Re-Stretching Sagging 48-Inch Chain-Link Fabric on a 40-Foot Run with a Ratcheting Stretcher: A Temporary Tension Bar 3 Feet Out, Unweaving the Slack, and 32 Ties

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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 and 4 on 60-inch fabric.

Hoover Fence Co.'s chain-link installation manual lists a block-and-tackle or ratchet-type fence stretcher and says to tie fabric about 24 inches apart on the top rail and 12 inches apart on line posts.

Ties and Bands for a 40-Foot Run

Item Spacing or count How it is figured
Tension bands per terminal post 3 48-in. fabric, per Peak
Line posts at 10-ft. spacing 3 Between two terminal posts
Ties per line post 4 48 in. divided by 12 in.
Ties along the top rail 20 480 in. divided by 24 in.
Total ties 32 12 line post ties plus 20 top rail ties

Materials and Tools

  • Ratcheting fence stretcher rated for chain-link fabric
  • A spare tension bar and 5/16 x 1-1/4 inch carriage bolts for the bands
  • About 40 aluminum or galvanized fence ties
  • Pliers, a wrench, work gloves, and safety glasses
  • A helper to hold the bar and watch the posts

Re-Stretching Steps

  1. Check the posts first. Make sure the terminal posts are plumb and the concrete is solid before you pull.
  2. Release one end. Loosen the nuts on the tension bands and slide out the tension bar.
  3. Free the ties. Cut every tie along the line posts and top rail.
  4. Place the temporary bar. Thread a bar through the fabric about 3 feet from the end post.
  5. Hook up the stretcher. Attach one end to the bar and the other to the terminal post.
  6. Ratchet slowly. Take up slack a few clicks at a time and watch the post.
  7. Test the give. Stop when the mesh moves only slightly under your hand.
  8. Remove the excess. Open the top and bottom knuckles with pliers and unweave one wire strand.
  9. Bolt the final bar. Slide the end bar through the fabric and bolt it to the 3 tension bands.
  10. Tie off. Set 4 ties on each line post and 20 along the top rail.

Release the stretcher and remove the temporary bar only after the final bar is bolted.

Safety and Common Mistakes

  • Stand to the side of the stretcher, since a failed hook can whip back
  • Do not pull from a post that has moved, because it may lean further
  • Cutting more fabric than the unweaving needs leaves you short
  • Leave the bottom edge clear of soil so the mesh does not rust

A loose chain-link fence also develops holes, which you can close with patching a dog-sized hole in a residential chain-link fence. Mesh added over chain-link is covered in attaching hardware cloth over a chain-link chicken run. The hardware cloth mesh size and gauge guide picks the right mesh for that overlay.

Leaning posts are a common cause of a sag, and pulling and resetting frost-heaved T-posts shows the reset.

FAQ

Can I re-stretch without removing the bar?

Not reliably. The slack has to come out through the end.

How do I know it is tight enough?

The fabric should move slightly when squeezed, and not hum like a guitar string.

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