How to attack hardware cloth to metal run?

[K0k0shka]

I have the same fencing panels. I attached the HC to them with wire (I had a bunch of 14ga wire left over from something). Wire twists every 6-8 inches or so. I wouldn’t trust zip ties - predators can chew through plastic.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome!
I had stainless steel zip ties years ago, very strong, and hold up better than plastic.
Electric fencing for bears, absolutely! Premier1fencing.com has good products and advice, and @Howard E and @cmom have excellent advice and pictures of their fencing.
You will have every critter known in your state show up sometime for chicken dinner, and being prepared pays off.
Mary

 

[CindyinSD]

I would use self-tapping metal screws with a hex head (similar to metal roofing screws but not the same thing--ask for them at your hardware store). You will need appropriate-sized washers to hold down the hardware cloth. An impact driver will make this job much easier, but an electric drill will also work.

While I use zip ties liberally, I wouldn't use them for this job except as a temporary expedient or a way of holding the HC in place while applying the metal screws & washers. They will eventually weaken and break, and most likely this will happen at the worst possible time.

Good quality wire will work, but will not be as secure and, IMO, will be more of a hassle to do.

 

[cmom]

From your pictures your run seems nice. I use welded wire with chicken wire. I have buried it in some places along the bottom of my fence. Here I did leave the wire sticking up somewhat and fastened the wire with cable ties but usually I bury the wire completely and use hog rings to attach it to the bottom of the fence. I have also added welded wire with the chicken wire. I have been replacing cable ties with wire because the cable ties do eventually deteriorate and fall off. Don't have that problem with wire. On this side of the pens I only have 2 electric wires but on the other side I have three wires. Predators learn to respect the electric wire. Even if a person was to touch it, they would get a shock, at least enough to know not to touch it again. Most predators inspect with their noses first and if they touch the wire, they only touch it once.

This is my chick/grow-out coop. The coyote knows the wire is hot and won't touch it.

 

[aart]

I would use self-tapping metal screws with a hex head (similar to metal roofing screws but not the same thing--ask for them at your hardware store).

Am thinking that metal may be too thick to drive screws into without drilling pilot holes.

 

[sunnie7]

I just did something similar for a temporary pen for my guineas. Ours was very unlevel and we ended up using 4 tractor buckets of dirt to level then buried 2ft hardware cloth apron. I went around and attached with lots of zip ties first then used wire ties in between. It was a lot of work and if you have a second person on the outside to push things back through to you it’s so much easier than trying to to alone!

 

[CindyinSD]

Am thinking that metal may be too thick to drive screws into without drilling pilot holes.

Maybe... it worked on our greenhouse build last year, and those were pretty heavy, sturdy tubes--but I haven't done those fence panels, and maybe they're thicker. We did put up a prefab panel-type fence a couple years ago--it used self-tapping screws, but it's fairly light-weight.

 

[aart]

Maybe... it worked on our greenhouse build last year, and those were pretty heavy, sturdy tubes--but I haven't done those fence panels, and maybe they're thicker. We did put up a prefab panel-type fence a couple years ago--it used self-tapping screws, but it's fairly light-weight.

I've worked on a large greenhouse frame like that, but big tubes, like 4x6.
Screws actually had cutters at the tips, they were still pretty hard to drive.

 

[Sandbyter]

I would use self-tapping metal screws with a hex head (similar to metal roofing screws but not the same thing--ask for them at your hardware store). You will need appropriate-sized washers to hold down the hardware cloth. An impact driver will make this job much easier, but an electric drill will also work.

While I use zip ties liberally, I wouldn't use them for this job except as a temporary expedient or a way of holding the HC in place while applying the metal screws & washers. They will eventually weaken and break, and most likely this will happen at the worst possible time.

Good quality wire will work, but will not be as secure and, IMO, will be more of a hassle to do.

Thanks, that's a good tip - to use zip ties just to hold the hardware cloth in place while you are attaching it. Will start the job tomorrow.

 

[Sandbyter]

Welcome!
I had stainless steel zip ties years ago, very strong, and hold up better than plastic.
Electric fencing for bears, absolutely! Premier1fencing.com has good products and advice, and @Howard E and @cmom have excellent advice and pictures of their fencing.
You will have every critter known in your state show up sometime for chicken dinner, and being prepared pays off.
Mary

Interesting, didn't know there were metal zip ties. Good to know, thanks!