Hardware Cloth Guides

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Where the fence climbs the hill, drive each T-post square to the ground , not plumb; where it runs across the hill, drive the posts plumb . Hang the fabric on the uphill face of cross-slope posts and add a fifth clip at the bottom wire on every post that sits in a low spot. How should T-posts be set when a fence runs up a slope? Set them perpendicular to the ground on runs going up and down a slope, and plumb on runs going across it. Perpendicular posts resist overturning on steep ground, and the fence wires stay square to the posts. On cross-slope runs, put the fabric on the uphill side, where pressure is greatest. The BC Ministry of Agriculture's wire fence construction factsheet says plumb posts on a steep slope are easier to overturn. It sets posts perpendicular to the ground on lines going up and down slopes and plumb across slopes, ...

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Hang 48-inch welded wire on posts that stand only 30 inches tall, so the top 18 inches flops outward when a raccoon climbs. Join a separate 24-inch apron to the bottom edge with 16-gauge tie wire every 6 inches , then bury the apron flat on the outside. How do you build a garden fence raccoons cannot climb or dig under? Leave the top 18 inches of a 48-inch fence unattached so it folds back on a climbing raccoon, and bury a 24-inch horizontal apron on the outside so digging hits wire. If the apron is a second roll, fasten its edge to the fence with tie wire or hog rings. The University of Georgia Extension garden fencing guide recommends a 24-inch horizontal apron buried several inches on the outside, with the top 18 inches of a 36- or 48-inch fence left unattached. It says the apron and fence can come from two rolls fastened together ...

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Clip the tester's ground lead to a probe pushed into moist soil, touch the probe to each hot wire at the corner farthest from the energizer, and log the reading. A garden deer fence should hold at least 5,000 volts there; anything lower means a short, a weak ground, or a failing energizer. What voltage should an electric deer fence around a garden read? At least 5,000 volts on every hot wire, measured at the far end of the fence. Read it with a tester that shows a number in kilovolts, check it weekly and after storms, and treat a sudden drop as a short to track down before deer learn the fence is off. The Minnesota DNR's energized fence guidelines for gardens call for an energizer delivering a minimum of 5000 volts under all conditions. They list polywire heights of 12, 20, 28, 36, and 44 inches and say to check voltage weekly or a...

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Set three 7-foot posts 30 inches deep at 20-foot spacing, bolt a 24-inch 2x4 crossarm to each at 48 inches , and run two strands of 12-gauge galvanized wire through holes near the arm ends. The canes grow between the wires, which sit 22 inches apart. What wire and spacing does a home raspberry trellis need? Number 12 or 14 galvanized wire on wood posts 15 to 20 feet apart, with two wires about 18 to 24 inches apart carried on crossarms 3 to 4 feet above the ground. The canes grow up between the wires, so the row stays upright and you can pick from both sides. Iowa State University Extension's raspberry trellis answer lists No. 12 or 14 galvanized wire, posts 3 to 5 inches in diameter and 6 to 8 feet long set 2 to 3 feet deep, and 15 to 20 feet apart. It puts a 24- to 30-inch crosspiece near the top, with wires about 18 to 24 i...

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. A 20 x 26 foot garden has a 92-foot perimeter, and a 4-foot gate gap leaves 88 feet of fence to hang. One 100-foot roll covers it in a single piece with 12 feet left for tie-off wraps and a patch, so you never splice mid-run. How much welded wire do you need to fence a small vegetable garden? Measure the perimeter, subtract the gate opening, and add a few inches at each end for the wraps. A 20 by 26 foot garden needs 88 feet of fabric after a 4-foot gate, so one 100-foot roll of 4-foot welded wire fences it in a single piece. The University of Georgia Extension garden fencing guide says a 3-foot-high wire fence is very effective for keeping out dogs and cats. For rabbits it recommends a 2-foot chicken wire fence with 1-inch mesh and a 12-inch apron bent toward the outside and buried several inches. Iowa State University Extension...

