The Fence Post

Premium Apron Fence

Premium quality galvanized Apron Fence, manufactured by Keystone Steel and Wire in Peoria, IL, is the only 17 gauge, 1-1/2" heavy hexagonal netting made in the USA. The wire used is fully dimensional 17 gauge, on the high end of the acceptable tolerance limit.

The Apron

Keystone makes this roll as Galvanized Before Weld (GBW) material. They weave previously galvanized 17 gauge wire into the 1-1/2" hex netting. 17 gauge (.054") is much heavier than the standard 20 gauge (.0348") used in weaving standard chicken wire. Consequently, it is a much stronger product and will last a lot longer.

This Apron Fence is available in two roll sizes: 60" x 150' (48" high with a 12" apron) and 72" x 150' (60" high with a 12" apron). The roll is made with a single line wire running the length of the roll, 12" up from the bottom. This wire acts as a guideline when you are bending the 12" section out 90 degrees to form the apron.

Another Layer of Protection

Thick, Flexible, and Resists Peeling

Keystone does not have the ability to vinyl coat their Apron Fence. Its 60" rolls are sent to another quality US mill to be custom coated. This mill specializes in vinyl coating all types of wire mesh, including mesh used in building lobster traps. Here a high quality, thick and flexible coating of UV treated Black PVC is tightly bonded to the wire mesh. The coating is so tightly bonded that it resists scraping. It cannot be easily scraped off with a fingernail. And it will not peel off easily.

The finished product is first quality in every respect. Expected lifetime is hard to predict. Local environmental conditions in the air, soil, and rain have an impact on the length of time fencing material will last. These conditions vary enormously from one part of the country to another.

Enduring Quality

Knowing the material is produced by two of the leading mills in the United States can give you confidence that this product is the highest quality available. The extra handling and shipping involved in moving the material from one mill to the other do add to the cost. But the quality and endurance is there in every roll and speaks for itself.

Easy to Use

Vinyl coated Apron Fence is very easy to use. The smooth finish makes it easy to handle and install. The unique 12" apron prevents animals from burrowing under the fence, keeping raccoons, foxes and other predators out of birds and pets in. The apron can be turned in either direction - to the outside to make a barrier or to the inside to make a pen.

Seamless Installation 

Installation is easy since there is no need to dig a trench. Bend the mesh along the guideline. Just lay the apron on top of the ground so that vegetation grows up through it. This will securely anchor it in place. Digging animals will start at the fence itself, not realizing they have to start 12" away with their digging. This is a very effective barrier.

There are many uses for Apron Fence as a perimeter fence, such as:

• Many individuals and clubs use it to fence in training pens for their beagles. Due to the high quality of the product, replacement and repair costs and concerns are kept to a minimum.
• It makes an ideal fence around a garden. The black color of the vinyl makes the mesh virtually invisible against the background. You can get an unrestricted view of your garden.
• Vinyl coated Apron Fence has been used in building game bird pens. The black color is a visibility advantage here as well.

If you are looking for a quality product that can provide an attractive, secure barrier on the ground surface as well as vertically, consider using vinyl coated Apron Fence.

They seem similar...

Are you looking for galvanized welded wire fence? Do you know you have a choice? There are two types of galvanized welded wire fencing materials:

• GBW (Galvanized Before Weld)
• GAW (Galvanized After Weld)

Visually they appear very similar. But taking a closer look, you can see the difference. And after they have been installed, the difference becomes more remarkable with the passage of time. Which one is a better value, longer lasting, more readily available?

Checking for the burn--

 GBW

As its name implies, Galvanized Before Weld fencing material is made as follows: Galvanized wire is fed into the welder. At the weld point where the wires cross, the zinc is burned away during the welding process. Sometimes you can actually see the burn (as in the picture above). This is the most obvious way to differentiate between GBW and GAW wire mesh. Look for the burn. Of course, when this happens, the wire is left unprotected from rust and corrosion. And this is the spot in the wire mesh that collects water when it gets wet. The water and any corrosive entities it contains will hang out in the intersection, slowly eating away the steel.

With So Many Uses

GBW welded wire mesh is a utilitarian, readily available generic product. It comes in a wide variety of different gauges, mesh sizes, and roll sizes. This type of mesh and fencing material has many different uses. If you want an inexpensive mesh with a moderate lifetime expectancy, GBW is the ideal choice. For a mesh with impressive longevity, please read on--

Now, turning to...

GAW

Galvanized After Weld wire mesh is a superior, higher quality, longer lasting product. After being welded, the mesh is drawn through a bath of molten zinc. The wire intersections are thoroughly sealed and protected from exposure to environmental sources of corrosion and rust. As seen in the above picture, corrosive elements have no access to the wire or weld points. The heavy layer of zinc will protect the underlying wire for years, even when exposed to harmful chemicals and other environmental stressors.

Savings on Repairs and Replacement

GAW fencing materials are far superior to GBW. And they will last years longer than GBW. This is why they are the perfect choice to consider when you want a galvanized welded wire fence. Your initial investment cost is higher. But that is more than offset by the extended lifetime of the wire. Not only will you get years of use from your fence. But also you will save on the expenses of repairs and replacement. Why go through those frustrations and hassles?

The Right Wire

GAW meshes are the best choice for animal cages as well. The heavy galvanizing will stand up to corrosion from feces and urine. The need for cage replacement will be diminished greatly. Higher initial cost of a quality product will ultimately save you money.

With An Important Difference

In general, GAW products are harder to find. There are few retail stores that sell them, partly due to their greater expense. But the demand for these higher quality welded wire fencing materials is not very strong. That's because most people do not know about Galvanized After Weld and that there is a huge difference.

