The Fence Post

Protect your Garden from the Wee Beasties

Watch this video and learn how to install vinyl coated welded wire garden fence. Keep rabbits and other looters from feasting on your plants.

 

 

Wait a sec, they weren't invited to the party.

There is no question that deer are becoming an increasing threat to the garden, trees, and shrubbery on your property. The need for food and a steady decrease in habitat force deer into residential and commercial areas. What types of deer fence can be used for deer exclusion?

Your choice will be determined by various factors:

• local codes and ordinances - be sure to check for height and material restrictions
• aesthetic considerations - determine what fits best with your property, height, visibility, design, and appearance
• expense considerations - the cost of the fence vs value of your plantings
• effectiveness of the fence - strength, longevity, need for repair
• extent of protection - entire property or individual plantings

Varieties of deer fencing available:

• wood & vinyl - solid, slatted (use close spacing)
• metal - welded, woven, galvanized, vinyl coated, single strand electric, wire mesh
• plastic - extruded mesh

Whichever deer fence you choose, make sure that your fence is well braced to resist pushing. Even though deer can jump over eight feet, your fence will not have to be that high. You should place the deer fence at least 12" from the plants you want to protect.

Good luck on your project!

 

The Need for Protection 

As more undeveloped land is taken for house lots and commercial areas, the natural habitat for wildlife is increasingly restricted. Sightings of animals such as coyote and deer are more frequent. The need for a way of protecting pets from potentially aggressive wildlife increases.

One of the best ways to keep pets safe is to build a wire fence. To protect against coyotes it is best to use a six-foot height. You can either bury 12 inches in the ground or bend it so it lays on top of the ground to the outside of the enclosure as an apron. This will discourage digging.

Welded wire and woven wire meshes available:

Welded wire fencing - Galvanized Before Weld (GBW), Galvanized After Weld (GAW) and Vinyl Coated (VC) 

• 14 gauge, 1" x 2" and 2" x 4" mesh
• 12.5 gauge, 2" x 4" mesh

Woven wire fencing - 

• Apron fence - 17 gauge, 1.5" hex netting mesh
• Deer & Wildlife fence - 12.5 gauge high tensile wire
• 2" x 4" mesh non-climb fence - 12.5 gauge
• Emu & Ostrich fence - 12.5 gauge
• Poultry & Garden/Deer & Orchard fence - 14.5 gauge wire

Any of the fences listed above can make your yard safe for your pet. Follow the links above for a more detailed description of their features. If you have specific questions, give us a call at (866) 328-5018.  You might be interested in our other blog, "Guarding Your Pets from Wildlife Aggressors."

 

 

Is it Time to Enhance Your Garden?

These videos will show you how you can build an attractive wood garden fence and an arbor in your yard.

 

Woven Mesh is Often Preferred

There are many different sizes of wire meshes that are available with small openings. Most often called hardware cloth, these meshes are usually welded using light gauge wire. After fabrication, the finished product is hot dipped in zinc. This Galvanized After process not only provides good protection against rust and corrosion, but also stiffens the welded fabric.

Until recently, Galvanized After woven meshes were as easy to obtain as the welded products. Woven mesh is not always exactly square due to the weaving process which can cause slight distortions resulting in a "wavy" mesh. Depending on the final application, woven products are often preferred over the welded meshes. They tend to be a bit heavier and stronger. They are also more costly.

Some Common Sizes

As the small opening wire mesh size gets smaller, so does the gauge or thickness of the wires. The more common sizes and wire gauges of square meshes are:

• 1/2" - also known as 2 x 2 and 2 mesh (2 squares per inch) 19 gauge wire
• 3/8" - also known as 3 x 3 and 3 mesh (approximately 3 squares per inch) 21 gauge wire
• 1/4" - also known as 4 x 4 and 4 mesh (4 squares per inch) 23 gauge wire
• 1/8" - also known as 8 x 8 and 8 mesh (8 squares per inch) 27 gauge wire
                                                                      

Galvanized After Mesh, Special Ordering                                                                                    There are many other Galvanized After mesh sizes and gauges available as well. These are often called industrial wire cloth. They are woven, heavier, more expensive, and often must be special ordered. The more common sizes are:

• 5/8" - 17 gauge wire
• 3/4" - 16 gauge wire

In addition to galvanized products, the 1/2", 19 gauge and 1/4", 23 gauge mesh styles are available with a black PVC coating over the Galvanized After core wire.

These excellent and long lasting meshes can meet the requirements of many different projects and Louis Page can help you think through the various mesh types and possibilities. Simply call us at (866) 328-5018.