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Pull the line-post staples first so each strand only hangs between its end wraps, then pin the wire on both sides of every cut before the bolt cutter jaws close. Cut each strand into 50-foot pieces, coil them 24 inches across, and haul every coil off the same day. How do you cut out old barbed wire without it whipping back? Secure the strand on both sides of the cut first, with a helper's gloved hands, a foot on the wire, or locking pliers clamped to a post, then cut. Pull the staples before cutting so tension is low, wear leather gauntlet gloves and eye protection, and never leave cut wire on the ground. The Conservation Volunteers' wire handling and joining handbook says to secure high tensile or spring steel wire on both sides of the cut before cutting, so it cannot recoil. It also calls for thick leather gloves with gauntlets w...

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Hold the fabric against the post, set a 9-gauge staple at least 1-3/4 inches long over every other horizontal wire, and turn each one slightly off the grain. Stop driving while the wire can still slide under the crown, then staple every wire home only at the end posts. What size fence staple holds welded wire on a treated 4x4 post? A 9-gauge hot-dip galvanized staple at least 1-3/4 inches long, preferably 2 inches, holds welded wire on a pressure-treated 4x4. Use barbed staples in softwood, drive them across the grain and slightly downward, and leave the crown loose on line posts so the wire can shift. The BC Ministry of Agriculture's fence wire stapling factsheet sets a minimum of 9 ga x 1-3/4 in. , preferably 2 in. , and picks hot-dip galvanized over bright staples. It also says a staple turned so its legs spread tested about 40% s...

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Cut four 96-inch and four 45-inch 2x10 boards plus four 24-inch 4x4 posts, pre-drill 1/8-inch pilot holes, and drive 3 screws per board end. The bed is 48 x 96 inches outside, 18-1/2 inches tall, and holds about 45 cubic feet of soil. How wide should a raised bed be so you can reach the middle? Four feet wide, which Virginia Cooperative Extension says lets you reach the center of the bed from either side. For a 4-by-8 bed, build two courses of 2x10 boards for an 18-1/2 inch wall, so you can plant and weed without bending far. Virginia Cooperative Extension's container and raised-bed gardening publication says beds 4 feet wide allow easy access to the center from either side. It also says soil in a raised bed drains better and warms faster in spring. Simpson Strong-Tie's pressure-treated wood FAQ says the treated wood indust...

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Cut two 42-inch stiles, two 29-inch rails, and a 45-1/2-inch diagonal brace from 2x4s. Pre-drill 1/8-inch pilot holes, glue and screw the joints, and run the brace from the hinge-side bottom up to the latch-side top. Which way should the diagonal brace run on a garden gate? From the hinge-side bottom corner up to the latch-side top corner, so the brace carries the gate's weight down to the hinge post instead of letting the latch side sag. Check the frame for square by measuring both diagonals, which should be equal at 55.3 inches here. The Home Depot's gate building guide says to check the frame with a square and by measuring the diagonals, and to use wood screws and exterior glue instead of nails. It says the brace runs from the hinge-side bottom to the latch-side top. Simpson Strong-Tie's pressure-treated wood FAQ says th...

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Clip the top wire, the bottom wire, and two wires about 15 inches apart between them, 4 clips per post. Keep the top wire at least 1 inch below the post top, and plan 48 clips for 11 posts on a 100-foot run. How many clips does each T-post need to hold welded wire fence? Four clips per post on a 48-inch fence: the top wire, the bottom wire, and two between them. NRCS specs say wire attaches to steel posts with manufacturer clips or two turns of 14-gauge galvanized wire, and the top wire sits at least 1 inch below the post top. The USDA NRCS Wisconsin fence construction specification says wire is attached to steel posts with manufacturer's clips or two turns of 14-gauge galvanized wire, and that the top wire is at least 1 inch below the top of a steel post. The USDA NRCS Ohio woven wire specification calls for studded steel line ...

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Bolt two straining boards across the wire at one end, anchor a ratcheting stretcher to a braced post, and pull until the crimps are about half their relaxed size. That lands near 250 pounds per line wire, which you can check with a 42-inch nail board. How tight should woven wire fence be pulled? About 250 pounds on each line wire, according to the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture, with the tension curves flattened by roughly half. The Ohio NRCS specification gives 200 to 250 pounds and the same half-size crimp. Pull in the upright position and tie off at a braced post. The British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture's fence wire fact sheet says approximately 250 pounds applies to nonelectric wire fences. It describes a homemade straining clamp of two hardwood boards and steel reinforcing bar. The USDA NRCS Ohio woven wire speci...

