Run Covering Question?

[lleighmay]

I have a 24x24 ft dog run 6.5 ft tall with a somewhat battered (but still serviceable) 8x12 ft shed enclosed within and attached to the back of my garage. I'm getting ready to cover the top with 2x4 welded wire to keep the birds in and the critters out. The shed will be open to the pen with roosts inside and a place for my hen to nest out of the weather. I'm pretty good at construction but would like to know whether I can get away without digging a boatload of postholes and cluttering the inside the pen with obstructions. I'm thinking of running high tensile fence wire across the top in a grid pattern from the buildings to the outer end and then from edge to edge going the other way. The grid wires would be anchored to the buildings and the boards which top the perimeter of the fence. I'm thinking 2 ft spacing would work, and the wires would be attached together with clips where they overlap. Then I could attach the 2x4 wire panels over the grid clipping securely at regular intervals and overlapping my sections slightly for extra strength. The posts around the perimeter are set in concrete and we don't get much snow and ice here (usually) so I don't think the load would be a problem as long as all my wiring is securely attached. Does anyone have any experience with something like this or do any of you construction pros have any advice on whether this would work or how I might need to improve my plan? Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[PapaChaz]

wow, sounds like a good idea, BUT, 24 feet is a LONG way to stretch even a high tensile wire with no support in the middle anywhere. i don't think it will work. i would run some posts down the center at least, with a good pt 2x6 secured all the way across. not a lot of ground space taken up with that. let us know what you go with and how it works out! pics would be great!

 

[lleighmay]

Thanks for the quick reply and helpful advice PapaChaz! It's supposed to rain for the next few days but hopefully after that I can get out there and give it a try. I'll be sure to post pics whenever I get it done (better be soon- I don't think my turkeys plan to procrastinate much longer)

 

[kwork]

I think your high tensile wire is going to pull the tops of your fence in when you put enough tension on it to keep the top from sagging. Have you considered some pvc hoop construction? If you attach a larger diameter piece to the top portion of the fence panel, then you could use maybe 2 15ft pieces of pvc to span the width. I'm thinking 1"diam would work but maybe someone else has more experience with hoop run construction can comment.
(Not sure if it will let me copy these picture links to illustrate what I'm describing)

Just imagine that attached to the top of your 6ft tall fence sections and less dramatic arc. Total height maybe 9 ft in the center?

 

[patandchickens]

I wouldn't. You will have Large Forces applied to the wires; at the very least, things will sag considerably, and potentially either pull the wires loose from their attachments, or pull the attached-to things apart. Especially when you get a big dump of wet snow, which Yes does accumulate on wire mesh when it's used as a top.

If you are SUPER convinced of the structural invincibility of your stuff, you can try it.... but, don't say I didn't warn you

I would suggest something more along the lines of aviary netting and a tall "circus tent pole" (no smaller than 4x4, preferably much stouter) stuck up in the middle of the run, with an old tire or similar on top to cushion where the netting lies over it. For just a 12' span away from the tentpole, you probably won't need any wires at all but if you did you could add them, spokes of a wheel fashion, sloping down from top of tentpole post down to the top of the run fencing. This may sag under some snowfalls but is not likely to actually collapse, nor cause structural damage to your setup.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat