Isn't it amazing how the folks who are the most responsible for screwing up are also the least capable of admitting it and accepting the responsibility? And the first to scream bloody murder when it is their ox that is being gored?
Back to the OP.......when something fails as intended, like your hardware cloth, about all you can do is beef it up. Standard hardware cloth is about 19 gauge wire......you could probably cut it with tin snips if not a good pair of scissors. So that is better than chicken wire, but not as good as some other options. I pretty much use 14 gauge welded wire exclusively. Standard sizes are 2" x 4", 1" x 2" and 1/2" x 1". Once you get down to 1/2" x 1", not much short of a bear is going to get through it, provided it is fastened right. Even tin snips are out.......wire cutters are now needed.
What you are buying is steel by the pound, so for a 2' roll of wire, purchased by the linear foot, it is going to get progressively more expensive as the size of the opening gets smaller. But so does the level of protection.
That keeps them from going through it. To keep them from going over it, a single hot wire on the top, and make sure the ground from the fencer is also attached to the fence. A couple hits from that and you could not make a dog go near it.
Back to the OP.......when something fails as intended, like your hardware cloth, about all you can do is beef it up. Standard hardware cloth is about 19 gauge wire......you could probably cut it with tin snips if not a good pair of scissors. So that is better than chicken wire, but not as good as some other options. I pretty much use 14 gauge welded wire exclusively. Standard sizes are 2" x 4", 1" x 2" and 1/2" x 1". Once you get down to 1/2" x 1", not much short of a bear is going to get through it, provided it is fastened right. Even tin snips are out.......wire cutters are now needed.
What you are buying is steel by the pound, so for a 2' roll of wire, purchased by the linear foot, it is going to get progressively more expensive as the size of the opening gets smaller. But so does the level of protection.
That keeps them from going through it. To keep them from going over it, a single hot wire on the top, and make sure the ground from the fencer is also attached to the fence. A couple hits from that and you could not make a dog go near it.
