weathering steel.
- Apply sealant after the desired patina to lock in the look.
By managing the weathering process carefully, corten steel can be a durable and low-maintenance option for garden edging.
Weathering steel garden edging is renowned for its exceptional durability and longevity. Under optimal conditions, such as low humidity, minimal soil salinity, and a neutral pH environment, this robust material can endure for up to a century—that’s right, 100 years! Even in less favourable circumstances, you can expect your weathering steel edging to maintain its structural integrity for at least a decade.
The secret to weathering steel’s impressive lifespan lies in its unique ability to form a dense, protective layer of oxidation on its surface. This patina acts as a barrier, shielding the steel from further corrosion and deterioration. However, it’s important to note that certain environmental factors can accelerate the oxidation process, potentially impacting the edging’s longevity.
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