Ideas for protecting gap below door from predators

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: There's no need to bury it vertically when laying it out flat serves the same purpose.
That way, 1 inch deep works just as well

Use hardware cloth if you have it

 

[highpointfarm]

how does that keep diggers out thogh?

Oh i didnt realize you were protecting from diggers..... Is it to late to put a floor in? Thats you best bet.

 

[ThePigeonKid]

There's no need to bury it vertically when laying it out flat serves the same purpose.
That way, 1 inch deep works just as well

Use hardware cloth if you have it

Is that how you do it? How do you know it works? Dad wanted to dig and bury it. But your way looks easier.

 

[jamband]

Ahh, missed that part. Even with the wood floor, I have hardware cloth all the way around to keep them from getting under there. Maybe you could do something similar to a small cattle guard under the doors, but covered with hardware cloth. (Like a farm gate, covered and then buried flush with the ground).

yeah but then I still have that gap from door to floor......

 

[jamband]

There's no need to bury it vertically when laying it out flat serves the same purpose.
That way, 1 inch deep works just as well

Use hardware cloth if you have it

not totally sure what you mean.........I have have hardware cloth laid out on the ground and bent up and staples to door now but the movement causes it to break over time.............I need to stop diggers but also block the gap between ground and door bottom.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Personally I like the suggestion to bury a board across the bottom to sure up the gap. And the use of hardware cloth laid out just under surface to stop diggers is a proven method stated many times here on BYC.

Visualize a 4x4 post along the bottom of your doors that doors swing over, you can walk over or even drive a lawn mower over. If it can't bury deep enough to secure it then screw it to the end post of door casement. Take your existing hardware cloth and lay horizontally with one end under the 4x4 and other 18 inch or so outward from garage. bury the mesh an inch or so. Diggers will dig at the point of entry, when they hit the hardware cloth they move to another area and try again, again at wall or small distance from it. The hardware cloth being 18 inches out stops them as they wont dig that far out. The problem with this entire scenario is it's a mute point if your garage walls can be dug under. Are they on a deeper foundation?

 

[Rvl Rookie]

yeah but then I still have that gap from door to floor......

Then you'd need to make the guard sit higher, or add to your doors so they go lower. Put the guard in, covered with hardware cloth first, then work on your doors. You could use 2x10s, hinged near the bottom of the doors, so that they can be dropped down onto the guard for security but lifted up and latched for when you open the doors.

 

[KDK1]

Its just a ground level garage.....but there are 2 swing open doors...one swings right and one left, just like big shed doors. I would think something buried would need to be at least 12-18 inches deep to stop diggers though and that woods gonna rot pretty fast.

Use ground-contact pressure treated 2x12's. If you want to go deeper, stack another 2x6 or 2x8 on top of it.
Something like this.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Is that how you do it? How do you know it works? Dad wanted to dig and bury it. But your way looks easier.

Yes that's how I do it.
I know it works because animals can't dig through wire
It's much easier to stop them at the surface than to waste time digging it in, and then having the animals dig that far to find it

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

not totally sure what you mean.........I have have hardware cloth laid out on the ground and bent up and staples to door now but the movement causes it to break over time.............I need to stop diggers but also block the gap between ground and door bottom.

It doesn't need to be attached to the door.

Open the door, and cut a piece of wire as wide as the opening, and long enough to extend a foot or two on each side
.
Remove just enough dirt so the area is level and lay the wire down flat.
Once it's laid out flat, cover it with the dirt you removed..

If there is a gap under the door, use a piece of treated lumber on the inside that fills the gap.
You should be able to attach the ends to the frame of the coop, and NOT to the door

When the door is shut it should be tight against the board

Depending on the height of the gap, you may be able to use a board laying flat like a threshold, but it will have to be level. and you will need to leave a small gap so the door won't bind