When people say the wire is galvanized, they are usually thinking about the generic GBW products. GAW never comes to mind, even though they might prefer to buy a higher quality product. The assumption is made that since the wire is galvanized, it will last for years. However, if they only knew, they could purchase something far better that would satisfy them for a lot longer.

So what do you think? Do you have any projects where using a higher quality product makes sense to you? Is quality more important to you than price?

Protecting Your Fence

• Are you thinking of putting up a woven wire fence?
• Do you need to contain animals within an enclosure?
• Do you want to exclude animals from an area to protect your plants and vegetation?
• Do you know that there are different types of coatings available to protect woven wire fencing materials from rust and corrosion?

An Effective Coating

Think about fence coatings as you think about paint. It's a way to protect your fence from the day to day elements: humidity, harsh chemicals from the soil, fertilizers, acid rain, etc.

It is important to select the right type of coating for your fence. Environmental factors, including humidity, acid rain, blowing sand or dust, salt and fertilizer can have a detrimental impact on the lifetime of your fence. The proper coating protects your fence from these elements and can keep it looking great for years.

There are three different coating options available on agricultural type woven wire fences. These are the types of fences used for deer and other wildlife as well as farm animals such as cows, horses, etc.

Class 1 - 2 to 11 years before rust

Class 1 zinc coating is the standard, basic and most readily available type. It has a coverage of .28 ounces of zinc per square foot. In most non-coastal climates, Class 1 zinc coated wire has an approximate life of 2 to 11 years until rust occurs.

Class 3 - 13 to 30 years before rust

Class 3 galvanized coating features .80 ounces per square foot, approximately 2-1/2 times thicker than standard Class 1 galvanized coating. As a consequence, in most non-coastal climates, it has an approximate life of 13 to 30 years before rusting. When you calculate the time, cost and hassle of replacing and repairing a fence, spending slightly more initially for a Class 3 product makes a lot of sense. Most DOT projects specify Class 3 fencing materials.

ZA

ZA Zinc Aluminum coating is 95% Zn, 5% Al. This is a new zinc-aluminum hybrid coating developed and produced exclusively by Bekaert. Salt spray tests have shown that it will last more than three times as long as Class 1 and close to the same as Class 3 galvanized woven wire fence. ZA uses less coating than Class 3. You save money when you buy a ZA coated product. And you're assured years of trouble-free use.

ZA + Black Paint

ZA+Paint is the newest innovation from Bekaert. Black polymer paint is combined with ZA coated wire. This provides longer fence life in an attractive color. Black blends with the background and becomes virtually invisible. This coating is designed to provide maximum protection from the most corrosive environments. It has a longer expected lifetime than Class 3 coated wire. With ZA + Black paint, you get a good looking woven wire fence with an exceptional lifetime and it will keep its appearance for years.

• Not all specifications are available with every type of coating. For example the ZA + Black paint is currently available in three specifications of Deer and Wildlife fence with graduated openings and 2" x 4" woven horse fence.

If long life and lower overall total costs for fence installation is important, determining the best coating for the type of environment where the fence will be installed is crucial to ensure you choose the best fence for your needs. What environmental factors do you have to contend with in your location? Anything unusual? Give us a ring and tell us about your particulars. Call (866) 328-5018

Snow Fences: For Increased Safety

Watch this Federal Highway Administration video to learn about snow fences and their benefits.

There are two parts to this video:

Much of this information about snow fencing material is applicable to homeowners as well as larger town and state highway DOT uses. Rolls of wood snow fence and plastic snow fence are available. These are easier to use and handle than a permanent structure.

Would a snow fence be a good fit for your needs?

A Brief Lesson Before Stapling

Do you know how to use galvanized fence staples? I certainly didn’t. I didn’t realize there was anything to know.

Fence staples or u-nails as they are also called aren’t very complicated; however, there is a minimum amount of knowledge you should have to make sure the staples secure your fence in the way that they're intended to be. Being one whose staple knowledge was insufficient to use them, I consulted an expert who kindly took the time to educate me. Steven Sarson (watch his video about Low Carbon Wire vs High Tensile Wire) of Bekaert has many years of experience in the fencing industry and sent me an email that was very informative and I’ve included it in its entirety below.

Here is Steve's letter:

Josh,

Here are my general ideas on stapling wire to posts:

Smooth wire electric – Loose staple every wire. Keep spaces consistent by using a measuring stick with spaces marked on it. Start from the bottom when stapling. Most animals will go under the fence rather than over.

Barbed Wire – Loose staple every wire. Use a measuring stick. Mark the wire positions. I prefer to start at the top when installing multiple strands of barbed wire so successive wires don’t get hung up.

Woven Wire – Always loose staple the wires. Wire expands and contracts with temperature change and also needs to be free to move under the staple so the brace takes the impact and not the stapled post. Here is the pattern I use: 

• High Tensile field fence (Fixed Knot, Hinge joint) – Loose staple the bottom two wires, every wire after that, and the top wire. In the bottom of a dip and at the crown of a rise, staple every wire to maintain spacing as the wire goes up and down.
• Horse Fence and Low Carbon Field Fence – Typically, I loose staple every wire due to the elongation of LC wire. The staples are needed to hold it up.

These guidelines are by no means meant to be an official standard but are a guide to what I’ve used over the years.

Thanks,

Steven  

Great stuff Steven! Honestly, I would have pounded the staples home if I followed my intuition. That way they would be secure. The loose staple concept was a revelation to me. Follow the same instruction for welded wire fencing materials. Now, here's a short video to reinforce the above information.

To those of you who are professionals, this is probably not news. Does anybody else have tips out there? We’d love to hear them.