Its steel that has been sitting outside gathering rust as a side affect of not having a protective layer of paint on it.

Is it suitable for use as a retaining wall?

Yes if it is thick enough and if you dont mind replacing it five to ten years down the road.

Are the edges sharp?

$$?

Maureen: It will NOT rust to nothing. It oxidizes and builds up its own protective coat that is a very dark brown. Never needs painting. Keep an eye out for it on highway bridges/overpasses. If you see a dark brown one, it's Cor-Ten steel.

Been around for ages (at least from the '60s). It's nothing new.

Claes Oldenburg’s huge sculpture "the Clothespin" across from Philadelphia's City Hall is made of Cor-Ten steel and was erected for the 1976 Bicentennial (the stainless steel spring forms a 7 and a 6 when viewed from different angles).

How expensive is it per square foot, how expensive is it to do laser cutting into it, and how heavy is it? Would it be suitable for a gate, or too heavy? How long does it last given that it rusts? Can you get it in a non-rusted finish? I always see it for planters and modern garden applications, but where else can you use it? It's really nice and clean looking and modern, but is it cost prohibitive?

Edging for a long drive ,strip cutting available with ordinary tools?

If used for raised beds will veggies grown in that bed have excessive iron?

does the rust come off if you brush against it or wash off with rain/snow?

So my question is where can you find recycled affordable core ten?

We didn't use Cor-Ten for our flower bed edging two years ago. Just steel. Rusting and love it.

Interesting and well-researched article at:

https://thecreativeflux.wordpress.com/2015/02/11/what-exactly-is-cor-ten-and-is-it-worth-it/

If you don't want to read the entire article, consider this paragraph from it:

"Regardless of which steel you choose, you are going to have to plan for
rust runoff – because it WILL happen. Unless you specifically want rust
stains on surrounding surfaces, you should create some kind of way for
the rusty water to collect and disperse, where the resulting orange
discoloration won’t bother you. Or choose to have the steel sit on a
surface of a color that blends well with the rusty water."

i love the look of this and would be thrilled to use it in my yard. the problems: cost, durability and availability.

where to find it?

It looks fabulous, but how would it do down in Florida? Would it rust out in just one year?

swdeming: No. Read the posts. I explained above what it is and what it does.

We have it as a privacy feature on our fencing. And yes it does leave stains but our hacienda ranch house is quite rustic. Our roofing is rusted steel also.

Cor Ten was quite the fad in the early 70s, along with diagonal siding and hippy shingles. The diagonal siding was easier to get rid of.

I added a Cor-Ten planting box to my garden last summer; the metal comes in steel gray, it has to be exposed to the elements to acquire the rusty patina which took about 3 months here in the mid-Atlantic US. As others have pointed out, it is designed to rust over time to a beautiful brown patina which then protects it from rusting further. I love the look but you definitely have to account for initial rust stains while it is in the transformation stage - avoid contact with surfaces like wood or concrete. I set my planter on a pebble base which did not show the stains. Since it has acquired its patina, I haven't noticed further stain marks - just my experience.

A planter box is an easy way to experiment with Cor-Ten, a material used liberally in show gardens at the RHS Chelsea flower show in recent years. Here's a link to a helpful article: https://www.gardendesign.com/hardscape/corten-steel.html

The US Steel Building in Pittsburgh was built of Cor-Ten in the late 1960's as a showcase for the material - it is a beautiful color, requires little maintenance, and the building is still standing :-)

Cor-Ten was designed to rust, form a protective coating, and minimize the painting and maintenance of bridges. properly sized Cor-Ten has a long lifespan and will safely last the projected life of the structure. As has been stated before, and must be repeated. Runoff from the steel is very fine rust particles that flows with the water. It is a nightmare when adjacent to or above concrete or stucco or other masonry. Even a pressure washer (which can severely damage the material stained) will normally not do enough removal that the eye cannot detect the stain. The way to HIDE the stain is to set the Cor-Ten in a fine gravel or stone dust or even dirt perimeter barrier that can easily be turned over and/or replaced as the stain darkens the area. For buildings, a trough with a expanded metal screen is often placed around the perimeter of the building. Here the water drips and is carried away from sidewalks, plazas, or foundations. The surrounding area abutting the screen, away from the building proper, which is then isolated some what from the great majority of fine rust. The iron oxide of Cor-Ten tapers off slowly over time, but does not ever completely go away. Many a home has been forced to landscape between the eye and the Cor-Ten to hide rust stains -- but that can, over time, present a whole different set of concerns with roots and such. Next time you see a Cor-Ten building, bridge, guard rail or wall/sound barrier take time to look on the ground or underneath the steel then decide if it worth the premium for the steel and the preparation to install.

How does it fare with snow and salt? Can it be used for an outdoor walkway or would it be too slippery?

We used Cor Ten steel and a board formed concrete as part of our front landscape wall with a fountain in Napa Valley and love the look.

It's steel. You can't use steel for a walkway, that's why nobody does.

I was considering using corten between boulders for a retaining wall type on our front yard. We abandoned the idea because I had read about the runoff. Since our house is on the side of a mountain and we are fully dependent on the well water below our house.. I decided to not contaminate the earth with corten steel residue. I'm interested in learning more so this article was of great benefit.

