The Fence Post

Delaying Rust and Corrosion

Vinyl Coated (VC) welded wire mesh has been coated with a layer of PVC after the mesh has been welded. This is significant because the vinyl covers the mesh and provides protection against the elements. Rust and corrosion are delayed much longer than with an unprotected Galvanized Before (GBW) mesh.

• The good news - extended lifetime and attractive appearance
• The bad news - more expensive than non-vinyl coated material
• The reason -  addition of PVC coating provides an impervious barrier, protecting the underlying wire from the environment. The protected wire will not rust as quickly.

Looking for a product that is not only attractive but is also able to withstand environmental stresses? VC wire mesh is the perfect one to use!

Wire Gauges, Mesh Openings

It is very important to not only know what to look for, but also what is available when considering VC welded wire fencing materials. There are many choices - something ideal for any project you have in mind.

Wire Gauges: 23, 19, 16, 14, 12-1/2, 11, and 10-1/2

Mesh Sizes: 1/4" x 1/4", 1/2" x 1/2,", 1/2" x 1", 1" x 1", 1" x 2", 1-1/2" x 1-1/2", 1-1/2" x 4", 2" x 2", 2" x 3", 3" x 2", 2" x 4", 3" x 3"

Beware of Inferior Products

Higher quality vinyl coated fencing material costs more than cheaper inferior products. You get what you pay for. People are often fooled by false economy. When you consider the time, hassle and additional expense of premature replacement of your fence, it is clear that a higher initial investment can ultimately save you money.

It is safe to say that the best possible protection and longest life expectancy is offered by a product that is vinyl coated over GAW (Galvanized After Weld) wire mesh. You have rugged double protection with both the zinc and the PVC coatings. While difficult and probably impossible to find in big box retail stores, this mesh is well worth the time and effort of a search. You will not be disappointed. Many, but not all specifications are available with GAW core wires.

Understanding Levels of Quality

If you are concerned with quality, be aware that there are different levels of quality available.

The lowest quality products are those that have coating over plain steel, non-galvanized wire. There is no protective layer of zinc on the wire. In this case, the coating is virtually worthless. Usually, the PVC is not tightly bonded to the underlying wire. It can often be easily scraped off the wire with nothing more than a fingernail. Moisture migrates in between the vinyl and the wire and the mesh rusts from the inside out. It will look fine on the outside when you load it in your shopping cart. But when the wire disintegrates and falls apart you have a mess. Hopefully, this never happens to you.

The next best quality of vinyl coated welded wire meshes are those that have GBW (Galvanized Before Weld) wire under the PVC. The galvanizing protects the wire. But the intersecting areas of the mesh where the welds occur are not well protected. During the welding process, the zinc is burnt away. Although zinc will "flow back" in an attempt to recover the areas, they are the first areas to decay and corrode. It is important to check out how securely the vinyl is attached to the wire. It may or may not be tightly bonded. If you can peel it off with a fingernail, it probably will not last as long as fencing material with a superior coating.

As mentioned above, the best quality products are those with the following characteristics: 1) GAW wire mesh is underneath the PVC; 2) the vinyl is tightly bonded to the wire. The welded areas are thoroughly protected and the vinyl is not easily scraped off the wire. The vinyl coated welded wire fencing material with these characteristics are what you need if you want years of trouble-free service. It is worth the effort required to find them.

A Test for You to Do

The only sure way, though not always possible or recommended, is to try scraping off a small section of vinyl. If you can start it with your fingernail and slide the coating along the wire (see picture below) you know the coating is not tightly bonded. If the coating resists peeling and requires a sharp blade to scrape it off, you will know the coating is tightly bonded.

If the underlying wire is dark gray or black, this means there is plain steel beneath the coating. Make sure this is the product you really want to buy.

If the wire is bright and shiny it is galvanized. Check out the intersecting weld areas. If you see burns and blackened wire it is GBW. This is an example of non-bonded vinyl coating over GBW wire:

Clumping that You Want!

If the wire is bright and shiny and the welded areas have clumps of zinc around them, the mesh has been galvanized after. This is what GAW mesh looks like:

Check in with Louis Page

Keep in mind that you do have choices and do not have to settle for the products that are right in front of you, especially if they are (or might be) inferior. Be aware that the person working in the store probably knows less than you do about the differences in products and why a different item may be more suited to your needs. Consulting with the experts at Louis Page is a necessary first step.

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.

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!

A Skunk Under My Shed 

The Fluffy Shadow 

I have to think twice before taking the garbage out at night or going to find something in the shed after dark. When I go from car to house or house to car after dark, I move quickly with eyes scanning the ground for a fluffy shadow or set of eyes twinkling in the moonlight. My dwelling is terrorized by a skunk that wages a putrid form of guerrilla warfare against my household. It has made its home under our shed and I am loath to engage it in battle. It has to go. We can’t stand the thought of more summer evenings spoiled by the threat of an altercation with these hostiles. The question is: how does one get rid of a skunk?

Methods for Extraction

Modern life offers a lot of very easy solutions to problems that confounded earlier generations. Unfortunately, there is no “easy button” for skunk removal. Unless I am willing to damage the shed (what I’m calling the tip and run method), the animal (poison), or both (flooding/burning) I don’t know how to avoid the physical act of removing the animal. There are some tips on how to get rid of them, but the ones that don’t risk an encounter with the skunk, seem not to work. For example, I read that putting a dirty sock by their entrance would make them move their home. This is untrue. I put a post-basketball sock out there and if this sock wasn’t dirty enough, we might be better off with the skunks than a dirtier sock. I waited a few days hoping that the skunk's repeated encounters with the sock would send it packing, but alas, the skunk remains.

Chatting with a Professional

As may already be apparent from this post, I have an intense fear of being sprayed by a skunk. Generally, I like do-it-yourself projects, but I think for the removal phase of this project I will have to turn to a professional. I spoke to a Louis Page customer, Erik from Needham/Woburn Pest Control, about how to keep the critters out from under the shed once they are extracted. He recommended the following labor-intense, yet straightforward solution.         

1. Dig a trench around the shed 12” deep and 12”-18” wide extending away from the base of the shed.
2. Using ½" x ½" welded wire mesh, 36” wide, staple the top edge to the base of the shed with galvanized staples.
3. Lay the remaining 30 or so inches into the trench to cover 12” inches down and 18” out.
4. Backfill the trench and voilà! Skunk proof!

Since the mesh will be underground, I’ll need to be sure that it is resistant to rust and corrosion. Galvanized after weld offers good protection, but black vinyl coated mesh would be even better and the small amount of exposed wire mesh around the base of the shed will look much better over time if it does not rust. Also, the black color will be virtually invisible. This is really not something I want to do twice.

That’s the plan I think. Onward and upward. And certainly, your ideas are always appreciated!