Posted by Frank Langone on Tue, Jan 27, 2009
Vinyl coated wire mesh and fencing is the longest lasting mesh you can buy. There are welded as well as woven meshes available. After the mesh is welded or woven, it passes through the coating process. The PVC is tightly bonded to the wire by a heat process. The mesh is completely covered, including those areas most likely to rust first - the spots that are welded or woven. The vinyl coating is impervious to moisture and corrosives. The wire is thoroughly protected from rust and corrosion. Standard colors are black and green. Other colors are available on special order.
A high quality vinyl coating is flexible and will not crack when bent. It gives the mesh a smooth finished look. There are no sharp edges. The PVC is not affected by extreme hot or cold temperatures. It is so well bonded to the wire that it stands up to scrapes and abrasions. Coated meshes are tough, long-lasting, weather and chemical resistant and attractive. Any mesh or fence that is vinyl coated will have the longest lifetime. Some meshes are available with double protection - GAW wire that is galvanized after being welded or woven and then covered with a thick layer of vinyl.
VC fence and mesh uses -
- yard fence
- animal cages
- chicken coops
- crawfish traps
- boundary fence
- kennel flooring
- game bird pens
- deer fence barrier
- greenhouse benches
- children's play yards
- swimming pool fence
- lawn and garden fence
- nuisance animal exclusion
- backing for wood post and rail fence
VC fence and mesh characteristics -
- durable
- longest lifetime
- resistant to rust and corrosion
- weather and chemical resistant
- welded and woven mesh and fence
- UV treated to protect against solar degradation
Posted by Duncan Page on Tue, Jan 20, 2009
What is the difference between Galvanized Before and Galvanized After welded and woven wire mesh and fence?
Galvanized Before Weld or weave
GBW fence and mesh are made from strands of galvanized wire. The wires used can be any gauge. After being drawn down to the final diameter, the wire is galvanized - coated with zinc. The wires are then welded or woven together. During the welding process the protective layer of zinc is burnt off. This leaves the wire unprotected at the welded joint where the wires cross. When the wires are woven, the galvanizing is not affected. However in the meshes that are tightly woven with several twists, such as hex netting chicken wire fence, the woven area where the wires intersect is a vulnerable area.
When GBW meshes and fencing are used outside and exposed to the elements, rain or any corrosive liquid will collect at these vulnerable spots. Rust and corrosion will start to eat at the wire, weakening the mesh and fence, limiting its lifetime. There is a wide variety of mesh opening sizes made. Some fences with the same openings are available in a variety of gauges.
GBW fences and mesh features -
- limited lifetime, unless used inside or in other protected locations
- heavier gauge outlasts lighter gauge - 12-1/2 gauge lasts longer than 14 gauge
- available in a wide variety of gauge and mesh combinations
- indoor storage area partitions
Galvanized After Weld or weave
GAW mesh and fencing will last a long time. After the wires are either welded or woven into a mesh, the entire finished product is drawn through a bath of molten zinc. The GAW mesh emerges with a thick coating tightly bonded to the wire. Each strand of wire is protected. More importantly, each vulnerable welded or woven area is thoroughly sealed.
GAW fences and mesh are ideal for use in any area where exposure to water and other corrosive substances will be expected. The extra zinc of the galvanized after mesh and fence guarantees a longer lifetime than galvanized before products. Meshes and fence are more costly than galvanized before. GAW specifications are available in a wide selection of gauges and mesh opening sizes.
GAW fences and mesh features -
- long lifetime - resistant to rust and corrosion
- wires and welded or woven spots are thoroughly galvanized
- available in different gauges and mesh sizes
- salt water use
- small animal cages
- greenhouse benches
- in-ground wire for groundhog barriers and bird pens
Posted by Frank Langone on Tue, Jan 13, 2009
- What is wire gauge?
- What does it mean?
- How is it used to describe wire?
Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary defines wire gauge as any of various systems consisting of a series of standard sizes used in describing the diameter of wire.
It all starts with heavy coils of large diameter wire called rod made in a rolling mill. The rod is then shipped to a wire manufacturing mill. To make the wire used in wire fence and mesh, single strands are "drawn" through a series of increasingly smaller dies or plates and reduced to a specific gauge/diameter. The gauge is determined by the wire's final use - single strand wire, welded wire mesh or woven wire fence. Heating of the wire is not required in the drawing process.
There have been several different gauge designations since this process was introduced. Numbers have been used to designate wire diameter since 1735. They originally referred to the number of draws used in the process. The first draw was called 1 gauge, the second 2 gauge, the third 3 gauge, on down to the final draw of the thinnest wire being made. This is why thick wires have a lower gauge number than thin wires. 9 gauge wire is thicker than 14 gauge because it requires fewer "draws" than 14 gauge.
The Birmingham Wire Gauge, also known as the Stubs Iron Wire Gauge, was originally developed in early 19th-century England as a means of standardizing gauge sizes. It has been used in a medical setting (needles) since the early 20th century. In 1855, Brown and Sharpe established a formula-based progression of 39 steps - from 1 gauge through 40 gauge. This is now known as the American Wire Gauge and is used extensively in the United States.
The following values show in inches the most common gauges of wires used in welded and woven wire mesh and fence:
- 8.5 gauge - 0.155 inch
- 9 gauge - 0.1483 inch
- 10.5 gauge - 0.128 inch
- 11 gauge - 0.1205 inch
- 12.5 gauge - 0.099 inch
- 14 gauge - 0.080 inch
- 16 gauge - 0.0625 inch
- 18 gauge - 0.0475 inch
- 20 gauge - 0.0348 inch
- 21 gauge - 0.0317 inch
- 23 gauge - 0.0258 inch
- 27 gauge - 0.0173 inch
There are many different combinations of wire gauge and mesh size manufactured. You can select the right product for the requirements of your project.