The Installation of Welded Wire Fence
The Installation of Welded Wire Fence
A welded wire fence provides a sturdy barrier to keep pets or children inside a designated area of your property. This fencing comes in a number of heights. Plastic-coated welded fencing is also available, which makes it safer if children come in contact with the fence’s metal edges. Because the mesh of the fence is welded at cross points to give the fencing rigidity, a welded wire fence installation requires less bracing and stretching than traditional woven wire fencing. Finer-gauge, welded wire fence material comes in rolls while heavy-duty welded fencing is available in 16-foot-long panels.
Instructions
1 Mark where you plan to install the welded wire fence with stakes and string. This helps you create a straight fence line. Have your local utility company come out and mark where buried lines are on your property before digging the post holes.
2 Dig holes for the corner or end posts with a pair of hand-held post hole diggers. The holes need to be below the frost line to keep the posts from heaving out of the ground during seasonal changes.
3 Shovel 2 to 3 inches of gravel into the bottom of the post hole for drainage. Mix quick-set concrete according to package directions. Set a post in the hole and hold a carpenter’s level against it to get it straight up and down, or plumb. Put concrete around the post in the hole. Use a hand tamper to pack the concrete firmly around the post. Allow the concrete to set for 24 to 48 hours before proceeding.
4 Set the other corner posts in a similar manner. If you are building a gate in your fence, it needs solid wooden posts as well.
5 Drive steel T-shaped fence posts into the ground spaced 6 to 8 feet apart along the string line with a post driver.
6 Attach one end of the welded wire to one of the corner posts with fencing staples. Unroll the fencing to the other end of the fence line. Pull it tight and attach the fencing to the other corner post with fencing staples.
7 Attach three or four wire ties to each steel post to secure the welded wire.
