What Are Valve Boxes And Where Do You Use Them?

When you are installing a new irrigation system in your yard

, you will need to have access to the various valves and meters in order to control flow, timing, and to repair damage. Valve boxes are used in these landscaping applications, and to top off and label various other pipes and meters. The box allows you to access the valves underneath while keeping the valves protected from the weather and other environmental factors.

Valve boxes come in several different types of materials and a variety of styles. For landscaping, you will probably use tough plastic or molded foam boxes, as these will be nearly impervious to water, bugs, and very slight ground shifts, but you can also find beautifully made cast iron or other metal valve boxes for different uses, complete with custom lettering molded right into the top.

Installing a valve box into a landscaping situation does not take a great deal of experience. In fact, the hardest part will be making sure all your valves are connected correctly. Once the valve system is all connected and in place, putting a valve box over the top requires just a little pre-planning and thought.

Laying the box on top of flat bricks at each corner will keep it stable. You can also fill the bottom of the hole with crushed rock. When the box is installed, lay your sod right up to the edges of the lid. Obviously, the box itself is not going to be a featured part of your landscape, but you will need to know where it is in order to access the valves underneath. The boxes and lids come in different colors. You will mostly find them in black, brown, green, and a dusty pink, but if none of those suits your purposes, you can always find a shade of paint that matches your project. Just be sure to use a paint that is able to withstand whatever environmental conditions it will undergo.

Hiding a valve box in order to keep it from being openly visible to casual inspection is great for continuity and esthetics, of course. Just make sure you can find it again without have to dig up all the landscaping in the general vicinity. You can artfully disguise a valve box by covering it with mulch, if it is in a flower bed, and then setting a distinctive potted plant over the spot to mark it. You can also find decorative covers that look like tall rocks, but most of these are easily spotted as fake and you may not like how they look.

There are now more realistic rock covers on the market, and they can be somewhat heavy, but some of them are so lifelike no one will know you are hiding a box underneath. In that situation, mark the rock is some discreet manner so you don't also forget which one covers the box, and if you move, be sure to pass along this very important information.

Valve boxes are easy to install and keep your valves from being exposed to water, snow, extra dirt, and sharp objects. Find the right one for your needs, and you will be rewarded with quick access to valves, pipes, or meters without a lot of fuss.

by: Art Gib

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