Introduction
Fences are a great way to keep your family and property safe from intruders. But what if you already have a chain-link fence? Is there anything you can do to make it stronger? Yes, actually! There’s no need for an expensive metal fence when using welded wire fencing. In this article, we’ll show you how to tighten welded wire fence. So let us get started.
A Detailed Stepwsie Guide on How to Tighten Welded Wire Fence
Not one of the most rewarding jobs in life, but someone has to do it. Welded wire fence is galvanized steel fencing that does not require any extension posts; instead, it uses structural strength to lock its vertical wires in place. It can be portable when unwound or installed permanently when anchored with concrete blocks or metal posts. This fence comes in rolls of varying heights and widths, so you can customize your enclosure size by cutting off the registration at the appropriate measurement for the area you need to cover. Some roll lengths contain an overlap section that needs to be trimmed away before installation.
The best time to install a section of this fence is just after you’ve established another unit on top of it; this will help you avoid overlaps.
When tightening the fence, begin at a 90-degree angle from where the start of your wall is attached to a post or anchor. This means that the first section should be securely fastened to a corner post and then tightened in a circular fashion similar to an arc for a free-standing enclosure. The following team installed should follow this same practice – draw from one side, complete the circle, and move on to another corner post. For permanent installations, use concrete pillars instead of metal ones because they do not rust, which lasts longer. In other words, if you are planning on building a large dog pen with several long sections of welded wire fencing around it, 4 inches wide and 10 feet high, you’ll need to dig holes twice as wide and twice as deep as the post. Be sure to use compacted gravel or sand in these holes for proper drainage; if the water sits inside your fence post, it will cause it to corrode over time.
Once your posts are secure, begin tightening the fencing by attaching one end of a fence section to an anchor (preferably metal) and then placing the other end around a corner post two inches from where it is secured at the first anchor point. Wiggle this end into place and bend the vertical wires outward with pliers to tighten them up; usually, 2-3 bends will do it. Once tight, use wire cutters on heavy-duty jobs or loop ties on smaller jobs to secure the fence section in place.
When attaching wire ties, cut them slightly longer than you need so that they can be squeezed closer together for a tighter hold; if tied too short, they will only get looser over time. Tie both wires of your fence section at each anchor point to get it started, and then continue tightening until you reach the next corner post.
After installing an entire round-the-corner section into place, bend each vertical wire outward with pliers to tighten up this space in between to make sure there are no gaps where small animals could squeeze in or out. If gopher holes are present in any areas of your fencing project – usually found near corners – dig these holes up by hand and fill them with concrete to prevent any animal from escaping over time.
It is essential to tighten the fence that will be touching the ground because this is an area where small animals can gain leverage and start digging underneath. If you want, place a strip of wood between your fence and the dirt and paint it black so that no sunlight can penetrate your soil. This helps keep moisture out so that weeds cannot grow in the cracks of your fenced enclosure.
Precautions While Tightening Wielded Wire Fence
It is essential to tighten the welded wire fence after it has been installed. If you do not pull the wall, predators can squeeze through the spaces between wires.
A taut welded wire fence allows air circulation, which helps keep plants healthy and improves livestock production. By tightening up your wall, you also prevent small children or pets from accidentally entering areas that should be off-limits. However, before you start tightening your wire fencing, there are a few precautions to take first:
1. Never use pliers to tighten bolted connections because they may slip out of position and cause serious injury if they fall on someone’s toes or fingers. Most importantly, never grease threaded holes before installing posts, as this will only attract termites. Instead, use a worn punch to make threads in the gaps or a new self-drilling screw made for wood posts. This goes for all fence posts during installation and later tightening.
2. Be especially careful if you are raising your fence on an existing chain link fence because you do not want to damage that fence. If the current chain link is rusting through at any spot, install galvanized wire mesh underneath it before setting up any new span of chain link fencing over it.
3. Before starting with tightening the welded wire border, ensure that there are no sharp edges or splinters left after the cutting or welding process. Such sharp objects can easily injure someone’s feet when they step on them. To remove such rough edges, rub them with a piece of worn sandpaper or grind them down with some wet-and-dry fine grain paper.
4. It is pretty easy to get hurt by the welded wire barbs while tightening the fence, especially if you are wearing gloves. So, it’s better to wear unique protective coverings called gauntlets over your hands while working on the fencing. You can purchase these at most home improvement stores, and they will protect your hands from getting injured during this job.
5. It’s always advisable to get professional help in tightening up large sections of welded wire fence. Such projects can be challenging for an amateur do-it-yourselfer because of the time it takes to tighten each line (at least 2 minutes) and then move on to the next section.
6. Once you have tightened your welded wire fence properly, it is a good idea to check for any lines that might need tightening again after a month of use. If not, then it’s pretty safe to assume that they will hold without further adjustments.
Conclusion
I hope this article has offered you all the necessary steps on “How to Tighten Welded Wire Fence.” Ensure all the precautions are correct. Thank you and have a nice day!
You can also check it out: How to Cut Welded Wire Fence
