How to get wire TIGHT

[Zahboo]

Yes I'm asking 500 random questions as they come to mind because my spring break is coop week.


How do I get wire tight so it doesn't sag I know I'm not the only one wondering.

 

[NonnasBabies]

Have a lot of wood to staple it to!! That sounds kind of weird but if you can't staple it consistently as your pulling it you will have sags in it. Was impossible for us not to get sags on the top. I just zip tied it together so nothing could get in and

so far everythings been okay!!

Missi

 

[Zahboo]

Quote:
Do you have pictures of yours?

 

[NonnasBabies]

Quote:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/41543_chicken_coop4.jpg

Missi

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

One thing that helps is to roll it out on the ground and bend it so it lays flat .
If you are doing a long piece and have room, you can clamp it between 2 boards and stretch it by tying a rope to each end of the boards and then pulling from the middle

 

[Zahboo]

Quote:
I may do that tomorrow so that by late monday/early tuesday when I need it it'll be easier to cut like I need

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Here's a picture of a variation of what I was talking about

http://www.backtobasicliving.com/ChickenCoopDeville/chickfence1.JPG

 

[Ridgerunner]

I use something similar to what Bare Foot Farms showed in the picture to stretch welded wire. For a five foot fence, I took two 2x4's just a little over 5 feet long and used nuts,washers, and bolts to clamp it to the fence where I am pulling on it, then tie a rope to the top and bottom of the 2x4's. Then I use a rope with a hook on it to hook to that rope so I can slide the hook up or down when I tighten it so I can get the top and bottom equally tight. I find if I attach it like that chain in the photo, either the top or bottom is tight with the other loose so I have to go back and adjust the attachment point, sometimes a few times.

It is important to start off with the fence positioned right. How to describe it? If your ground is level, you need to get the first post vertical and make sure the vertical wire in your fence is centered on the post top to bottom. If the ground is not level but the slope is constant, then you need to start with the wire following the ground. If your ground has a lot of ups and downs in it, it is real hard to not have some sags in the fence.

I don't think I described that very well. Hopefully you can follow what I'm trying to say.

 

[meowteri2]

I put screws 1/2" on center in a 2x4. I dropped it into the 1/2" hardware cloth grid. Then I used clamps to pull it tight.
It worked well. The nut and bolt way listed here also sounds real good.