If you want off-the-shelf channel drains with decorative grates, you have a few choices.
Dura Slope™ is one of them.
Decorative grating is the newest trend in residential and commercial trench drain design. Conventional slotted cast iron grates are giving way to decorative trench grating in high profile applications as homeowners, commercial architects and city planners are seeking more aesthetically pleasing hardscape drainage systems. A number of ornamental grating manufacturers sell products into the trench drain market.
Dura Slope™ is the brand name for a pre-sloped plastic trench drain system manufactured by NDS, Inc. The channels have a 5” interior width and come in 4 foot lengths. The grates that fit this system are 6” wide and 24” long. The system has a built-in 0.7% channel slope that helps keep water flowing out of the drain. Catch basins and heavy duty frames are available for this system. Grating options are also available that will rugged enough for fork truck traffic or tender enough for bare feet on a pool deck.
Plastic grating is a popular option for the Dura Slope™ system. Two styles are shown left. The slotted plastic grates are available in seven (7) different colors. Perforated plastic grates are only available in light gray. Slotted galvanized steel and perforated stainless steel grates are also available, as are ductile and grey iron slotted grates (cast iron).
A few years ago, cast iron grates for the Dura Slope™ channels only came in a standard black slotted style. However, this has changed with their introduction of the DecoGrate line of powder coated decorative grates. Five new ductile iron grate styles are now available and in any of 10 different color options. All grates are rated for class C loading and are ADA compliant. No other grate manufacturer offers the broad selection of grate style and color!
Below are the photos of the new grate styles with an example of the bold colors they offer. I’ve also put a standard black slotted grate in here for comparative purposes.
Wow!!! What bold colors! I imagine that some high school or college colors can be found in their selection. Each grate is made from ductile iron and weighs about 14.5 pounds.
Now let’s look at another manufacturer of decorative grating for the Dura Slope™ channel. Iron Age Designs has built a respectable product line of ornamental grates that fit existing trench drain systems. For NDS’s Dura Slope™, they have two products: Interlaken and Locust.
You can get these grates in your choice of color powder coatings. However, Iron Age Designs doesn’t stock any pre-coated grates. You may be better off purchasing the grates yourself and have a coating applied by a local paint shop prior to installation. Nevertheless, I like the quality of the grates produced by Iron Age. They are a sturdy, 15-16 lbs. in weight. The detail of the design and the quality of the relief are remarkable.
With the Dura Slope™ trench drain channels you have both decorative grating options and color selection. The Dura Slope™ product line is technically solid and will go toe-to-toe with other pre-sloped plastic channel systems, such as Zurn’s Perma-Trench Z886. These products are available at your local NDS distributor and the trench drain supplier Trench Drain Systems.
