WALK-IN ALUMINIUM VEGETABLE CAGE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. What are the benefits of purchasing an aluminium vegetable cage from you, rather than a steel version?
The main reason for opting for an aluminium cage is that it will cost less; although not as rigid and solid feeling as a steel cage, aluminium is quite up to the task. If aesthetics are a consideration, steel cages always look better as the aluminium framework can stand out a little, where as the black powder coated steel cage blends into the garden better.
2. Are the support braces the same for corners and sides?
The support braces used for aluminium fruit cage are universal, so can be used for both the corners and the sides. You can even split one brace into two, to make two single sided braces, which can be used to strengthen the uprights used to support the door unit.
3. How many support braces would I need for my vegetable cage?
These give a cage extra rigidity when exposed to high winds, or softer soil. For these specific cages, we would recommend that you brace all 4 corners of a cage. For cages over 6m we recommend that at least the middle upright is braced. Please contact our Customer Services Department or call us 0333 400 6400 (local rate) to find out exactly how many braces you will require for your cage.
4. How many footplates would I need for my vegetable cage?
These ensure that uprights maintain position on softer grounds, or in areas that are exposed to windy conditions. We recommend that all uprights are fitted with a footplate. Please contact our Customer Services Department or call us 0333 400 6400 (local rate) to find out exactly how many are required for your cage or see our Aluminium Fruit Cage Footplates Guide for an instant answer.
5. Why don’t you supply ground sockets for Aluminium cages?
Our steel ground sockets cannot be used with the aluminium walk-in fruit cages because the steel and aluminium would react with each other, and eventually corrode. Unfortunately we are unable manufacture ground sockets from aluminium because the material would not be strong enough to be hammered into the ground when putting into position.
6. Why don’t you supply the decorative walk-in cages using aluminium?
Supplying the decorative fruit cages in aluminium is not something that we have ruled out for the future, however our aluminium cages are often purchased by the more cost conscious customer, and therefore anything that would add significantly to the price of the cage without improving the functional aspects of it, would put them off buying it. Also, due to the design of the decorative cages, it is very difficult to remove the roof netting in the winter. Decorative steel roof units can withstand the possible snow loading, which a similarly designed aluminium cage would not.
7. Where do I position my door unit?
We recommend that you position your door unit against a corner upright, purely for stability. However, you may position it against any of the external uprights of your cage. Should you wish to position it in-between two external uprights, you will need to purchase one of our Additional Aluminium Door Parts Kit - contact our Customer Services Department or call us 0333 400 6400 (local rate) if you need any help ordering this.
8. Can I order extra parts for my vegetable cage e.g. spare connectors?
Yes, you may. All connectors and replacement bars are available to buy directly on the website.
9. Can I see one of these cages already installed?
Being a mail order company, we do not have our products on display. You may however visit one of our show or reference gardens dotted around the country - visit our Show Gardens section for details.
10. You advertise that these cages can cope with ‘slightly sloping’ ground. How much is ‘slightly sloping’, before the cage has to be quoted as a bespoke cage?
The aim is always to achieve a level roof 2m from the ground, so that the doors and the side netting work correctly. Aluminium cages can cope with locally uneven ground of about /- 10cm on one upright per bay, but it is better to level any dips or bumps before erecting the cage. We can't unfortunately offer aluminium cages for significantly sloping sites - you would need a steel cage in this situation.
11. Can footplates and braces be added to my cage at a later date, if required?
Yes they can. Braces are easy as they can be added to a fully assembled cage in minutes but footplates are a little trickier. You'll need to remove the horizontal bars and connectors from the uprights in order to add these parts so it's far easier to plan your purchase carefully, order the footplates with your cage and fit them at the assembly stage.
12. Can I fit the braces to internal uprights, as well as external?
The braces are designed to be fitted to the external uprights, but there is no reason why you cannot also add them to the internal uprights, to give your cage that little bit of extra stability.
13. What is the longest bar length you do, without it being supported by an upright?
The longest bar length that we supply as a standard size is 3.5m long. If you would like more information regarding the size of bars supplied with our cages, please contact our Customer Services Department or call us 0333 400 6400 (local rate).
14. If I order a standard cage, but then cut the bars to get exact sizes, does this affect my guarantee?
Unfortunately altering a standard cage will affect its guarantee. If you require a size that is not advertised as a standard size, please contact our Made to Measure Team:-
15. I have fitted the roof netting to my cage however it has left a lot of overhang in the corners, which looks messy. Any tips?
The roof netting supplied with a cage will always be slightly larger than the cage itself, because we like to allow approximately 50cm overhang on each side for securing it into place. You can simply roll up any overhang and secure it into place using the releasable cable ties, that are supplied with your cage as standard fixings.
16. Can I swap the standard netting for another type?
Yes you may request alternate netting than that supplied with the cage as standard. We do also supply Aluminium Fruit Cages with Butterfly Netting as a standard product. For any other types of netting please contact our Customer Services Department or call us 0333 400 6400 (local rate) for details of the netting we can provide.
17. Can I order a size that is not advertised on your website?
For a non-standard, or ‘bespoke’ size fruit cage please contact our Made to Measure Team:-
18. Can I use insect mesh to cover my cage?
Due to the extremely small mesh size of both of our insect meshes, we do not advise that you cover a walk-in vegetable cage with this material; the wind would not pass easily through the mesh, so would act a little like a boat sail. This could cause damage to the netting and the cage.
