difference between hardwire cloth and welded wire

[lovelychicken]

ok, so maybe i am a little slow here but whats the difference between the heavy duty welded wire and hardwire cloth? I bought the welded wire one time and they were out the second so I got this stuff that is more flimsy but stilll seemed strong. the guys at the feed store don't know the difference, they just know the gauges. i have to fully enclose the run because of the many many racoons/possums here, plus hawks...even the bottom. in fact, i found out yesterday from my neighbor (he was warning me i will have racoon problems) that his friend who lives two houses away has a racoon family in their wall and the wife won't let him dispose of them. might just end up having to even put up a shock wire around the perimeter. kind of stressful.

 

[kingmt]

Hardware cloth is welded wire.

 

[AngelzFyre]

Welded wire usually has a larger "mesh". It comes in several sizes, but the most common is 2 inch by 4 inch or 1 inch by 2 inch. A lot of smaller predators could definitely get in through those sized meshes and it wouldn't be good to put on a coop or run if you're in a high risk area.
Most around here use it for dogs, goats and other small animals where chain link is prohibitive in cost. Horses are sometimes kept in it too, though it usually needs either electric wire around the top and middle or board on the top to keep them from crushing it down.
Comes in 3 ft to 6 ft tall rolls and needs to be pulled tight to the posts to prevent sagging, like all fence.

Hardware cloth is much closer meshed and therefore thought to be a better predator deterrent because nothing can get in through the small sized mesh of the wire.
It comes anywhere from 1/8" by 1/8" to 1/2" by 1/2" and usually 3 ft to 6ft tall rolls.

I have chicken wire on my coops and have hardware cloth over every inch of it so that nothing gets through. After reading all the horror predator stories on here, I sure wasn't taking any chances!

Hope this helps

 

[annek]

Hardware cloth is not welded wire. Hardware cloth is labeled hardware cloth, it will have a close weave like 1/2" x 1/2", welded wire is labeled welded wire and is used for pens and has big openings like 2"x4". They are both made out of wire but welded wire is a heavier gauge but bigger holes. Here is a link to TSC:

welded wire in 6' x 100' http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay_10551_10001_36192_-1______?rFlag=true&cFlag=1
hardware cloth 10' x 3' http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp...10551_10001_36199_-1______?rFlag=true&cFlag=1

 

[lovelychicken]

thank you, i understand now.

 

[River Lizard]

Quote:
Well, that statement is both true and not true, since Hardware cloth IS welded....yes it's titled Hardware cloth but it is also welded. Check your links out and go to the spec page on Hardware cloth.

Don't want to split-hairs with you but the statement wasn't completely true, both styles are welded.

 

[dave3877]

i put up poultry wire around mine then field fence over that. ive had no problems with anything getting through the wire. i then put flagstone around the whole pen so nothing can dig under or out. one other trick you can do is lay tin or old siding around your pen then cover with dirt. dogs wont dig past metal lol. i got vindictive with my neighbors husky though. i promised not to shoot him but i busted a few old jars on top of the doirt where he was getting in my pen(long before my present flagstone setup) then covered them with dirt. i went out one day and saw where he dug in about 3 inches then stopped. he never came back around that pen. guess he got the message lol.