how to attach hardware cloth apron to pavers?

[wahmommy]

We built our combined coop/run (we live in a warm climate, so its really like an enclosed aviary- the front 2 feet is hardware cloth, the last three feet is enclosed) on concrete pavers, which I thought would be secure but then someone told me that a digging raccoon can push the pavers up easily. So now I want to put a hardware cloth apron down, but I don't know how to secure the hardware cloth. We don't really want to secure it to the front of the coop base, as it won't look very good and where we built it is in a place where we will see it all the time. We are planning on burying the hardware cloth about 2" - 3" down as we have a lot of tree roots and can't really go a lot deeper that that. My husband suggested connecting it to a pressure treated piece of wood that would run the length of the pavers all the way around - once its buried it would be hard for the raccoon to pull it away from the where it meets the pavers - it would almost frame the pavers. What do you think? Any other ideas?

 

[Slongest]

Im trying to imagine what this looks like but im thinkin you have a coop on pavers correct? and wanting to hardware cloth around the whole coop and run a few inches deep to keep coons out? id love to try to help and pics would help.

 

[chfite]

You can lay the wire fencing on the ground next to the bottom of the run and attach it to the ground with landscape pins. They look like large staples that you push in with your hands. The grass will grow up through the wire or it will appear to settle into the soil so that is not noticeable. It won't move. The predator will be deterred because of its inability to dig through the mesh.

Chris

 

[Slongest]

I believe they're worried about something going underground a bit

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

pull up the pavers, attach the hardware cloth to the wood frame, lay it down on the ground and then place the pavers back over top. (hardware cloth will cover the entire space under the pavers. You can also create an apron on the outside attached to the frame securely.

 

[wahmommy]

pull up the pavers, attach the hardware cloth to the wood frame, lay it down on the ground and then place the pavers back over top. (hardware cloth will cover the entire space under the pavers. You can also create an apron on the outside attached to the frame securely.

We cannot pull up the pavers. The entire walk-in coop is on top of them. They are also leveled, so we don't want to dig underneath them. What we are considering now is stapling the edge of the hardware cloth to the flat side of a pressure treated two by four that runs the length of the sides of the pavers -since it will be buried it should be hard to move, so if an animal is trying to pry up an end close to the coop it won't be able to because the two by four will be in the way. Does this make sense?

 

[wahmommy]

You can lay the wire fencing on the ground next to the bottom of the run and attach it to the ground with landscape pins. They look like large staples that you push in with your hands. The grass will grow up through the wire or it will appear to settle into the soil so that is not noticeable. It won't move. The predator will be deterred because of its inability to dig through the mesh.

Chris

I have the landscape pins -the thing I'm worried about is something (thinking raccoon mostly) getting an end near the pavers loose and then digging from there. I just heard about someone on one of the forums that had a hardware cloth apron surrounding her coop, but there was a weak spot and the raccoon got in and killed her flock.