Vernon Elsey, Marketing & Sales Director at Growtivation, explains how merchants can help their trade customers choose their landscape fabric with care.
When it comes to landscaping fabrics, it is all too tempting to assume one size fits all. And let’s be honest, most people are more concerned about what is visible above ground, rather than what lies beneath… However, the experienced merchant knows that using the correct materials can mean the difference between a successful project with a truly professional and long-lasting finish, and one which just doesn’t cut the mustard.
Landscaping projects are often embarked on because the property owner has an issue that they want to deal with — perhaps a driveway is suffering from sinking, the water table is high, or the soil is compacted, leading to drainage problems. Choosing the correct landscaping fabric can help to ensure that whatever the problem, it is dealt with properly, at source, meaning these issues don’t surface further down the line.
What could possibly go wrong?
Believe it or not, the strength and permeability of the landscaping fabric used can have a very lasting effect on the final project. For instance, if a generic standard weed membrane is used underneath a driveway (yes, we do see this happen…), it will simply not be strong enough to take the weight of vehicles and the driveway will rut.
Instead, a driveway membrane such as Drivetex is the correct fabric to use because it doesn’t lose strength when buried in the ground. It can therefore stabilise the sub-base layers and keep the surface strong and smooth.
“Even though landscape fabric is out of sight, it should not be out of mind — it should always be a deliberate, informed choice, rather than a last-minute purchase!”
It is not just about choosing a product that is strong enough. Choosing a woven fabric is disastrous in gardens susceptible to drainage issues (due to a high-water table, soil type or location of garden). Surfaces will become waterlogged, lawns become boggy and plants are starved of oxygen.
Where drainage is being incorporated into a project, a strong non-woven landscaping fabric such as Draintex should be used as a wrapping or lining to ensure that water can pass through, without causing it to pool on the surface.
Precision is key
As you may have gathered, we’re a little fussy about the term ‘landscape fabric’ at Growtivation! It’s fine as a collective term for the different membranes that might be used underneath a job, but we like to be a bit more precise! We like to ask where the fabric will be going, what’s underneath it, what material is going on top of it, and what sort of traffic is expected? What other functions must it perform?
There are lots of considerations, but it needn’t be complicated — that’s why Growtivation has developed a very clear system that helps buyers choose the right fabric for the job, every time. Our range is named accordingly, in a ‘does what it says on the tin’ style and the packaging on our products is colour coded, so it’s easy to tell which fabric is which.
For instance, our Weedtex packaging is red — your customers can’t miss it in the aisles! We also have a product selector chart that helps merchants advise on the correct fabric for the job.
An entire range for every job
In short, we’ve made it our mission to make it easy to select the right fabric for the job, every time. And we believe that having an entire range, clearly labelled, helps merchants and tradesmen alike appreciate the fact that, where ‘landscape fabric’ is concerned, there is more than meets the eye.
Even though landscape fabric is out of sight, it should not be out of mind — it should always be a deliberate, informed choice, rather than a last-minute purchase!
“We believe that having an entire range, clearly labelled, helps merchants and tradesmen alike appreciate the fact that, where ‘landscape fabric’ is concerned, there is more than meets the eye.”
Whatever is done above ground, needs to be supported properly with the right materials, of the requisite quality, below ground. Growtivation specialises in landscaping fabrics, we know a thing or two about what it takes to make the most durable fabrics on the market. That’s why we back our confidence in our ability to create landscaping fabrics with a lifetime guarantee.
Our guarantee ensures that any faulty material due to defective manufacture is replaced free of charge and with minimum fuss. These stringent quality control measures assure merchants they are selling their customers fabrics that will get the result they want, every time.
For more information on Growtivation’s comprehensive product portfolio and its support services for merchants, enter the shortcode www.rdr.link/mbc015 or visit www.growtivation.com
