The Fence Post

Just a Bit of Elbow Grease                                          

You've worked hard to put up your fence. Everything looks great. The wire mesh is tight and straight. But over time, something may happen that causes the tension in the wire to slacken. Alas, do not despair! What can you do to fix the problem? Watch this video and learn how to tighten up your fence using a pair of pliers.

You can use this simple technique to tighten many types of fencing materials: welded wire fence mesh, woven wire fence, lawn and garden fence, single strand wire, field fence, etc. Keep your fence looking tight and secure!

Do you know of any other ways to tighten a fence?

Wire mesh and wire fencing are things in which people just don’t have much knowledge. It's rare that someone at the big-box home improvement store, or a relative or neighbor for that matter, might know something about how to select it. Wire fence is sort of a specialty item, and if you find yourself in need of it, information tailored for the end consumer can seem scarce. An ignorant seller can pass on this lack of knowledge to the customer and you end up with an unhappy buying-selling relationship. Even a good-intentioned seller can spread costly misinformation while meaning to help. The customer meanwhile is more inclined to believe what he or she is told, particularly when that means a lower price.

To Illustrate: A Fictional Conversation

How bad information can be circulated. 

Characters:

Big Box Bob--mowed lawns and weed-whacked as part of a grounds maintenance team, now in school to be an electrician and working as an apprentice.

Frugal Francine--Francine is an accountant by day and tends her garden and cares for her two Doberman pinschers on nights and weekends.

Scene: In the lawn and garden section of a local big-box retailer. 

Francine (approaches Bob): Hi. I want some fence to replace the rusty old chicken wire I put around my garden. There were a couple of rolls of it when I bought the house and I usually just replace it every couple of years when it gets too mangled to deal with. I’m sick of that though. I can’t be replacing the fence every year, and plant my garden, and still have time for my dobies. I’d rather just put something up that’s going to last. I’ve looked online a little and found that there are several options for a garden fence. They all sound like they are built to last a long time, but there is so much difference in price between the different types of...of...galvanized wire, and then even more disparity between the galvanized and the...the...vinyl coated wire. Incredibly, not even all vinyl-coated wire is the same price. Is there really that much difference in quality, or is it all a big scam? I’m so frustrated. I just want a fence that will be permanent. What I value, is reliability and I don’t want to pay for fancy stuff that I don’t need. Please help me!

Bob: Francine I totally understand your frustration and I think I can help. I’ve actually never worked with wire mesh or fencing, but I do have some knowledge about what galvanizing does and I have some thoughts about what you are paying for with some of the fancier vinyl-coated stuff.

Francine: Oh Bob, you're wonderful! Please! Tell me how it is.

Bob: Fran, It’s like this. Galvanizing is a process by which a protective zinc coating is applied to steel or iron so that it does not rust (Wikipedia). If the fencing is galvanized, then that is all you need for it to last indefinitely assuming it doesn’t get cut or trampled. All the other things like galvanized after weld and the different types of vinyl coating are for aesthetic purposes, or to make it stronger to keep animals in or something. So, if you want to save some moolah and still have a fence that lasts forever, I would just get the inexpensive, galvanized before weld, welded wire. Any other questions, Franny?

Franny: Hmm...what you say sure sounds technical and smart. I’ll admit that saving a few dollars would be really nice. I really appreciate you not pushing the pricey stuff on me. Are you sure galvanized won’t rust?

Bob: Yes. Sure, looked it up me-self. (First sentence about galvanization on Wikipedia.)

Fran: Okay Bob. I really appreciate your expertise. I’ll take a roll and some 6-foot steel posts, please.

Bob: Dealio!  (And...scene.)
 

Differences

So, you can see how there are no bad intentions here. Bob thinks he is being very decent and fair, and Francine feels as though she has been treated well and will never have to replace this galvanized fence. Unfortunately, Bob’s instincts have not served him well, and Francine’s trust has been misplaced. Galvanized does not last forever. The chart below from Bekaert Corporation gives an idea of how long galvanized can last and the difference between types of galvanized wire.

First Signs of Rust

Depending on the type of galvanizing that is done, Francine could be looking at one year or less before she starts to see rust forming on her “rust-proof” fence. How will Francine feel about Bob when the first signs of rust appear at the weld points on her fence? What distinguishes a long-lasting fence from a semi-temporary one can be seemingly subtle differences. It is worth it to find someone who has taken the time to know the difference between the vast array of products available.

So What's Collecting Dust?

Whether you’re making a kennel floor, putting a fence up in your yard, or building a cage, you may have extra fence materials lying around and you think, what can I do with all this extra wire? Well here are some ideas.

