Re-Stapling Loose Woven Wire to Wood Line Posts with Fencing Pliers: 9-Gauge Staples, Diagonal Drive, and Five Staples per Post on a 39-Inch Fence


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.

The British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture's fence wire stapling fact sheet says staples should be turned away from the slash-cut point so the legs spread, which tests showed raises pullout resistance by 40%.

Staple Rules by Post Position

Post position Staple angle Staples Source note
Level line post Slight diagonal, slightly downward 1 per fastened wire NRCS: drive diagonally to the grain
Rise (wire pushes down) Angle downward into the post Double on steep rises BC Ministry
Dip (wire pulls up) Angle upward into the post Double on steep dips BC Ministry
Pressure-treated post Same, with barbed staples 1 per fastened wire NRCS

Materials and Tools

  • Fencing pliers with a hammer face, staple puller, and wire cutter
  • 9-gauge galvanized staples, 1-3/4 inches or longer (barbed for treated posts)
  • Safety glasses and leather gloves
  • A short length of 12-1/2 gauge wire for temporary ties
  • A tape measure and chalk to mark each post

Re-Stapling Steps

  1. Walk the line. Mark every post where a staple is missing or the wire has pulled free.
  2. Pull bad staples. Grip the crown with the pliers' claw, rock it sideways, and lever it out.
  3. Reset the wire. Hold the wire against the post by hand and do not use a staple to pull it in.
  4. Check the top wire. It should sit at least 2 inches below the top of the post.
  5. Count the wires. A 39-inch fence with 8 horizontal wires needs staples on wires 1, 3, 5, 7, and 8, which is 5 per post.
  6. Set the staple. Turn it away from the slash-cut point and angle it across the grain.
  7. Drive it. Stop with a gap under the crown so the wire can move.
  8. Add doubles. Use two staples at steep rises and dips.

On a 100-foot run with posts every 10 feet, that is 11 posts and about 55 staples.

Mistakes That Cost You the Fence

  • Hammering the wire itself chips the zinc coating and shortens wire life
  • A staple driven parallel to the grain splits the post
  • Bright, ungalvanized staples rust out long before the wire does
  • Staples pounded flat pinch the wire and stop it from moving

Mesh fences on posts follow the same rules, as in attaching hardware cloth to metal T-posts and pipe frames. If a post has heaved, reset it first using pulling and resetting frost-heaved T-posts. The hardware cloth mesh size and gauge guide covers the lower mesh band many woven fences need.

When welded panels sag instead of woven wire, hog rings can rejoin them, as in fixing a sagging welded-wire dog kennel panel.

FAQ

Can I reuse pulled staples?

No. Bent legs lose grip, so replace them with new galvanized staples.

What if the post is rotten?

Replace the post, because staples cannot hold in soft wood.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hardware Cloth Guide: Mesh Sizes, Gauges, and Which Build Each One Fits

Image
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Pick the mesh by the smallest animal you need to stop, then pick the gauge by how hard that animal will push, pull, or chew. 1/4-inch, 23-gauge is the mouse, vole, and vent mesh. 1/2-inch, 19-gauge is the coop, run, and rat mesh. What size hardware cloth do you need for each job? Use 1/4-inch, 23-gauge galvanized hardware cloth wherever mice, voles, young rats, chicks, or snakes are the threat, including vents and soil barriers. Use 1/2-inch, 19-gauge for chicken runs, coops, hutches, and anything raccoons will pull on, stepping up to 16-gauge only where you need extra strength. Never use chicken wire as a predator barrier. UC IPM's rat exclusion pest note says every hole larger than 1/4 inch should be sealed to exclude both rats and mice. It specifies 16-gauge, 1/2-inch galvanized wire cloth for ventilator grills and 19-gauge, 1/2-i...
Read more

How to Attach Hardware Cloth to Wood Frames (Staple, Screw & Batten Spec)

Image
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Staple 1/2-inch hardware cloth into wood every 1–2 inches along every post, plate, and rail, drive exterior screws through fender washers at every corner and every 12–18 inches on long edges, and wrap corners 2–4 inches. Add a 1×2 batten over high-pressure edges. Hardware cloth only stops predators when the edges stay put. Sparse staples, zip ties, and bare cut wires become peel handles for raccoons and cats. When You Need This Use this when you are: Cladding a new coop or run frame and want the fastening spec before the first staple goes in Replacing soft chicken wire or torn mesh that predators already peeled at the edges Hardening an existing hardware-cloth wall where corners lift or mid-span edges flutter Building out walls, doors, or run panels that share the same wood-frame fastening rules Skip this if diggers under the perimete...
Read more

How to Attach Hardware Cloth to Metal T-Posts and Pipe Frames (Tie & Clamp Spec)

Image
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Fasten 1/2-inch welded hardware cloth to T-posts and pipe with galvanized or stainless wire ties every 2–3 inches along every post, add hose clamps every 12–18 inches on round pipe, and lap every vertical join 2–4 inches on a post. Where bare metal will not hold an edge, bolt on a treated wood sister and staple into that. Wood frames take staples; metal does not. Zip-tied mesh looks tight on install day and peels under climb pull within a week. When You Need This Use this when you are: Building or retrofitting a chicken run on T-posts , EMT , or round/square metal pipe and need fastener rules that are not wood staples Replacing zip-tie-only hardware cloth that already shows lifted edges or stretched ties Cladding a cattle-panel or pipe-frame run with 1/2-inch welded mesh for predator closure Closing panel joins and corners on metal post...
Read more