Tell Me All Your Hardware Cloth Secrets

[Anon112]

Hardware cloth! It keeps our beloved chickens safe from predators, but in my experience it is such a frustrating material to work with. I never seem to learn my lesson that once you cut it, the cut edge will spring up.

So tell me your tips and tricks for working with hardware cloth.

Aside from wearing gloves, tips on not getting scratched?

When stapling it along boards, how do you prevent those little pockets where it warps and won't lay flat?

 

[WingItRanch]

Don't staple but use screws with washers. Way easier and it will be more secure.

I learned that it was easier to secure one end and then un-roll bit by bit and secure as you go. Don't cut it until you already have it fully secure to the coop or run. I had to do this because often times it was just me without help so no one to hold it taut for me.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Let's see:

To keep it from leaping up at you while you cut, lay it down so that the loose end you unroll comes off the top instead of the bottom. It's more annoying, because you have to keep scootching the roll along the ground, but the cut pieces curl down into the ground instead of at your jugular veins.

Don't staple. Screw it through a big fender washer. Not only does it generally come out smoother, but it's also harder for determined predators to pull out from the wood.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

- I never know who’s new to the term “fender washers.” I sure was.

When we built our run, we also started with hammered-in staples. Never again! By the time we were attaching the HWC apron around the base (to be covered in mulch), we knew better.

In this picture from March, the fender washers (and screws) are attached in an alternate pattern along the bottom trim of the run. And we used impact drivers for the screws. About 30 seconds per attach point.

 

[Ted Brown]

About those sharp ends that are left when one cuts HC.

At the beginning I would trim all those ends as close to the strand running at 90 degree angle. Leaves the trimmed bits lost on the ground or...

I bought a wire seamer, I use these to bend the cut ends back over the remaining HC. Greatly reduces both effort & risk of getting punctured.

 

[Sally PB]

I learned that it was easier to secure one end and then un-roll bit by bit and secure as you go. Don't cut it until you already have it fully secure to the coop or run. I had to do this because often times it was just me without help so no one to hold it taut for me.

To keep it from leaping up at you while you cut, lay it down so that the loose end you unroll comes off the top instead of the bottom. It's more annoying, because you have to keep scootching the roll along the ground, but the cut pieces curl down into the ground instead of at your jugular veins.

I've done both of these. Unroll "curl down" vertically. Not easy by yourself, but doable. I didn't have screws and fender washers, so I stapled as I went. When it was attached, I cut the roll off.

I then screwed small strips of wood to sandwich the hardware cloth securely. We always have small pieces of wood and short screws, so I didn't have to buy anything special.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

…I then screwed small strips of wood to sandwich the hardware cloth securely. We always have small pieces of wood and short screws, so I didn't have to buy anything special.

Something I told myself I’d do, and then never did. Added to The List

 

[Anon112]

Don't staple but use screws with washers. Way easier and it will be more secure.

Don't staple. Screw it through a big fender washer. Not only does it generally come out smoother, but it's also harder for determined predators to pull out from the wood.

When I make my next run to the hardware store for more hardware cloth I'll grab some washers and give this a try!

I then screwed small strips of wood to sandwich the hardware cloth securely. We always have small pieces of wood and short screws, so I didn't have to buy anything special.

This was my initial plan: staple in place, then attach boards over any seams/staple lines.


Thank you all for the advice! I am doing this big run extension on my own. I'll be honest and say that it's hard for me to be patient sometimes, like when I'm holding up a big roll of hardware cloth and trying to get it to line up neatly, but the roll keeps pulling the whole thing sideways, then holding the roll with one hand while I staple with another all while up on a ladder. I just get really frustrated sometimes, which leads to not moving carefully, which leads to shredded arms and fingers when that roll jumps back at you. (I sort of know the "unroll along the ground" trick, but that's another place where I get impatient and do things the dangerous/stabby way).

I'll definitely try the washer tip and see how it goes!

Question about connecting two sections of hardware cloth (when the edges don't meet at a board): in another thread someone mentioned using hog clips. I'd been weaving wire, like "sewing" the two pieces together. For those who use clips: how far apart do you space the clips?

 

[Anon112]

View attachment 4209756

The precision. The neatness. The 90 degree angles. My chickens must never be allowed to know that a structure can look like this.

 

[WingItRanch]

When I make my next run to the hardware store for more hardware cloth I'll grab some washers and give this a try!



This was my initial plan: staple in place, then attach boards over any seams/staple lines.


Thank you all for the advice! I am doing this big run extension on my own. I'll be honest and say that it's hard for me to be patient sometimes, like when I'm holding up a big roll of hardware cloth and trying to get it to line up neatly, but the roll keeps pulling the whole thing sideways, then holding the roll with one hand while I staple with another all while up on a ladder. I just get really frustrated sometimes, which leads to not moving carefully, which leads to shredded arms and fingers when that roll jumps back at you. (I sort of know the "unroll along the ground" trick, but that's another place where I get impatient and do things the dangerous/stabby way).

I'll definitely try the washer tip and see how it goes!

Question about connecting two sections of hardware cloth (when the edges don't meet at a board): in another thread someone mentioned using hog clips. I'd been weaving wire, like "sewing" the two pieces together. For those who use clips: how far apart do you space the clips?

I weaved wire in and out of the squares to connect mine. I've never heard of these clips!