For a fun project, I had galvanized old chicken coup roofing and repurposed it for a rustic cold frame for spring planting and growing early plants. You can see the selves move and offer a great deal of options for spring plantings! Steve

would be interested to know about installation...for instance, if someone did want to use for a raised flower or vegetable bed; how do you keep the walls together? does it need to be welded by the manufacturer or can the panels be assembled using other materials to hold them together? if welded by manufacturer/fabricator, how is it installed? how much more for laser cuts? i've seen corten used for address artwork in contemporary landscapes and love the look; are there any examples of it being used in a more cottage style garden? some of the examples posted show corten with ridges...how many varieties are out there?

My design was intended to look like a combination of post and beam (Doug Fir) with salvaged metal. This planter became a flower bed anchor in front of a swimming pool ,so a touch of art, Landscaping and sustainability.

Alot of these replies are incorrect. Corten is the trademarked name. It is perfectly fine for retaining walls and will last forever, if installed properly. The key is no running, or standing water. Those remove the protective oxide layer. You don't cut it with a laser. Plasma or a cutting wheel is the right tool. Also the edges can be beveled with a grinder so no sharp edges. You need to pick the right thickness for your application. Using the right material for the job is the hallmark of a good builder.

How can it be used by the average (NOT wealthy!) homeowner? What are cheaper, non-branded alternatives? Indoor use? Can it be used in DIY projects?

For the DIYer you need to have some basic welding skills and gear. As to non "corten" you'd need to talk to a steel supplier. It's really not that hard to work with, but can be spendy.

I'd like to know what happens to the soil as the steel disintegrates...what does it leach into the soil?
Is there any toxic runoff? Is it suitable for edibles?
Or does it have to be sealed on the inside?
Also does it raise the temperature of the soil more than other materials such as wood or cement, thereby possibly increasing the amount of watering needed?
I'd love to do raised veggie beds if the material is suitable...not too high..12-18 inches....Any experience out there with any of these questions?
Thanks

Can Cor-Ten be used as a retaining wall.

Cor-Ten is all fine and well - but the name makes it pricey. May steels behave similarly without the price tag.

This might be Cor-Ten - might not. Looks cool.

These are old plow disks - literally bullet proof - and pretty much free. Tempered steel. These will look like this a hundred years from now. Do your home work - you can get the same look without the price tag.

Give me a call 385-900-9014 if you're interested in some multi colored patinas for your core 10 Steel local to Utah and I ship Nationwide

looking at the photos, Cor ten or any other metal adds an interesting touch to a garden or yard, perhaps even in the house as an accent piece

We sourced our Cor-Ten from Western States Metal Roofing in Phoenix for re-siding our house last year. http://www.metalforroofing.com They seemed to be most economical at the time. Cor-Ten is awesome because it changes colors and there is no maintenance (you of course have to apply the correct gauge for longevity and bending). We only get 10" precipitation annually and ours is rusting well. It arrives shiny and beautiful, then begins to reveal its everlasting attraction in all manner of shapes and patterns. There is no right or wrong to the patterns and colors. We absolutely love it.

Contrast between stainless steel and rusting Cor-Ten.

Cor-Ten steel was created by United States Steel metallurgists in the 60's and was used to construct the USS Building in Pittsburgh

Industrial design

I live in coastal Florida, so don't have to do anything to have rusty metal! Even the powdered coated steel outdoor furniture will rust in a year if you're close enough to the water - 2 if you aren't. Most grills, metal fire pits and other metal objects left unprotected here look like core ten. Tools in the garage still need to be oiled to keep from rusting. If you want the look for free - just move to a humid environment or hose down your steel a few times a week! For this reason, I've never seen any core ten or similar here - and a lot of non-rusting stainless steel. We're fighting the rust! I'm sure it's a cooler look in arid areas where rust isn't so common.

I ordered 2 Corten 40"x40"x14" raised beds a couple years ago online. They were shipped quickly from California. Each bed came in 4 pieces and screwed together at the corners. The top is folded so no sharp edges. The assembly was very easy and the beds now have a beautiful patina. I placed them in an area between the house and patio that has poor drainage. Rust run-off is not a problem since they are sitting on soil with mulch and vinca ground cover surrounding them. The color is beautiful and I anticipate these will last my lifetime. Last year I ordered a rectangular corrugated Corten garden bed to place in a different area. The steel is thinner but is aging nicely. The quality and design are not quite as nice as my first 2, but the price was considerably less.

Can Corten be used for a smoke box on a fire pit? Just wondering if it is toxic and will contaminate the meat

Where is the best place to buy this type of steel edging?

×which state do you live in?

I live in North Carolina

Which part of North Carolina?

Cor-ten cannot contaminate ground water nor meat in a smoker. It's just steel! There's nothing magical or mysterious about it. It's an alloy, like all steel. No steel is pure iron; there are very small amounts of other metals mixed in. I would not use a weathering steel (generic name for Cor-ten type of steel by other companies) in parts of the smoker that the meat touched because it would be hard to clean and probably wouldn't season like other steels.

The big advantage is that the rusting is controlled and even and it creates its own protective coating that prevents further rusting.

The rust is just iron oxide (of which there are a few types)--the stuff that makes your clay soil red. Iron is good for you.

For all of you that were in on this thread... there is cor-ten lawn edging available on Amazon for about $7.50 a foot.... 8 inches high. I'm using it now.

Here it is in my yard about 6 months after installation. With careful bending using your foot as leverage, you can get graceful curves. If you look close you can see the U-shaped clips that join the cor-ten metal slats. I used about 100 feet of this edging and so far no sign of shifting or other problems... I'm very pleased with it. Btw, It developed a rust patina in about 3 weeks.