Stainless Steel Benefits:

Economic--requires less maintenance and replacement

Environmental--stainless steel is 100% recyclable and doesn't require a potentially polluting surface coating

Aesthetic--maintains a classic, attractive, sleek, and bright appearance

Temperature--from high to subzero, stainless steel maintains its properties, strength, and effectiveness

Safe--stainless steel is not hazardous to health

Hygienic--it's easy to clean and sterilize                                                                            

What's in it?

• Iron
• Chromium
• Manganese
• Carbon
• and in some cases nickel and molybdenum

Chromium is key in bonding with these to create a protective surface film. 10.5% chromium is required to be considered stainless steel. The surface barrier created blocks water and oxygen from getting underneath, which in turn facilitates the protection of its iron foundation and enables its notable stain resistance. A few atomic layers of this barrier is enough to maintain the whole--we're talkin' a wavelength of light in thickness--so extremely thin and visually undetectable without significant magnification.

Famously, the top of the Chrysler Building uses stainless steel.

Two Main Classifications

Type 304--most common, with great corrosion resistance; affordable, appropriate to household appliances, and forms well. 304 has more chromium than 316. 

Type 316 (Marine Grade)--the presence of molybdenum increases anti-corrosion capacity and high heat stability. This takes things up a notch and is crucial for marine environments, refineries, and medical devices. It is used in situations where extreme hardness is required. Fence or mesh used in a coastal or saltwater environment requires 316, also in areas of air pollution, deicing salt, and volcanic activity. 316 also contains more nickel than 304--nickel enhances the strength, sustainability, and high-temperature properties of stainless steel.

• The difference between 304 and 316 is not detectable with the naked eye
• A material test report is something to look for when buying and questioning the grade of stainless steel
• If you live within three miles from the coast, consider 316 for outdoor applications 

Offsetting Corrosion

When thinking about a fence, the main reason to go stainless is for long life. It repels corrosion and the toughness of stainless steel offsets the initial cost promising less repair and replacement. Unsightly rust is eliminated or substantially delayed. Its properties are indispensable in keeping a business or residence looking sharp and its longevity doesn't waste resources.

Unparalleled Durability 

In the long run, stainless steel is an economical choice. Seemingly more expensive at the outset; however, its consistency, service, and longevity make it an excellent buy.

Restoring Your Beach

Here's a helpful video from the folks at The Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation.

Sand dunes create an important buffer between sea and land; maintaining the dunes is central to counteracting coastal erosion. Not only do properly placed sand fences protect the dunes, but they can also redirect pedestrians away from beneficial dune-preserving plants such as cape beachgrass. 

Louis Page has a wonderful catalog that includes our state of the art sand fence.

Check out our sand fence blog, too.

T Post Simplicity

• Economical

Wood or vinyl posts carry a hefty price tag. T posts are a bargain in comparison. Add their ease of installation and longevity, you end up saving considerable time and money. And you can cover a lot of ground. Louis Page includes five wire-fasteners with each post.

Some helpful basics here--

• Flexible

No digging holes for wooden posts--a huge benefit of T posts is their installation. Pounded right into the ground, most easily done with a post hole driver. Straight and strong, knock 'em in, and revel in their ability to hold.  And without too much hassle, they can be moved, too. Permanent, temporary, you choose. Here's a handy tip for removing them:

• Durable

These American-made posts are made of 100% recycled rail steel. Think about what freight trains pull. This is that steel. Very tough, durable, and able to bear a generous load. They're a fine choice for hard or rocky ground and can even stand up to livestock.

Three surface treatments:

• Coated with baked enamel
• Hot-dipped galvanization
• Untreated

Consider purchasing T posts that are galvanized for longer life. Particularly in coastal climates where there is more risk of increased corrosion of steel which is vulnerable to rust. Yet even unfinished T posts are very weather-resistant due to the high quality of rail steel. Still, if you get tired of looking at rusty T posts, consider galvanization.  

• Easy Replacement

Are you thinking that wood might be more appealing? Aesthetics are important; however, T posts are seen mostly in winter whereas in summer the posts are covered in leafy vines. Even treated wood posts are vulnerable to rot, breakage, and can take a beating from the weather. If a T post is damaged for some reason, it is easily replaced.

Use them for silt fencing, snow fencing, and safety fencing.

T posts holding up grapevines

 You can also use these beauties for signposts, pens, guide stakes, home gardens, and much more.

A Fisher Cat Pays a Visit
Our first set of chickens were thrashed by what looked like the work of a head-hunting fisher cat--an odd type here in suburban New England. Our chickens, tragically named after Jane Austen characters, came to disastrous ends--four of them were left headless and scattered indiscriminately, while the other four had vanished. One imagines the fisher cat family sitting snugly at table.  

The Sleepy Possum

Ordinary chicken wire has its uses; but here, it was not the best choice. Soon our newly acquired replacement chickens were visited by quite a respectable possum who bunked in the cozy chicken cubicles, less tempted by eggs but rather by the shelter and soft beds of straw. Imagine scanning past the cubicles, checking for eggs, and finding a possum snoozing next door to a seemingly oblivious chicken. Chicken wire boasts flexibility, yes, but is highly susceptible to rust, is hardly rodent or small animal-proof and strong animals can shred it. As is often said, chicken wire is more for keeping chickens in than for keeping predators out. However, It can work well in areas devoid of predators or on the top of a pen in warmer climates to keep airborne hunters at bay.

A Strong Choice--½ inch, 19 gauge wire

More pricey than chicken wire--though if you add in the resulting security of your flock--it's less expensive. ½ inch welded wire is the safe, strong option. While being more difficult to cut than chicken wire, it keeps out a wide variety of predators and should be used on all openings, such as vents and windows, of the coop. Sized right to keep smaller predators from reaching in, ½ inch, 19 gauge wire mesh is certainly the stronger choice. It can be bent by hand and at the same time, it holds its shape well. Bury it 8-12 inches with a curve outward from the coop at the bottom. Vinyl-coated hardware cloth is a great way to avoid rust.

Keeps out larger animals, such as:

• dogs
• coyotes 
• foxes 

And smaller ones:

• possums
• snakes
• mice and rats
• weasels
• fisher cats

Finding the Hardware Cloth Solution

½" x ½" mesh, 19 gauge galvanized after weld (abbreviated generally by GAW) wire mesh and fence is commonly known as hardware cloth. Molten zinc is applied after the 19 gauge wire is welded into a ½" x ½" mesh. Here the workhorse zinc covers the entire wire cloth mesh, completely sealing it for protection against corrosion and rust--particularly crucial are the vulnerable welded areas which benefit greatly from this zinc bath. This guarantees that 19 gauge ½" x ½" mesh will be assured of long life and being of lighter weight and strength it ends up costing less than the thicker 16 gauge ½" x ½" mesh. It's great for enclosing small animals or keeping out rodents, gophers, and other nuisance animals. This also can be used for economical flooring for game birds while 16 gauge is also recommended. Keep in mind that availability may be an issue and that this is a material that requires special ordering. Louis Page can help with all those particulars.  

As you can see cutting this mesh takes some strength and some helpful tools... 

or here's a video with a good option... 

In From Above   

Ominously, predators don't just come from the ground and sides, but also from above. In thinking about a covering for your chicken run, consider thinking about aviary netting. Louis Page stocks a great netting that is extremely tough and can cope with snow load if you live in a cold climate.