Learn all you can about wire fencing to help you choose the right material and protect your property.
Good fences make great neighbors, no matter if you are a rancher or a homesteader. There are many reasons to install fencing. For this article, however, we will be focusing on wire fencing. This type of fence is almost always used to contain some kind of thing, such as:
- Your backyard is your sanctuary
- Your ranch has livestock
- Poultry on your farm
- Local prison inmates
- The local zoo animals
To keep out unwanted elements, wire fencing can also be used:
Your garden is home to deer and rabbits
Intruders to your property
The local lumber yard or salvage yard is a target for thieves.
Wire fencing plays a vital role in modern urban life. There are many uses for wire fencing, including industrial and aesthetic purposes. It can be used to keep children and pets safe in a community pool. This list contains everything you need to know about wire fencing before you decide which one is best for you.
Wire Fence Construction
There are many options when it comes to wire fencing. These include welded wire and woven wire. Each type of wire fence comes with its advantages and disadvantages. Each type is better for specific purposes than the others. When choosing the right fencing type for your home improvement project, it is important to consider wire fence construction.
Welded Wire Fencing
The wire fences are placed in both horizontal and vertical configurations to form rectangles and squares. Spot-welding is a method of attaching the wires. This creates strong fencing sheets that are virtually undetectable and less flexible than traditional woven ones.
Uses of Welded Wire Fencing
While woven wire fencing has more decorative applications, welded wire fencing can be made from high-strength materials. Welded wire fencing is a great option for both rural and urban uses.
The fence around commercial and residential properties
Fencing around the community and residential pools
Fencing along paths in parks and nature reserves
Fences around military installations and prisons
Fencing for dog runs or kennels
Garden fencing
Ranch and farm gates
Woven Wire Fencing
Woven fencing is made by weaving wire pieces into different configurations. A popular example of a woven fence is the chain-link design. Woven fencing is a flexible structure that can be bent and stretched with great flexibility. The interwoven strands can cause the fence to become untidy if one is removed.
Woven Wire Fencing
For the following purposes, woven wire fencing is commonly used:
Pet confinement
Kennels and dog runs
Yard perimeter fencing
Decorative applications
Chain link fencing is the most widely use type of woven fencing. This type of fence is most common around playgrounds and fenced-in yards. It can also be use in commercial areas. To properly string a chain-link fence, you will need a tool called a fence stretcher. It can be costly to add chain-link fencing to a property. Chain-link fencing that is not installing with a fence-stretcher can cause sagging along the fence’s sections. This results in an unattractive installation and a poorly functioning wire fence.
Barbed Wire Fencing
Barbed Wire is made from steel and is use to keep cattle and livestock in check. This type of twisted wire is different from traditional woven wires in that the strands are intertwined instead of being twisted together. Barbed wire is known for its regular formation of barbs at specific points along its length. Pointy barbs can inflict pain and injury on animals that try to cut through barbed wire.
Uses of Barbed Wire Fencing
Barbed wire can be used in many practical ways, such as:
Separating ranch boundary lines
Be sure to contain livestock and cattle
When used with other forms, fencing methods can contain prisoners
Protecting areas like gardens from pests
Applications for military purposes
By stringing barbed wire from one post to the next along a fence, you can install it. The posts are usually made from wood and tension is used for holding the barbed wire in its place. A barbed-wire fence can be installed by almost anyone, making it a very popular choice for farmers and homesteaders. Barbed-wire fencing can be strung with a simple staple gun and heavy-duty gloves. The wire is attached to the first post and then pulled tight. Barbed-wire fencing is economical as professional installation is not usually required. Barbed-wire fences are very useful in keeping livestock and cattle contained and protected. They can be made of one or more strands. Barbed wire fences can be combined with other fences such as wood rails and chain-link fences to increase the strength of the fence. This will discourage climbing over, under, or through the fence. To prevent people from climbing over wire fencing, razor wire is a type of barbed wire. Razor wire fences can cause injuries and cuts similar to a razor when it touches the skin.
Electrified Fencing
An electrified fence is typically made of thin steel or aluminum. It is design to shock trespassers when they come in contact with it. The voltage delivered by electrified fencing used in agriculture is just enough to make anyone who touches it feel uncomfortable. Other applications of electrified fencing, such as commercial or industrial, can stun the offender. A military-grade or security-grade electrified fencing may be set up to deliver a lethal dose, which could cause death for any person or animal that comes in contact with it.
Today, lethal electrified fencing should not be used in any other than military or prison facilities. It is usually placed behind non-lethal fencing to prevent accidental exposure.
Popular Uses for Electrified Fencing
Most of today’s electrified fencing is use for agricultural purposes. It is installed to contain animals such as horses, sheep, or poultry. After one touch to an electrified fence, most animals will know to stay away. Other applications include:
- Keeping animals away from airport runways
- Keeping wildfowl away from areas where people congregate, such as parks
- Preventing conflict between neighboring animals and humans, such as keeping elephants from raiding crops in Kenya
- Securing property lines
Unless you’re experienced with stringing electrified fencing, professional installation is strongly recommended.