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Release the fabric at one end post, slide a temporary tension bar in about 3 feet from the end, and pull with the stretcher until the mesh gives only slightly when squeezed. Unweave the extra slack, bolt on the final bar, and tie every 12 inches on the line posts. How tight should chain-link fabric be when you stretch it? Tight enough that the fabric has only a slight amount of give when you squeeze it by hand. Manufacturer instructions warn against over-stretching the fabric, so stop ratcheting once it firms up. Stretch from a temporary bar about 3 feet from the final post. Peak Products' chain-link fencing installation guide says to use a temporary tension bar about 3 feet from the final post, and that the fence should have a slight amount of movement when squeezed by hand. It calls for 3 tension bands per post on 48-inch fabric an...

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. A 20 x 30 foot fence needs 4 corner posts and 6 line posts at 10-foot spacing. Dig line holes 8 inches wide and 24 to 34 inches deep, corner holes 36 inches deep, and tamp the backfill in thin layers. How deep and how far apart should wood line posts go for a wire garden fence? Federal conservation specifications set wood line posts at least 24 inches deep in Wisconsin and 34 inches deep in Ohio, with posts no more than 16 feet apart for standard woven wire. In a garden, set posts 10 feet apart and 30 to 34 inches deep, and tamp the backfill. The USDA NRCS Wisconsin construction specification sets a maximum line post spacing of 16 feet for standard woven wire, a minimum wood post depth of 24 inches , and corner posts 3 feet below the ground line. The USDA NRCS Ohio woven wire fence specification sets wood line posts 34 inches bel...

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Dig each hole 12 inches wide and 48 inches deep for an 8-foot 4x4, pour 6 inches of gravel, and set the posts 40-1/2 inches center to center. That leaves a 37-inch opening for a 36-inch gate. How deep should gate post holes be for a garden gate? Set gate posts at least one-third of their length in the ground, which is 32 inches for an 8-foot post, and the USDA NRCS minimum for 8-foot wood corner and gate posts is 3-1/2 feet. Dig to 48 inches to leave room for a 6-inch gravel base. The Home Depot's gate building guide says gate posts should be set about one-third of their length deep and anchored in concrete, with a hole depth of at least that. It also gives a 1/2 to 3/4 inch latch gap and about 1/4 inch on the hinge side for 4x4 posts. The USDA NRCS Nebraska fence practice specification lists wood corner and gate posts at a mi...

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Cut back to clean wire, overlap the two ends about 6 inches , and wrap each end around the other at least 8 times , tight and closely spaced. Bend the tail ends flat with the pliers so no point sticks out. How many wraps does a Western Union splice need on fence wire? At least eight tight, closely spaced wraps at each end, according to the USDA NRCS woven wire fence specification. Wrap each tail around the standing wire, not around a loose end. The splice only works on soft, low-tensile wire, so use a compression sleeve on high-tensile wire. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service's woven wire fence specification says wire is spliced with a Western Union splice with not less than 8 wraps at each end, or with sleeves applied by a tool made for the job. The British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture's fence wire fact sheet not...

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Pull the failed staples with the pliers' claw, then drive new 9-gauge staples at least 1-3/4 inches long on a slight diagonal, leaving the crown loose. Fasten the top wire, the bottom wire, and every other wire in between. How should you staple woven wire to wood posts so it stays put? Use 9-gauge galvanized staples at least 1-3/4 inches long, drive them diagonally across the grain and slightly downward, and stop while the wire can still slide under the crown. Use barbed staples on pressure-treated posts, and fasten the top, bottom, and every other horizontal wire. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service's woven wire fence construction specification calls for 9-gauge staples, 1-3/4 inches for softwood and 1 inch for close-grained hardwood. It adds that the top wire sits at least 2 inches below the top of a wood post. Th...