Help with door protection.

[Fcarter]

We are in the process of securing hardwire around our fences. Our goal is to 'wrap' the entire fence but I am stumped about the door. There will be gaps around the door and I don't know how to fix that. Hopefully, you can see by the pictures what I'm talking about since I may not have explained it correctly. Suggestions? Also, we are not very handy with tools, etc. Thanks!

 

[Boise-girls]

Same issue here on both counts. Will be eager to see responses to your post!

 

[Alaskan]

I would make a wood frame that the door closes up against.

Your other option would be to find flexible wire to trim all edges with... might be a little fiddly, might be doable


However.... if you live where there is lots of snow....

In a climate with lots of snow I would take off that door, make a solid, removable if needed bottom half, and then a top swinging half. So... a version of a Dutch door.

Like the door on my bantam coop run.

Snow and ice makes it impossible to open ground level doors.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I would make a wood frame that the door closes up against.

Your other option would be to find flexible wire to trim all edges with... might be a little fiddly, might be doable


However.... if you live where there is lots of snow....

In a climate with lots of snow I would take off that door, make a solid, removable if needed bottom half, and then a top swinging half. So... a version of a Dutch door.

Like the door on my bantam coop run.
View attachment 2801723

Snow and ice makes it impossible to open ground level doors.

Extremely great solution!

 

[perkolator]

Too bad I didn't take a pic, but recently my mom had me add some HC to the lower half of her metal gates, so her new puppy can't go through the rungs. The fence/gate is one of those standard aluminum square tube fence panels like you'd see at Lowe's. Basically I cut and folded the edges of HC so that they went beyond the edge of the vertical end supports, and overlaps with the adjacent section when closed; everything got zip-tied to the fence. Super simple and has been working just fine.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The wood is probably the best solution, but I simply kept an excess overhang of hardware cloth on both door and the run wall around it, so when the door is closed the hardware cloth overlaps onto itself. Not as secure as the wood option, and it does restrict the door to swinging only 1 direction (so some preplanning is needed) if it currently swings both ways, but it was pretty simple to put together.

I think it's similar to what perkolator was talking about just above? Hard to see here but there's a couple inches of overlap in the gap area.

 

[perkolator]

^yes, that's the basics of it. Panels overlap several inches and you're sorta restricted to opening in one direction only.

 

[Aurynsdream]

oh ya raccoons can definitely get their grubby hands in there.
I would say it depends where you live.
I live in a very wet humid and hot environment so anything wood wont last too long.
I would a similar design but using sheets of expanded PVC as they are weather resistant

 

[Fcarter]

Thanks to everyone for your help. We have incorporated several suggestions and I hope we have adequate protection. Thanks!!