The Fence Post

Galvanized Wire with Secure Fixed Knot Construction

Deer Fence featuring fixed knot construction. Each vertical stay wire is tightly wrapped around horizontal line wires making a secure barrier fence. The joint acts as a hinge that gives under pressure, then springs back into shape. The Class 1 galvanized top and bottom wires are 11 gauge. The "filler" wires are 14-1/2 gauge. Galvanized wire resists weathering and normal wear and tear.

This fence was previously known as Poultry and Garden Fence. The unique spacing of the horizontal line wires keeps predators out of orchards, vineyards and gardens. The openings of the fence are graduated - smaller at the bottom, larger at the top. Wires are spaced 1" apart at the bottom, the top spacing is 4", and the vertical stay wires are spaced at 6" intervals.

Rolls are available in three different sizes:

• 48" x 165' - 2048-9-14.5 style
• 60" x 165' - 2360-6-14.5 style
• 72" x 165' - 2672-6-14.5 style

Deer and Orchard Fence - Benefits

• Economical galvanized fence
• Larger 4" x 6" openings at the top
• Smaller 1" x 6" openings at the bottom
• Horizontal wires are crimped to allow for expansion
• Woven construction enables fence to conform to uneven terrain
• Ideal for keeping small critters away from where they're not wanted
• Use for making a pen to protect rabbits, chickens and other small animals
• Longer lifetime reduces frequency and high cost of repair and replacement

Deer and Orchard Fence - More Uses

• Chicken runs
• Rabbit enclosures
• Garden perimeter fence
• Nuisance wild life barrier
• Wood post and rail fence backer
• Protect fruit trees and berries from browsing animals

Deer and Orchard Fence is effective in a variety of settings!

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

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.

The Desert Tortoise: Endangered

You may not realize it, but the Desert Tortoise is struggling to survive after millions of years of life on earth. The desert tortoise in the Mojave Desert (north and west of the Colorado River) was federally listed under emergency provisions of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as endangered on August 4, 1989 and permanently listed as a threatened species on April 2, 1990. The tortoise was listed because of direct losses and threats to tortoise populations and habitat.

The desert tortoise is the largest reptile and the only wild land tortoise found in southern Nevada. It also exists in western California, southwestern Utah, western Arizona, and northwestern Mexico. A tortoise will live in the same general area of less than one square mile during its lifespan of 50-100 years. They reach 10 to 14 inches in length and are soil colored. Because of their color and shape, they can be very difficult to see.

Awareness

To help protect tortoises from getting on roads and highways, Tortoise Exclusion Fence, also referred to as Turtle Fence, is being installed throughout their habitat. Many construction projects are now even required to have an on-site biologist conduct a thorough survey of the job site and flag all burrows prior to construction. Construction crews are also required to complete a desert tortoise education program.

Tortoise exclusion fence is required and specified in many bids where highways and roads or solar fields will be constructed in tortoise habitats. It is installed to keep the tortoises out of harm's way on highways and in solar fields.     

Exclusion Fencing

Tortoise Exclusion Fence is designed specifically for preventing tortoises from gaining access to highways and roads and any other designated areas. It is made of galvanized welded wire which has a mesh opening of 1” horizontal by 2” vertical and is 36” wide. The fence is constructed of 16 gauge or heavier wire and can be GAW (Galvanized After Weld), GBW (Galvanized Before Weld) or VC (Vinyl Coated) depending upon the specifications required.

Methods

The fence material is buried a minimum of 12 inches below the natural level of the ground to prevent tortoises from burrowing underneath. This leaves 22-24 inches above the ground. In situations where burying the fence is not practical because of the rocky substrate, the fence material should be bent at a 90-degree angle to produce a lower section approximately 14 inches wide which will be placed parallel to, and in direct contact with, the ground surface. It is installed using 5 to 6-foot steel T-posts, hog rings, and smooth or barbed livestock wire. Distances between the T-posts should not exceed 10 feet unless the desert tortoise fence is being attached to an existing right-of-way fence that has larger spaces between posts. See the official US Department of Fish and Wildlife specifications for desert tortoise fencing.

Installing the proper tortoise exclusion fence will protect the desert tortoises from possible extinction while protecting you from fines and possible imprisonment.

Let’s all work together to save the tortoises!

A Preferred Choice for Controlling Livestock

High tensile wire is regarded as the most significant improvement in farm fencing since the introduction of barbed wire in 1874. While relatively new in the US, it has been used to effectively control cattle, sheep, and other livestock on ranches in other countries for over 50 years. It has now become the preferred choice for agricultural fencing in the USA.

Low vs. High Carbon Content

Low carbon wire is made from steel rod with a carbon content of approximately 0.10%. This type of wire is easy to work with and fairly forgiving. However, it is prone to elongation, falling victim to stretching and sagging. And its strength is low when compared to high tensile wire.

High tensile wire is made of higher carbon steel. The carbon content of this wire is approximately 0.28%. This increased carbon content significantly increases the wire’s strength and reduces elongation. This allows the use of a smaller diameter high tensile wire versus a thicker low carbon wire.

High tensile wire fence: Advantages

• Lower overall costs due to smaller diameter wire and fewer posts used
• High tensile wire can be installed using fewer fence posts than low carbon fence
• High tensile: post spacing up to 16.5 feet vs low carbon: post spacing 8 to 10 feet
• Stronger – about twice the strength as low carbon wire for effectively controlling any type of livestock: horses, hogs, cattle, deer, sheep, goat, etc.
• Lighter weight means easier handling during installation

• Very low maintenance
• Longer life – 40 plus years if properly maintained
• Can be easily electrified
• More secure
• Looks neater
• Much safer for livestock than barbed wire
• Class 3 galvanizing is standard

With high tensile wire, build a long-lasting, low maintenance fence for nearly half the price of a conventional low carbon fence. Make sure you know that the wire you're getting is high tensile--call Louis Page for details.