Sophie Bennett
Chicken wire fences are a versatile, cost-effective, and practical solution for protecting your garden from critters and pets. They are easy to assemble and affordable, making them a perfect DIY project for your garden. Chicken wire fences are lightweight and can be attached to any kind of pole that has been dug securely into the ground. In this article, we will discuss the tools and steps required to set up a chicken wire fence for your garden.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Keeping out critters, enclosing chicken coops, protecting landscaping or gardens |
| Materials | Chicken wire, PVC coating, wooden or T posts, staples, cable ties, tensioning wire, pegs, bamboo stakes, metal stakes |
| Tools | Protective gloves, wire cutter, tape measure, spirit level, spade, string, pliers, hammer, post driver, screwdriver |
| Installation Steps | Mark the area and post positions, dig holes for posts, secure netting with cable ties, dig a trench, place netting in trench and secure with pegs, backfill trench, walk perimeter and add reinforcements, conduct routine checks |
| Maintenance | Seasonal inspections for rust, corrosion, sagging, breaches, replace worn fasteners |
| Cost | Affordable, cheaper than wood or vinyl fencing |
| Durability | Lightweight, bendable, durable in harsh weather conditions with PVC coating, susceptible to rust over time |
| Aesthetics | PVC coating is more visually appealing, wooden posts offer greater durability than T posts |
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What You'll Learn
Planning and marking out the fence area
First, decide on the fence area and mark it accordingly. Use spray paint or string to measure and mark the length of the area where you will attach the netting. Mark the post positions, spacing them about 2 to 2.5 meters apart. For increased stability, reduce the distance between your fence posts.
Next, measure the distance between the stakes and then add both measurements. This will be the length of your fence. Add an extra foot if the length of your fencing is not divisible by five. Divide the length of the fence by five to calculate how many stakes you need to build your fence.
Now, dig a hole for your posts, ensuring that the depth is approximately one-third of the post's length. For extra protection against burrowing animals, dig a trench along the fence line, about 15-30 cm deep. Place the bottom edge of the netting into the trench and secure it with pegs every 60 centimeters. Backfill the trench with soil.
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Installing posts
When installing posts for a chicken wire fence, you can choose between wooden or T posts. While wooden posts offer greater durability, T posts are easier to install.
Before installing your posts, you should measure and mark out the length of the area where you will attach the netting. You should also mark the locations for the posts, spacing them about 2 to 2.5 metres apart. For better stability, you may want to reduce the distance between the posts.
Once you have marked the locations of your posts, you can start digging the holes. The depth of each hole should be approximately one-third of the post's length. Use a spirit level to ensure that the posts are straight and that they are all the same height.
If you are using T posts, you can use a post driver or mallet to drive the end posts about 50 cm into the ground.
If you are using wooden posts, you can secure the chicken wire to the posts using staples and a staple gun. You can also use cable ties or screws to attach the chicken wire to the posts.
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Attaching the chicken wire
Next, stretch the chicken wire around your garden, attaching it to the stakes. You can use staples, screws, or cable ties to secure the wire to the stakes. If you are using cable ties, you will need to install tensioning line and secure it to the fencing in multiple spots to maintain tension. If you are using staples or screws, you may want to add extra support by weaving bamboo poles or small sticks through the wire and pushing them into the ground.
Finally, walk the perimeter of your fence to check for any loose mesh, gaps, or sagging sections. Make sure the wire is pulled taut, but avoid overstretching it, as this can weaken the fence.
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Burying the wire's bottom edge
Burying the bottom edge of your chicken wire fence is an important step in ensuring that small animals cannot burrow underneath it. To do this, start by digging a trench along the fence line. The depth of the trench should be around 15-30 cm, or even deeper if you are worried about larger burrowing animals like gophers.
Next, place the bottom edge of the chicken wire netting into the trench. Secure the netting to the ground using pegs, stakes, or tent stakes, placed firmly into the ground every 60 cm or so. You can also weave small bamboo poles through the wire and push them into the ground as far as they will go. For added stability, you can attach the wire hooks of the fencing to the fencing hooks, and then use a hammer to close the hooks around the chicken wire, securing them to the stakes.
Finally, backfill the trench with soil to prevent animals from burrowing underneath. This will ensure that your fence is secure and effective at keeping out unwanted visitors.
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Maintenance and reinforcement
Chicken wire fences require little upkeep, but it's important to conduct routine checks to ensure your fence stands up to weather, curious critters, and years of use.
Walk the perimeter
Look for loose mesh, gaps at corners, and sagging sections. Check for rusted staples or corroded wire. Replace any worn fasteners promptly to prevent breaches. If you're using the fence to keep out digging critters, pay extra attention to the bottom edge.
Add reinforcements
In high-stress areas (near feeders or roosts), tack on a length of hog wire or welded wire fence for extra durability. If you're worried about animals burrowing underneath, dig a trench along the fence line (about 15-30 cm deep). Place the bottom edge of the netting into the trench and secure it with pegs every 60 centimeters. Then, backfill the trench with soil. For added protection, you can double up the chicken wire to give it more structural strength.
Consider the materials
PVC-coated chicken wire offers extra protection against rust, enhances weather resistance, extends the netting’s lifespan, and makes it safer to handle by reducing the risk of injury from sharp edges. Wooden posts offer greater durability than T posts, but T posts are easier to install.
Maintenance tips
If you take down your fence for the winter, clean it off before putting it back up in the spring. Chicken wire fences are easy to replace—you can simply pull the stakes and roll up the fence.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need protective gloves, a wire cutter, a tape measure, a spirit level, a spade, string, pliers, a hammer (if using staples), a post driver (if using T posts), chicken wire or chicken wire PVC, staples (for wood) or cable ties (for metal), wooden or T posts, tensioning wire, radisseur, and pegs (optional).
Mark the locations for the T posts, spacing them approximately 2-2.5 meters apart. Dig a hole for your posts, ensuring the depth is approximately one-third of the post's length. Use a post driver or mallet to drive the end posts 50 cm into the ground.
Dig a trench along the fence line, about 15-30 cm deep. Place the bottom edge of the netting into the trench and secure it with pegs every 60 cm. Then, backfill the trench with soil.
PVC-coated netting offers extra protection against rust, enhances weather resistance, and makes the netting safer to handle by reducing the risk of sharp edges. However, it may be slightly less robust than uncoated galvanised steel.
You can use small bamboo poles or wooden stakes from home improvement stores to hold up the chicken wire.
