Staples vs Screw and washer...what to do, what do to!!?

[chicken995]

I just used staples on mine. Tons. I am confident that the staples will be suffcient.

 

[Chucken]

I started with screws and washers, but when I went to face the raw edges with 1” X 4”’s, there was too much of a gap, so I removed the screws and used ¾” poultry staples. They sit flush with a good pounding.

 

[reksat]

I used 1/2" staples over some window screen made of copper from back in the 1970's ,stapled about every 2 to 3 "seems to be holding out ok .I might reinforce with some wood slats over that. I think u will be alright with the staples. go for it.

 

[tennesseeckn]

I used 1.5" staples and covered it with lattice slates that are stapled, too. It was put to the test a couple of months ago when a coyote came into the back yard. It was throwing itself against the hardware cloth and then dragging its nails down it over and over again. The staples held firm and kept my girls safe.

 

[bryan99705]

Use the screws with a fender washer in corners and spaced out along the wire's run. Fill in with staples. Remember to use AW wood in wet contact areas so it does not rot because rotten wood doesn't hold anything!

 

[haus]

I used Tek Lathe screws. They don't require predrilling and they have a washer built into the screw head. Quick and easy, the box only cost 5 bucks for 120 of the screws..

 

[CSWolffe]

Gotta add my two cents...
I'm a carpenter with almost twenty years experience. Staples will do just fine. I used em on my run. Now, I don't like the look of wire stapled to 2x2's, so I covered the boards with some cedar for appearance like Welasharon.
It is true that staples will pull out of wood more easily than screws, but I seriously doubt any predator will be able to pull out those staples. I did some searching on an engineering site I use for projects, and found that a 16 gauge staple penetrating only 1/2" has 84 pounds of withdraw strength. A staple penetrating 3/4" has 151 pounds of withdraw strength. 15 gauge staples at 3/4" have 174 pounds of withdraw strength. You're using 1", so think of how much YOU have, even with a lighter gauge. How many raccoons or foxes can pull with that kind of strength? And that is just one staple, with a staple every three or four inches, well, the wire will break long before those staples come out. Nailing a strip of wood OVER the wire and staples will help prevent the wire breaking.
Hope this helps.

 

[elmo]

I browse quite a bit on a galliformes forum and people there report that over time as wood dries out staples have a tendency to loosen. So if you use staples, be sure to check periodically to see that your wire remains securely fastened. You want to be the one to spot a weakness, not a predator.

 

[latebloomer]

i used staples on mine and it feels pretty sturdy, i put fastened the hardware cloth on the inside where i could figuring it would help if the predators couldn't get to the fasteners.

one thing i'm worried about is galvanic action, i hope it won't be a problem.

 

[VelvettFog]

I think it is important to point out that there are two common types of 'staples'. If we are talking about the hand-held home staple gun, those staples are probably not going to prevent a determined raccoon from gaining entrance to your coop. But 1/4" crown staples, driven by a pneumatic staple gun - are not coming out any time soon

I trust that carpenter guy's post !