Gabions--a Variety of Uses

Gabions originally were cylindrical wicker baskets filled with earth and stones used in building fortifications. You can cut to size your square or rectangle pieces of fence or wire mesh to form a box. Then use hog rings or j-clips to hold the box together. Fill in the boxes with stones and then stack them. Gabions can be used in many ways around the home, including:

• planters
• retaining walls
• outdoor fireplaces
• decorative walls around a garden or pool
• benches and seating areas around the yard

Lots more ideas for using Gabions

Screen Guard

Trying to keep your screens looking great is not always easy with dogs and cats around. Put your extra wire mesh up as a screen guard. This will make it harder for the animals to pull at the screen. It will ease up the constant changing of your screens - unless you have teenagers who forget their keys and decide to rip open the screen instead of pulling the cord!

Training Climbers

Build a large trellis or a smaller portable one. Simply by using some wood posts and welded wire mesh, teepee two panels on each side with two horizontal posts at the top for support. Some of your leftover fencing with 1" x 2" mesh or bigger openings are best. Fasten it to your frames. Train the cucumbers as they grow by winding the plants up the fence. Growing your cucumbers vertically can save space for other vegetables and stop them from rotting by sitting on the ground.

And more ideas...

With some imagination, there are many things you can do with that leftover wire mesh you have hanging around.

• Cat enclosures
• Trash containers
• Small garden covers
• Cubed storage shelves
• Wire mesh cabinet doors
• Stairway and deck railing fillers

Let's put our heads together and come up with some new ideas!

Terry                                          

Pull it Tight

Ever wondered how to stretch a fence to get it tight? This video shows you how to make and use a homemade fence stretcher you can use to pull your fence tight. In the video, chicken wire is being installed; however, this type of stretcher can be used for all styles of woven wire fence as well. Steel stretcher bars are also available to buy if you don't want to make your own. Be sure to check out the helpful tip at the end of the video.

But Not Too Tight

It is important to have a level pull uniformly across the height of the fence to avoid distorting the mesh. The amount of tension is determined by the type of mesh. Welded wire fencing material cannot be tightened as much as woven wire meshes, such as field fence, horse fence, deer and wildlife fence.

Are you working on a grade? Check out another helpful video: Fence Stretching Basics.

The Wee Beasties: Not so Funny

Who can forget the classic movie “Caddyshack” and Bill Murray’s ongoing battle with the varmints! It was hilarious in the movie but when it’s your yard being attacked, they don’t seem nearly as cute and cuddly. What can you do?  Well, you could always try to hire Bill Murray to blow up your yard or bring in a Gopher snake or Barn Owl to eat the rascals...or you can take a more sensible and less dramatic approach…install a gopher deterrent fence.  

Sure it’s a lot of work, but if protecting your land, lawn, trees, shrubs, and garden is important to you, then it’s worth it! Even one gopher can cause tremendous and costly damage. In most cases, it is only one gopher terrorizing your property since they are extremely territorial and solitary animals. It just looks like there must be a whole “herd” of them from all the holes and damage.

Fight Gophers as well as Rust and Corrosion

The first step is choosing the right type of fence to use since it will have to withstand the rigors of being buried. Choosing the wrong type of fence can be a costly and very frustrating mistake. Chicken/poultry wire or aviary fence is not intended to be buried and will fail in a short period of time. Galvanized After Weld, Vinyl Coated, and Stainless Steel wire provide protection from rust and corrosion and will last for many years. Obviously, these are not the favorite choices of gophers. In terms of mesh size, ½” x ½” is ideal because the openings are small and stiff enough to prevent gophers from gaining access to the surface.

For protecting lawns and garden areas, the fence should be buried 2 to 6 inches deep, covered with soil, and the sod or plants installed on top of the soil. The wire should be secured using sod staples or “U” pins placed two to three feet apart. Be careful to have tight overlaps of 4-6 inches without buckling or openings. After the gopher bumps his head a few times, he will move on to greener pastures! For above-ground use, these meshes can easily be made into baskets to protect individual plantings.

A Perimeter Fence

Another option to help keep the gophers out is the installation of perimeter fencing. The fence should have small openings and the bottom of the fence should be buried 2 to 3 feet deep with at least 6 to 12 inches above the ground to prevent gophers from burrowing underneath or invading from the surface. The buried portion of the wire should have a ninety-degree bend to the outside.

In Conclusion

For additional weapons in the war against gophers, try putting a pine-scented cleaner or chili powder in the burrows. Gophers hate this!

Don’t let gophers defeat you. Take back control of your lawn and garden so you can spend time playing golf or whatever it is that you enjoy.

And, be sure to say hello to Bill for me!